The status quo of sluggish contentment

Jun 17, 2019 Editorial

At last count, four members of the board of directors of the state-owned Guyana Chronicle had resigned over the imbroglio surrounding the reinstatement of Mr. Sherod Duncan, the paper’s general manager. There is uncertainty as to what happens next. But a very public stand has been taken.
At the University of Guyana, the incumbent Vice Chancellor has reportedly thrown in the towel. He has had enough of the criticisms and objections to his work and visions. The power of pressure applied relentlessly and publicly; the hands of the student bodies determined to bring about changes, which were felt to be best for the institution going forward. There are schools of thought that would challenge that that would be the case sans VC Griffith.
Next, the troubled GuySuCo continues to be plagued by allegations of lapses, if not outright malfeasances, at the senior level. Those having responsibility for stewardship have indicated comfort with the way things are and the people managing what has some elements of a demolition cum salvage exercise.
In these three situations considered, individuals and groups in different places, made a decision to take a stand. For better or worse, whether rightly or wrongly, and let the chips fall. Whether agreed with or not, this is positive and must be recognised. But those are safe issues and areas. What about those sensitive realms in this torn society, where strength and courage are called for, and ought to be among the imperatives of mind and times.
What about destructive division? What about naked partisanship? What about inclusiveness? What about cohesion? Who is there? Who is standing? Who is making some noise and intensifying pressure? Who intends to say something or do something?
Those are the piercing, passionate things that rage in this society and which have aged it into premature infirmity. The students – young, vibrant, and with the world at their feet – sit on their hands and muzzle their presences.
They mumble unintelligibly and feebly, because of self-interest, due to tribal allegiances, and owing to unswerving mental associations. Not going there; not worth it; can come back to haunt. Interferes with personal visions. And those are of the character and DNA that have always prevailed here.
More mature and older presences on boards, in politics, on the domestic and diaspora fronts, and out there in the social wildernesses are similarly content to be marked absent; and to wear the badge of AWOL with counterfeit pride. There is no departure from the comfortable, no dipping into questioning. Just questioning why. How so? What about another way? No traction. No interest. Hence, no nucleus of likeminded souls searching for, striving towards, a place that frees from the ugly, the degrading, and the destructive. Not me! Not now! Not over that!
Without a doubt, self-interest and self-preservation will always trump ideals. Take a look at Hong Kong and fears over personal vulnerabilities. Ask Guyanese to stand against corruption or racism or bad governance and bad leaders, and there are no takers. Bring up VAT and parking meters and it is holy war from the ramparts.
But somewhere along the line and up the road, the self-sacrificing have to be ready to raise hands, to lift voices, to declare intentions, if only to want to live at a different and higher standard; rather than merely exist in the murk that multiplies with mice. Guyana has had them in droves.
The Guyana of today has more tools, arguably more resources, and more of the knowledge that flows from searing experience. And yet, contradictorily, it is a shadow of what it should be. Very few find either energy or emotion to power forward to dare to bell the cat. Any cat. Thus, it is the status quo of sluggish contentment; the hesitancies of old, impenetrable myopias that limit upward and forward mobility, potential, and peace. There is only staying power for that which holds down and holds back.

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