A greater burden rests on the shoulders of public officials to be circumspect

Jan 16, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
R. Small’s letter captioned, “There is a fine line between contemptuously attacking the Government and exposing bad governance”, amounts to another one of those polyphemus-like analysis that has become the standard template for the phantom writers in Guyana.
In this biased analysis of the interaction between the PPP Government and its critics, Small engages in subtlety and deception in order to sneak the burden of responsibility for the tenure of the exchanges upon the shoulders of such critics. Selectively lost in this transparently obvious blame game, is the moral, legal and administrative responsibility of any national regime to behave in a manner that comports with its office. But then again, that would not have been practical since it would have been inconsistent with the motive that influenced the context of the analysis.
Small asserts, “The Government understands that the more they are contemptuously attacked by persons who have not practically demonstrated a willingness to do better on behalf of the people, the more this raises the profile and power perception of Government. This is because not only is the Government forced into a position to defend themselves and track record; they can go on the offensive and point out the visionless blaming by the blamers”. Absolute rubbish!
The Government is not some innocent, powerless waif stranded in a corner strenuously deflecting blows from a scourge of attackers.
What is more contemptuous in the national discourse than the President of the Republic cussing out people and boasting about it, banning journalist who ask questions for which he either does not have an appropriate answer, or which his monarchial conception of his position influences him into believing he does not have to answer?
What is more contemptuous in a national discourse of issues than the regime in power monopolizing media that is financed by the tax paying public, and using it as an organ to launch malicious and disgusting attacks upon its critics. Small’s Nelson’s eye analysis of the tenure of the interaction between the Guyana Government and its critics is pathetically fatuous, because he or she is only interested in offering excuses for the behaviour and conduct of the player with the ethical and legal responsibility to do exactly what Small advocates.
Still partisan and selectively driven, Small references the recent happenings in the US surrounding the attempted assassination of a Congressional Representative, the killing of members of the audience attending the gathering, and the reaction of the US citizenry to that atrocity. But again, he or she elected to ignore the most poignant facet in that reaction, and the one which elicited the most coverage and analysis of the American media. Yes, the citizenry of the US, rank and file, and in collective empathy and sympathy, were virtually unanimous in condemnation of the atrocity.
Unless Small is amnesiac, the Guyanese public and opposition responded in the same manner to all similar atrocities that incident our history over the past several years. However, what was markedly and poignantly different in reactions between Guyana and the US, was the manner in which the Chief Executives of these nations reacted and performed under such conditions and circumstances.
Barack Obama, behaved like a President should, in his public reaction to the atrocity, and in the speech he gave at the memorial for the victims. And this in the face of the most vicious and unwarranted vilification any American President has ever endured. Contrast that with what obtained from his counterpart in Guyana, when citizens that were not traditional members of his political wing were being kidnapped, lynched or assassinated.
Small is seemingly so obsessed with pointing to the twig that obscures the vision of one side, that he or she omits to pay attention to the greenheart log that impedes the vision of his, hers, or the regime in Guyana.
No where is the burden to be circumspect, to be respectful, to be calm, considerate, fair and balanced, a more impelling imperative, than in its position upon the shoulders of those holding public offices. The citizens of any nation have a right to cuss out their elected officials, not the other way around. Leadership is a servant hood undertaking, and these things come with the territory. If politicians do not have the temperament to live up to that role, they clearly should not be aspirants for such leadership positions.
Barak Obama, as Chief Executive of his nation, clearly demonstrates his comfortableness with that role. Thus if Small was really interested in calming the tenure of discourse and criticism in Guyana, rather than offering up a rational for the conduct and behaviour of the regime in power, that is where the focus of the analysis would have been.
Robin Williams

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