Should the pardoned prisoners be publicly identified?

Jun 05, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,

I hate to get into nationally controversial issues that provoke comments and attention from almost every angle. The thing in the air at the moment is the pardon of prisoners and please allow me to say this His Excellency the President of Guyana will not be deterred from his desire to pardon prisoners from time to time, so the next best thing is to trust his judgment and support his vision and the churches pray for the reformation of the pardoned individuals.
Hot in the air is the campaign to name the selected prisoners. And I have debated this in my heart. Believe me I began by supporting the call for the naming process then as I listened to the views from other citizens on radio and television I found myself having a change of position and found myself going with the opinions of those who think that “no names” should be released.
The reason for the change of heart are as follows: 1) once names are given it reduces the opportunity of the 2nd chance, 2) they will be stigmatized 3) they can become easy target for vengeance and spite and 4) their chances for employment and fitting back into society can be affected in a big way. Whether we agree or disagree with His Excellency President Granger our duty as Guyanese is to support the integration of these pardoned prisoners and afford them opportunities in efforts on their behalf to play a meaningful role in nation building.
We as Guyanese must move away from the position of unforgiveness that has longed plagued our nation, and have engendered bitterness. We all must play our part in helping not only pardoned prisoners but help in our communities to keep our youths out of the jail house.
Ivan John.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News