I thought this man was unbiased; he’s not

Aug 19, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I deliberately chose to continue to be conscious of my goal before writing this latest letter, which I honestly never thought there would be a need to. It is Nathan Rutstein who said, “Prejudice is the emotional commitment to ignorance.” This quote sums up my bygone critic who authored a “preemptive notice,” while simultaneously admitting that he does not know what I have written in totality. How presumptuous of this indignant author to decide only he owns the tools and gifts to be critical of others and provide rebuke to what he find is erroneous.
As far back as I can recall, I have read of men like the pompous gentleman whose miff has caused my rejoinder and now strike his name from my tongue. Men who sit comfortably in their ivory towers while they cast judgment on the beloved ebony, i.e. my ancestors and my generation. It is with a pained soul and almost broken heart; I have observed the distortion of historical, social, and political facts by crass minstrels. Mr. Editor, the intent of the letter was never to seek or initiate a back and forth with someone I don’t even consider my peer and even more with regards to intellect.
I held him in regards because he appeared unbiased in his writings prior, but has since uncloaked the real purpose of his contributions. He has decided to rewrite the narrative he wants my generation and the generation that will follow me to read and tell for perpetuity. How dare the descendant of a slave tell such an ivory tower dweller his analysis is wrong. How, dare this young black man be so audacious to take me on with facts and not the sensational garbage of others? I care not to engage charlatans and ideologues who think their demagoguery should be shared unchallenged and only they own the right to analytical reasoning and only their “truths” are unbiased and guided.
Mr. Editor, I have noticed that the gentleman did not even remotely attempt to address theme and content of my rebuke of his distortions but selected of all argumentative styles, the ad hominem. His modus operandi is not to engage in an academic analysis but to attack the messenger. Basically what he is saying is “I Tyrone L. Talbot, is beneath his ivory status, ignorant and a contributor to social instability and apologist for Mr. Burnham and evil.” The condescending attitude so prevalent in his “preemptive notice” speaks to his putrid soul. In one fell swoop this once respected author has declared “Here is the reason why Guyana is where it is.”
What he has basically done, is to place a yoke on my young soul for a cause that was birthed when my parents were pre-teens of then British Guiana. I am not an “apologist” nor I am “…comfortably ensconced” in any political camp. Those who take time to know me know I am critical of all political parties in Guyana and blame all of them for the current plight of nation. However, unlike my disadvantaged opponent I approach these matters objectively and thus I am able to see things in a holistic manner not through a prism of hate and ethnic bias, designed to color my vision.
While I am proud to be of African ancestry, I will never use this pride to ridicule or belittle anyone so I can feel superior. I believe that we all should be proud of our respective ancestry and ethnicity and still be able to embrace others and also attack painful truths with honesty and not prejudice. Mr. Editor, my ancestors had their collective liberty stolen from them. Their labor was taken by force. They were robbed of their culture and their tongues. However, they persevered like no other and left their heirs an inheritance.
Part of that will, is so others can now speak freely without the permission of the aristocratic class. Another part of that legacy is that their progenitors (like I am) should take on those who dare distort the truth. They left behind no spin doctors in another ethnicity to speak their truths and tell their story. If we allow this gentleman and his delusional minions, to spread their bile unchallenged we have desecrated the struggles of our primogenitors and yes Mr. Burnham’s is counted in the numbers. Today, my people and I are still being told we cannot tell our story and truths and that we require a spieler – often of another ethnicity than ours – to articulate our points of view. Sorry, we have not forgotten the struggles of our ancestors and that their blood paid the price for our voice and I will use mine to take on anyone I feel is distorting the truth and contributing to hate.
Finally, Mr. Editor is sad that this gentleman uncloaked his true inner being with his “preemptive notice.” The adage goes “it is best to let people suspect you’re [biased] than open your mouth and prove them right.” The biased emphasis is mine. This demagogue would have served his own motive best, by reading the entire letter before his emotional outburst that has exposed him in totality. These mindless echo chambers of hate and bias must no longer go unchallenged. The letter’s intent was not to secure a back and forth with him or anyone else; it was to challenge misconceptions being peddled. I close by repeating a line from my earlier letter “I have come to learn that an education is not a sure prophylactic against racism, overt or covert, or otherwise.”
Tyrone L. Talbot

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