“Cockroach” eat out some people conscience or what?

Apr 13, 2018 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
Jerrick Rutherford continuous obtuse arguments will not absolve him of responsibility for the things said or attempts at justifying the unjustifiable.
Reference is made to his letter, “The goalpost has been shifted and my points mischaracterised” (KN 11th April 2018). His earlier statement, “….and having some speeches and flag wavers at the airport to show appreciation for the Prime Minister does not raid the treasury in the way that it was previously done” cannot mean anything else than what is stated. It is simple language.
The subject is the ‘raid of the treasury’ where he drew comparison of similar action of the previous and current government, with the only difference being the present does not raid it to the same extent. He explicitly said “not …in the way that it was previously done.” Had Rutherford said ‘unlike the previous government this government does not raid the treasury’ he could have taken umbrage to the reference that a comparison is being made, but the incumbent is seen as less bad, thus making the action less offensive!
The blinkered interpretation of my following statement is therefore not unexpected. “Instead of Guyanese discussing hearing from the Prime Minister, his appreciation of the support and outpourings received during his period of illness and recuperation, Jerrick Rutherford apparently believes that there is soundness in making obtuse arguments of the worthiness of a welcome ceremony” means just that! It is simple language here again.
This aforesaid statement implies the (political) benefit to be gained from expressions of gratitude for the taxpayers’ funding as against inflicting further pain on the taxpayers by flaunting the disparity in the health care service and the discriminatory access to overseas/better care for the privileged and connected with a welcome ceremony. ‘Instead” means ‘in the place of; to compensate for, as an alternative, as a replacement for, etc.’ When this meaning is grasped, the sagacity of the aforesaid would not be lost. Unfortunately, Rutherford is incapable of recognizing this, hence stomping deeper in the mud and splashing the stink mud in the face of the government that he professes admiration for.
To make the point of the sick care system, a 21-year-old male relative of mine went to the Georgetown Hospital last week to get an x-ray after suffering a fall and hurting his lower back. That service could not be provided because the machine was not working. He was referred to a private service to have the procedure done, which obviously carries a cost. This reinforces the point that we don’t have a healthcare system, we have a sick system that the ordinary man and woman access, while the privileged and connected can ignore it and go abroad for treatment, with their expenses paid for by those who are denied at home.
This is a serious issue in our country and attempting to justify further financial burden on the taxpayers – on the Marie Antoinette regard for health care – with a welcome ceremony, is not something taken lightly. “Cockroach” eat out some people conscience or what? The gravity of poor health service that the hundreds of thousands of Guyanese are facing or dread makes poor politics and public relations to flaunt the deprivation with a ceremony. Period!
Rutherford’s view that government has no need for public relations is not surprising. Hopefully given the repeated view there won’t be any response making accusations of being mischaracterised, akin to such being made with the stated comparison of previous and current governments “raid of the treasury”
The other issues he attended to are non-sequiturs and undeserving of response. They have no bearing on the healthcare issue, the system or taxpayers funding services and ceremony for the privileged and connected when they are being deprived and denied of the very service and any celebration after a successful procedure.
Minette Bacchus

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