Brutalizing the English language

May 12, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
Thanks for Freddie Kissoon’s feature in the “Kaieteur” dated Sunday, May 9, 2010. It underscores at least two very important aspects of Guyanese society: integrity and intellectuality.
To these, most have become quite inured. Let me illustrate. I ask (and the likes of Dave Bhagwan, Vishnu Bisram, Anand Boodram, Randy Persuad etc. should do a survey on this) what is the norm when a police officer seeks to institute a charge against a potential offender?
Is the tenor of such happenings one that purports societal good? Or is it an opportunity (created at times) for the officer on duty to rake in his “perks?” I was travelling with my niece, and the female police stopped her for no reason save for a raise: she had not eaten lunch as yet.
I was at the a police station on the East Coast of Demerara, and when a citizen tried to expedite his renewing of a firearm licence, he was told that the ‘senior’ in charge was not around.
What has this got to do with the renewing of a licence? His next verbal move was to indicate to the citizen that he has been working all morning, and did not even have time to eat breakfast. You see where all of this is heading. That is why Freddie must be complimented for exposing these types of issues.
Corruption at every domain in Guyana is now chronic. Look at what is happening with ‘our beloved’ pathologists? Now it seems that ‘cases of foul play’ have to be cleared only by independent inquest, for the autopsies all seem set ‘for sale.’ What a travesty!
I am being bombarded with the solecisms ‘endorsed’ by NCN. There is the advertisement for a sports editor, and mere perusal will evince at least two rudimentary errors.
You see, if one writes (or says) “…will be commensurate…” then it may be just a typographical blunder. However this is being run over and over again. So I am left but to judge you as bereft of the requisite grammatical competence.
The same can be said for the same advertisement, where the verb form ‘is’ is used. It should be ‘be’ that is ‘unconjugated,’ since it involves the subjunctive. Am I too intellectual? No, it is you who are so deficient. The same goes for the GWI advisory that is so beautifully read my Michella Abraham-Ali. The minute, Maam, you refer to GWI as a singular entity, you can never ever refer to it with the pronoun ‘they’ or ‘their.’ It has to be ‘it’ and/or ‘its.’ Again, I implore NCN to educate the nation.
And how about ‘Thursday Throwdown.” Well, there is a place for the Guyanese Creole, but do not confuse/mix it up with the Guyanese Standard English. I mean where do I put “Him and his senior officers” will be meeting with farmers (referring to one of Mr. Robert Persaud’s meetings)?
Think upon this: “X and Y (arbitrary names) is two naughty girls.” Is it any wonder that NCN is the butt of all kinds of jovial derisions? I am sure that especially 98.1 Hot FM can do better that Mr. Ghetto.
Shane Rizwan.

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