Latest update May 22nd, 2026 12:38 AM
Destiny is not a matter of chance it’s a matter of choice
Dear Editor,
I am intrigued by and genuinely excited about what is currently transpiring in Egypt. The people have spoken and signaled that the 30-year corruption-infested regime led by President Hosni Mubarak must come to an end.
No longer have they permitted themselves to be coerced into fear and forced to believe that the ever-widening gaps between the rich and the poor are inevitable; no longer is the total abrogation of the rule of law, especially reflected in the brutality and arbitrariness of the police, seen as the acceptable status quo.
Lord Acton’s notion that, “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”, has no doubt been epitomized by the autocratic government in Egypt. The rights of the people have been trampled upon and they have defied curfews, and amidst coverage from Aljazeera, MSNBC and other news networks, ensured that their voices are heard.
The prospects of a democratic transition continue to loom large, despite the ‘balancing act’ being displayed by the United States. Indeed, there are concerns about the future stability in the Middle East and the possibilities of strained ties between Egypt and Israel, especially with the rising popularity of the Muslim Brotherhood, but the legitimate rights of the Egyptian people cannot be ignored any longer.
To date, the actions of Egypt (and Tunisia) have caused a ripple effect in the Middle East. Yemen, Algeria, Jordan and Morocco have witnessed rising unrest and protests as the they too seek to put a check on power wielded by their leaders and attempt to make their voices heard over the rising din of poverty, social inequality, high unemployment, a lack of political reform and other societal maladies.
Would we as Guyanese ensure that we are not left behind the democratic awakenings occurring in other parts of the world?
When we as a people signal that ‘enough is enough’, when we transcend our racial cleavages and embrace our commonality as the human race, when we defy the odds and courageously let our voices be heard, when we confront the corruption that has become the order of the day, we too could be another ‘success story’.
The choice lies in our hands. Lest we continue to falter and continue to hope for changes that would never materialise unless we signal that we would no longer tolerate the trampling of our rights and the wanton shedding of blood in our streets (even amidst preposterous claims that there is no breakdown of law and order in Guyana), let us remember the succinct words spoken by William Jennings Bryan a few decades before – “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved”.
Loria-Mae Heywood
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