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These bomb scares and politics
There is a confirmed official report of a bomb scare called into the University of Guyana last week. On Monday, it was shared that another of these troubling, definitely dangerous, scares was experienced at a City School.
This is not good, whether at an educational institution where there are older, more mature, students; or at a school where the audience is younger, much younger, and easily susceptible to issues of panic and control, and unanticipated peril.
For the bomb scare that was called in to the city school around mid-morning on Monday was one attended by children all the way down to the Nursery level. This meant little children as young as just under four years of age were impacted negatively.
Something is wrong with this development; wrong with the picture; wrong with the people actually initiating and executing such a phone call.
This should not be viewed as the work of a crank or a prank. That is totally out of any sober thoughtful consideration. Any kind of consideration, including and especially the political, if such were to be the case.
This has to be condemned in the strongest possible terms as the work of social anarchists bent on fomenting dissent, intensifying pressure, and leading to places where this society cannot go, and must not go. It is beyond the unmentionable and unthinkable, it is also highly contemptible, and serves no constructive purpose.
If, by some chance, there is a political linkage, then this can only be viewed in the harshest, most deplorable light. Let this be made clear and right up front: no aspersion of any kindis intended in that direction, or at any person, or at any group, political or otherwise.
Still, there is much that has to be said rather bluntly. First, the political history of this society, particularly as matters have gravitated and escalated (declined) during past elections seasons do not offer either much comfort or much confidence, as to either the reliability, even ability, of key groups to walk a purely peaceful and politically principled line.
There are no innocents here.
Second, an ugly start has been made at places of learning, where and what is next on this undermining agenda has to be the automatic follow-up question? There was that occurrence at a top city school a few weeks back, which should be considered of a privately malicious nature.
The scare at UG does not fall into such a euphemistic and polite category. It is neither inappropriate nor untimely to question, given what has happened, as to where next and how? And, of course, by whom?
Unfortunately, the field of opportunity is wide open and inviting, be it the copycat, the damn fool, or those reckless enough to play stupid games with the combustible.
In addition, tensions are quite high in opposing camps; and sometimes, the diehards or adventurous take things into their own hands, and too far, without a second thought or a second of hesitation. Therefore, it is imperative that all political leaders seize the moment to not only caution their followers (especially the known loose particles), but to go out of their way to reassure the public that the wellbeing of this entire society is of paramount importance to them as leaders.
Further, and even more unfortunately, this could be preaching to political atheists and agnostics, whose first and foremost interests are about party and power; and not necessarily in that order. What follows has to be placed in the public domain: battle stations are being, if not already, drawn; and troops indoctrinated and geared up for a confrontation.
Unless sanity and the greatest of care are exercised, this promises to deteriorate into full fledge conflict.
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