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I thought we had gone past this nonsense
DEAR EDITOR,
I read the lofty phrases in a letter in Kaieteur News of March 7, 2014 titled “President must ensure racial balance in SWAT” written by one Sultan Mohamed.
I thought we had gone past this nonsense about racial balance. Our history demonstrates certain ethics, preferences, and religious attachments from the time we were settled in British Guiana – a tendency by certain racial groups to gravitate to certain areas of activity almost as a natural thing. To make artificial impositions is not right.
As a lad at Queen’s College, few of my Indo buddies opted for the Cadet Corps or Boy Scouts, did little track and field – they also seemed to dislike football, but of course there will always be exceptions, often related to their early environment. Those who fought in the two World Wars from British Guiana were 90% Afro Guyanese. Note the reluctance of certain groups to take part in National Service, generally regarded as semi-military.
Let people seek employment or a career where they are comfortable or feel they can do their best. Things change, but generally inherited patterns persist. My answer decades ago when the question of the Security Forces arose, was and remains the same, you cannot with any justification call for racial balance in one aspect of national life or activity, and ignore others that will be unjust and myopic.
To those who seek ethnic balance then let’s start with the allocation of land, the cabinet, licence for businesses or firearms, balance on who we send to be trained as professionals – ethnic balance in the Judiciary. Yes, perhaps balance with who we send to jail or who we accommodate in the Palms or the mad house. Balance in the media, radio, televisions and newspapers.
As we mature, this nation must concentrate on training our youth, developing sound morals and decency, learning to judge a person not by race or belief but by content of character and willingness to work hard and make sacrifices.
If Mr. Mohamed wants a balance in SWAT, he cannot stop there. In Guyana, other areas exercise much more influence (the media) and authority than SWAT or our Security Forces.
Hamilton Green, J.P.
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