One can only take Freddie Kissoon’s daily rhapsody with a grain of salt

Jan 21, 2014 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
Readers have come to learn that one can only take Freddie Kissoon’s daily rhapsody with a grain of salt. Stella Ramsaroop, a few years ago, exposed him grossly for journalistic inaccuracies, and lectured him on the propriety of professionalism when it comes to journalism.  You’d think that the columnist would learn a thing or two by now.
Freddie Kissoon’s column (in quotation marks), “What I saw made me embarrassed to be a human being.” (KN, 12-01-14) is a mockery of veritable journalism; (Mr. Kissoon replaced the words “human race” with “human being”).
Let me cite the first paragraph of the column that pointed to the quotation: “If you read these words anywhere in the world coming from a journalist, UN official, visiting politician, medical doctor, nurse or a scholar on a research project, you would definitely think that he/she is referring to a country that is at war and what they see are just horrible manifestations of the tragedy of life. Guess which country that quote refers to? Bet you would not believe it. Yes, your own land of birth, Guyana.”
Kissoon wrote this column from info derived from an internet blog which Dr. Dennis Leblanc’s friend has had on the internet.  Unfortunately, the long-time, seasoned journalist deliberately misquoted Dr. Leblanc to suit his poisonous vilification.  Like many of his daily rants, this column was full of lies and misquotes.
First, he referred to the Rev. Dr. Dennis Leblanc as a “visiting Catholic priest”.  Dr. Leblanc is neither ‘Catholic’, nor is he a ‘priest’.  He is a (Protestant) pastor/counsellor (as well as a medical doctor).
Second, the visiting doctor/pastor, in his lamentation, was not pointing to the country of Guyana, as Mr. Kissoon would have us believe.  He was writing in reference to the Mental Health Centre in Canje. It deeply distressed Dr. LeBlanc, to a point of tears – to see what he saw (of the mental health facility), and this is what he wrote: “What we saw there defies description, and so I have few words coming to me right now. But I will say that what I did see made me embarrassed to be a part of the human race. That we can warehouse people in such a fashion, and hide them away so that no one knows who they are, where they are, how they are doing, is a travesty…”
Third, Mr. Kissoon deliberately changed the wording of his “quote”: “The priest has traveled all over the world but thinks that Guyana is the worst, miasmic-stained country he has ever seen. Let us quote him; “there is no relief here from the poverty, pain, unemployment, corruption, garbage…these are not temporary problems that come and go like our seasons … they are their (sic) perpetual state of affairs…”  Again, Dr. Leblanc was referring to the Mental Health facility, not the state of Guyana.
Fourth, Mr. Kissoon derides Guyana in his own terms and attributes them to others. I chatted with Dr. LeBlanc recently, and can assure you that that description of Guyana (“the worst, miasmic-stained country”) is that of Mr. Kissoon – not the distinguished visitor to Guyana last October.
Fifth, Dr. Leblanc has travelled in the Middle East and elsewhere, but his travels ought not to be described as “universal”.
Sixth, Mr. Kissoon deliberately tweaked quotations to change meanings and context. His attributed supposed quotation of Dr. Leblanc on Guyana was, “Here is the part that made him feel that Guyana was not a civilized land; “I will say that the filth, squalor, poverty, and disregard for humans (sic) life made me embarrassed to be a human being.” He was referring to the facility in Canje, not the country of Guyana.
Seventh, the distinguished columnist reported that Dr. Leblanc’s castigation of the country of Guyana was given “wide coverage in different newspapers in the United States”, but this is another lie.  The ‘report’ was given to a local news blog where Dr. Leblanc lives!
Eighth, Mr. Kissoon again borrowed part of the quote from Dr. Leblanc on the mental health facility – to make it look as if the visitor was referring to the country of Guyana. This is what Dr. Leblanc wrote – to appreciate the context of what was written: “… which brings me to the realization that this is both an appropriate metaphor AND real life here. There is NO RELIEF here — from the heat, humidity, torrential downpours … or from poverty, pain, unemployment, corruption, garbage, congestion, noise, danger, illness … and on. Relief is a concept very few can afford (the rich or powerful, maybe). These are not temporary problems that come and go like our seasons. They are the perpetual state of affairs, that people today have inherited from their forebears, and now whose children are also destined to have as the reality of their lives.”
Ninth, Mr. Kissoon falsely attributes that “LeBlanc ended his description of Guyana with the following expression; “It was a sad and depressing experience”.  This is not true, as Dr. Leblanc expressed that he had a “wonderful” teaching experience in Guyana, and shall never forget the lovely people in the land.
Tenth, Mr. Kissoon stated of Dr. Leblanc, “He said he is not coming back”.  Dr. Leblanc never expressed the negative (of not returning to Guyana).  His good buddy with whom he came has returned to Guyana nine times, and God-willing, will return another nine times.  Guyana is not the only entity that is in the mind of the visitor; merely stepping one’s feet in the physical land is not the only way to help out.
You would think that Mr. Kissoon, a ‘seasoned’ writer/columnist/journalist would be fair and give the ‘other’ side of a story, and mention that Dr. Leblanc was flabbergasted by the incredible hospitality he experienced in Guyana.  The visitor related how he and his travelling colleagues were travelling in Suddie. They were hungry and wanting to look for a restaurant to eat.
The driver, overhearing their conversation, burst out with “nonsense”, and proceeded to whip out his cell phone, call his family who was having a Hindu religious function, and inform them that the entourage was coming to be part of the feasting.  Within half an hour, they were ‘lashing out’ the 7-curry (dal and rice and all!), and were taken for a tour of the family’s backyard of chickens, ducks and fruit trees.  This experience has been etched in Dr. Leblanc’s mind, and he has been proclaiming this episode as representative of Guyanese hospitality.
I appreciate Mr. Kissoon’s desire to see change; I appreciate his desperation.  However, this is no reason to exaggerate or lie in his daily missives.
Devanand Bhagwan

 

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