Kissoon’s writings demonstrate that he lacks the character to engage in civil discourse

Sep 27, 2008 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
None of us is infallible. We sometimes make statements in good faith that turn out to be incorrect. When the error is discovered, our sense of honesty and ethics demands that we acknowledge the mistake and correct it. When we persist in peddling the misstatement, then it is no longer an error; it becomes a lie.

The intent then is to deceive. Those who do it in the name of academic freedom betray the sacred traditions of academe.

Those who do it in the name of journalism betray an old and noble profession. Frederick Kissoon is guilty on both counts.

When he reported in his column that a meeting was held in my home in Washington, DC and then in another column stated that I did not exist, he could have made a mistake. When I corrected him and he still peddled the misrepresentation, he then graduated to lying.

When he stated that I was a racist for posting on racist blogs without providing one iota of evidence, he was either an irresponsible columnist or a liar. I contend that he was both. When he stated I said that I had contributed to the restoration of democracy in Guyana he was lying.

I probably did or did not contribute. But, Kissoon could not have heard that from me because I never mentioned that in any exchange with him at any time in my life.

When he stated that I was a ghost writer for the PPP and well known to him he was lying. The man does not know me.

When he stated that he can verify that there was no Errol Arthur, in or out of Guyana, who ever contributed anything to the WPA he was lying. To whom did he speak?

It could not have been Eusi Kwayana, Rupert Roopnaraine, Omowale, Donald Rodney, or Wazir Mohamed – they all slept in my bed and enjoyed my wife’s cooking.

Andaiye, Dr. Clive Thomas, Bonita Harris, Dr. David Hinds and a slew of others enjoyed my hospitality on numerous occasions.

Let me hasten to add that the WPA was not the only party that benefited from my largesse. The others know who they are. But, the truth is that Kissoon can believe anything he wants; I do not need him to validate anything that I do.

It is a sad commentary on the ethics of this man who put himself up as a crusader for good governance and morality that he could lie so brazenly and so often in so short an exchange.

I am not embarrassed to be deemed any of the things he attributed to me – even if I wrote anonymously as he claimed. I would, however, hang my head in shame were my signature to be found affixed to any of the three articles he wrote in response to my query.

They were all meandering, ill conceived’ scurrilous pieces, totally devoid of logic, reason, truth, evidence of scientific enquiry, or the minimum standards of scholarship or journalistic ethics.  Kissoon is yet to learn that bombastic rhetoric is not analysis, nor mindless repetition scholarship.

I must admit that I am not bothered by Kissoon’s diatribe and character assassination. I saw him do it to others – Dr. Randy Persaud, Walter Persaud, Ricky Singh, and other good citizens – and I saw them stand tall.

He succeeded only in debasing himself in the process. I knew he was going to unleash his unprincipled pen on me but I have enough self respect, self assurance and integrity to prevail.

What does disturb me, however, is that his response strikes at the very core of the responsibility of a free press in an emergent democracy.

My comments here are directed not just to the Kaieteur News but to the media in general. The Kaieteur News was a breath of fresh air when it burst upon the Guyanese scene.

It still is, even though Kissoon’s diatribes, tantrums and lack of professionalism tarnish its image. Scurrilous attacks on those who have the temerity, nay the impudence, to challenge his wisdom would do that!

The media has been in the forefront of the call for accountability in government, as indeed it should be. Is this an empty slogan to be used as a battering ram on others, or is it to be incorporated in their own business operations?

Should the media hold their editorial and other staff to any measure of journalistic responsibility at all? For example, when ‘Columnist Kissoon’ published the lies I enumerated above, did the Kaieteur News require him to provide one single statement, one single line to justify any of his assertions?

Kissoon’s writings have demonstrated that he lacks both the capacity and the temperament to engage in civil discourse. But, does that absolve the media and their editorial staff from their responsibility to practice responsible journalism?

Should the media practice any measure of quality control where it ensures that whatever they publish is accurate?

I realise that columnists are more engaged in analysis, where a good measure of opinions are proffered. However, is there any journalistic imperative that requires that opinions must be informed?

Kissoon has perfected the art of changing the subject when he is cornered. He has spent the greater part of three full length articles on this issue to evade his responsibility to answer a simple question.

He did so by regurgitating his mantra that he refused to answer me because I was a cowardly PPP ghost writer.

I contend that his studious refusal to do so has nothing to do with the ridiculous reasons he has presented and everything to do with the fact he knows that there is no justification for his position. Well, I will now remove the one barrier that Kissoon claims stands in his way.

I am providing an addendum to this letter (only because I would not like it to published in your newspaper) that contains my name, address, phone number, and email address. Please verify my existence and share it with Kissoon.

This should remove his dishonest excuse for refusing to answer the query that started this exchange. If I may add, I would appreciate if you can prevail upon him to eschew the bombast and tantrums.

If it pleases him, I accept every pejorative he has already directed at me in addition to whatever else his fertile mind can conceive – just so long as he can address the issue, which is: Could Kissoon kindly support his argument that as intellectually keen, politically conscious, and socially responsible a human being as Martin Carter was coerced by Cheddi Jagan to be an integral part of the oppression and brutalization of his compatriots when so many of his contemporaries made conscious, principled choices not to do so?
Errol R. Arthur

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