Racial bigotry pervades some minds

Jul 06, 2012 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Response is made to KN July 4, 2012 letter “Lewis may be his worst enemy.” Let me from the outset say, as per the letter’s stated title, no such fear resides; the fear resides in those who seek or expect silence or compliance in the face of their bigotry.
They are assured that there will be no such silence or compliance on my part, and they will be exposed for whom they are- an enemy to peaceful co-existence, racial harmony and equitable development.
I stand by my statement that Ravi Dev’s bigoted writings and pander for empathy in the claim that my response to his bigotry is ad hominem, shall not deter me. Those who now seek to defend him, shall too, not succeed!
Refer to my letters “Don’t expect silence on my part, Mr. Dev. Not now, not ever!” and “My position is in sync with international prerequisites for good governance and social justice” –KN 30/6/ 2012 and 29/5/2012 respectively.
By biological identity I am African Guyanese, which foremost defines me. The other attributes of personal identity comes through association and achievements. The former is not of one’s making; the latter, one can influence.
The United Nations has declared “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” This is also enshrined in the Guyana Constitution. As such this is not a tenet to be treated lightly.
Further, if I cannot stand up and represent that tenet against those engaging in acts/actions to threaten and/or deny the African race, then I lose the moral authority, as a citizen with a civic responsibility and trade unionist with a global responsibility, to speak for any group-be it those affected by race, class, gender, creed, or other diversity.
This responsibility is seriously taken and shall not be ceded to any or under any pretext.
Those who think they can so challenge it, are urged to do so in the face of evidence and not on wild suppositions and fictions, because my intolerance will not be contained under any lid!
Making light or being contemptuous of the tenet declared by the United Nations and enshrined in our Constitution has opened the doors for the bigotry that now finds mainstream acceptance and forms part of the government’s policy, which pose clear and present danger to our peaceful co-existence and equitable development.
Such depraved thinking allows the Editor of the taxpayers’ funded Guyana Chronicle in his July 2, 2012 titled “Opposition rampages to sow disunity in the country” to write “Hatred of Indians is ingrained into [African] psyche. Many Indian persons, who grew up in the arms of black people in rural communities have today become fearful anytime a black youth gets too close to them.”
Was a similar editorial targeting Indians written by Courtney Gibson, Adam Harris, Carl Blackman, or any previous Guyana Chronicle editor during a PNC administration, Indians and others would have been offended and would have spoken out against it. This would be the right thing to do.
I am equally convinced that had such been written under the presidency of Forbes Burnham and Desmond Hoyte, the editor would have been removed for misusing his pen, abusing his public responsibility and using the state media to publish such divisive and unsubstantiated opinion.
Today such bigotry finds acceptance and silence from President Donald Ramator, the PPP leadership and wider society, who would not have correctly tolerated it under the PNC. To this end it became a ray of hope reading the Roman Catholic Church’s moral leadership in condemning the editorial. The society needs a floodgate of similar voice of reason to halt this degeneracy.
A similar offensive statement is Dev’s who claims that, “In addition to the nurtured tradition of revolt, African socialisation patterns pre-dispose them into aggressive habits and frustrating situations elicit aggressive responses, even against authority figures, i.e. there is a normative support for violence in the African community.”
He and those advancing/representing/defending such effrontery are bigots, even moreso given what is happening today and of which they have opted for silence in the midst of escalation. It also reinforces my position that some are not interested in welding this nation together, fostering racial harmony, ending discrimination and poor governance.
Finally, nothing shall deter me in the quest for creating a just society. My loyalty is to principles, not principalities. Justice must prevail in this society, and it must not be for one, it must be for all!
Lincoln Lewis

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