Latest update November 24th, 2024 1:00 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Context rules life Ms. Nicholas-Garrett

Sep 24, 2017 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

I am annoyed at the whirlpool of news that is swirling around the Communication Officer in the Office of the President, Lloyda Nicholas-Garrett. For me it is surreal. I can’t believe what I am seeing and reading. People in Guyana, not in Barbados, Germany, Canada, Malaysia etc but in Guyana, are demanding she resigned or be fired or be disciplined. In all places Guyana?
Ms. Nicholas-Garret was discovered referring to her East Indian colleagues in her office as “coolies.” Well, that is not exactly nice. But if you are going to scold her then Guyana has to scold itself. My question is who has the moral high ground to tell the young lady what she did was ethically unacceptable? Now, please don’t get me wrong, please don’t misinterpret what the lines below are arguing. I am not judging Ms. Nicholas-Garrett on the basis on the utterance she made.
My defence of the young lady is contextual. Context is everything in life. I learnt that from Sigmund Freud and it is a fact of civilization. It cannot be argued against. Everything in life has context. In the context of what Guyana is and what Guyana has become I would tell Ms. Nicholas-Garrett she is stupid to resign. I would tell President Granger he would be foolish to discipline here.
This is Guyana we are talking about; a country that for a long time now has frowned on the recognition of moral values, moral rules, moral standards, moral codes, ethical behavior, decent conduct, respect for laws and the dignity of fellow humans.
This country does not embrace and refuses to recognize and adhere to the values that hold civilization intact. Guyana is a sickening land of hypocrisy that permeates every dimension of life in this rotten territory. This is one citizen that is going to come to the rescue of Lloyda Nicholas-Garrett because she deserved to be protected from the hypocritical stares, depraved eyes, and repugnant remarks from a society so drained of moral redemption that it has no ethical right to criticize even one of its citizens. It has no moral right to rebuke Ms. Nicholas-Garrett.
It annoys me to see the young lady’s picture in the newspapers. Really! What for? Where are the pictures of some big names in society whose misconduct is billions of times more repellant than what some persons are accusing this young public servant off? Where are the pictures of the prominent family who ordered their employees to buy their own toilet paper in the family’s downtown retail business?
This is a family that just invested US$40 million to capitalize from the coming oil production. I ain’t see not one word of condemnation. I ain’t see not one word of condemnation of the businessman who ordered his security staff to imprison NIS inspectors when they visited his work site.
I ain’t see not one word of condemnation of the head of a private security firm who has more complaints against him at the Labour Department than the leaves on my guava tree. I ain’t see not one word of condemnation of well known professionals whose names were publicly listed by the NIS as not paying their contributions. I ain’t see not one word of condemnation of the wealthy classes who were publicly named by City Hall as owing billions of dollars.
All these are people mentioned here can be seen on the cocktail circuit of the embassies. You think those diplomats care about the moral failings of these folks? You think society would ostracize those wealthy tax-evaders who should be paying their taxes so that the Georgetown Hospital and our public schools can be maintained?
I know business people in this country that do not drink local beverages and eat local ice cream and pasta and other local products. And if they know the media knows this, they wouldn’t give a damn.
I would leave Ms. Nicholas-Garrett with an extract from my column of Monday, May 29, 2017 captioned, “This is my life; I live it based on what I know of people.” Here is what I wrote; “I was going into the supermarket with one of my favourite T-shirts that has my doggie’s face emblazoned on it. It had three holes.
“My wife pointed it out to me and said I should change it. I still wore it to the supermarket. Now why would I want to wear another top because some people in the supermarket would see Freddie Kissoon with a T-shirt that has holes in it? Really! Who are these people to me? Do they care about me? Do they care what I say about them?”

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

West Indies ride on Greaves’ 115 to exert dominance over Bangladesh

West Indies ride on Greaves’ 115 to exert dominance over...

Nov 24, 2024

ESPNcricinfo – A maiden Test century for Justin Greaves headlined a dominant day for West Indies against Bangladesh on day two of the Antigua Test. After his 115 helped West Indies post 450 for...
Read More
Marian, Potaro, Waramuri and St John the Baptist advance into the semis

Marian, Potaro, Waramuri and St John the Baptist...

Nov 24, 2024

Adams, Ghani smash hundreds in runs-filled ERC T10 Tapeball 

Adams, Ghani smash hundreds in runs-filled ERC...

Nov 24, 2024

RHTYSC honours top LCSS Student with Claudette Foster Memorial Award

RHTYSC honours top LCSS Student with Claudette...

Nov 24, 2024

IBA President congratulates Steve Ninvalle on his re-election as GBA head

IBA President congratulates Steve Ninvalle on his...

Nov 24, 2024

Fireworks expected in Mayoral Cycle Road Race in New Amsterdam today as Mayor expected to lead ride off

Fireworks expected in Mayoral Cycle Road Race in...

Nov 24, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]