President David Granger has to put our Big Uncles’ feet to the fire

Oct 06, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
Guyana has two Big Uncles (local name given to respected elders in Guyana), who by the very nature of their interaction, control and great influence, must have a strong role to play in the protection through military assistance to Guyana in the face of threats of invasion from Venezuela. These two countries are Great Britain and the United States. Guyana, as a nation, does not ring through the pages of ancient history like Egypt or Rome or even Great Britain. Guyana was carved out of the South American Rain Forest, so to speak, and eventually settled as a colony of the reining empire, Great Britain, some two hundred, or so, years ago.
Let us look at the role of each ‘Uncle’ in Guyana’s history.
Great Britain, through enslavement of some (Africans), indenturing others (Indians) and domination of the locals (Aboriginals), created a nation based on its language, institutions, society and culture. Guyana, then British Guiana, was a crown jewel of England, on the north coast of South America. Its agricultural, manufacturing and mining wealth poured into England until its resources could not support its maintenance, the British thought, and it was cut loose as an independent nation, some fifty years ago.
Thanks to Great Britain, Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America and carries that label with distinction and pride. Its institutions, government or other, even its religion, principally Christianity, all evolved from the ‘Mother Country’.
President David Granger has an obligation then, to revisit this knowledge with the British Government and peoples. He has to remind them, when the British Falkland Islands was under threat of invasion from Argentina, the British moved with alacrity and overwhelming force to stamp out Argentine’s ambitions. Also, there are tens of thousands of Guyanese and their descendants living, working and contributing to the welfare of England.
In the case of the United States, President David Granger has to remind America, it built Guyana’s first airport, its first highway, owned its largest mining concern (Bauxite) and has an envious honour of being the country that has more influence on Guyana, through its trade, music, dance and clothing than any other. Guyanese are more influenced by America’s culture than any other country. There are more Guyanese expatriates and their descendants living in the United States, than the whole population of Guyana.
Guyana needs military assistance to protect its border and place it in a greater defensive position. President Granger is in the best position, coming off his great successes at the United Nations, to put our ‘Big Uncles’ feet to the fire, so to speak.
Albert R. Cumberbatch, Ph. D.

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President David Granger has to put our Big Uncles’ feet to the fire

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