What does Adam Harris have in common with Whitney Houston?

Feb 04, 2014 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

I have known Adam Harris for more than thirty years. We have been with Kaieteur News since it started. One of the things I always remember about Adam is that over the long years we have been together, I would go to him with viciously dishonest things published in KN about me by some well known Guyanese.
Adam’s response has been the same over the years; “Freddie, why bother? Do you take your plate to these people?” Adam would say the same about himself when we discuss attacks on him as KN’s editor-in chief. I remember there was a big blow up between Whitney Houston and a rival diva. Whitney reserved some harsh words for the equally famous superstar and ended her anger by saying’ “I don’t carry my plate to her.”
It is the perfect attitude to adopt. Why care about people who don’t even care about your own existence? I have been reliably informed by a top manager of a leading Georgetown supermarket that the shoppers who buy most of the “sales items” are foreigners. We Guyanese want to keep up with the Joneses so when we enter the supermarket, we pass the “sales items” with scorn on our face.
Not me! Not this human! I love the “sales section.” You ask any employee of the Survival Supermarket and Nigel’s Supermarket which is my favourite corner and they will automatically respond that it is the section that have stuff on sale. Why the hell I should be bothered with who sees me buying goods on sale. I love bargains. They save you lots of money.
Forgive this long digression, but it is a reassertion of my commitment as a public person to speak my mind without burdening myself on how those to whom I direct my remarks will feel about me. This is my life and I will call it how I see it.
I have written several times in my column and in letters to the editor page that I see deep flaws in many of the judgements of the acting Chief Justice, Ian Chang.
Lawyers and judges feel that they alone are the experts on the understanding of law. Let me say boldly that we have a Guyanese that can internalize the Constitution and the laws of this land with learned understanding as compared to any judge or lawyer. His name is Eusi Kwayana.
Last week outside the courtroom after the recess in the Kissoon-Jagdeo libel hearing, in the presence of trade unionist, Norris Witter and parliamentarian Desmond Trotman, I pointedly told the lawyer for Bharrat Jagdeo that lay people can understand the laws too
When Justice Insannaly ruled in favour of a gold miner over an Amerindian community in a land dispute, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) was acerbic in its public disagreement with the judge’s ruling. Harsh language was used.
I believe equally harsh language should be employed to describe the flaws in Justice Chang’s budget cut ruling. After his decision, I went and read the Constitution. I spent the whole of Sunday night going through that document after reading Ralph Ramkarran’s informative elaboration on Article 171.There is nothing in that Constitution that bars the House from either rejecting the budget, amending parts of it, or removing particular estimates.
A cursory reading of the Constitution will show in pellucid ways that there is no clause that specifically restricts the House from removing line items in the budget. I went over that Constitution again and again.
I would like to hear what the GHRA has to say since it was very condemnatory of Justice Insannaly’s ruling. I would like to have the take of Vincent Alexander, Ramon Gaskin, Aubrey Norton and others. For me, my mind is made up. I read the Constitution. Based on what I read, I do not agree with Mr. Chang’s decision.
I believe his ruling is profoundly flawed with deep misunderstanding of the Constitution. I don’t care how learned a judge other may think of him.
I have written in this newspaper that, I will publicly not support Mr. Chang’s elevation to the Caribbean Court of Appeal. Also in that very piece in which I wrote that, I also stated that if such a promotion occurred, I will travel to Trinidad to protest it.
I close by repeating what I once wrote in my KN column — in front of Christopher Ram, I brought up with the Chief Justice, that I knew he solicited President Jagdeo’s intervention to get a duty free car, request for which was rightfully turned down by the Guyana Revenue Authority. I saw the GRA letter. Mr. Chang got his car.

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What does Adam Harris have in common with Whitney Houston?

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