It seems as if every time Guyana is on the road to recovery a blockage surfaces

Sep 19, 2020 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

As the mutilated bodies of the Henry cousins were laid to rest last Sunday, the parting ceremony was conducted in a sordid environment, far from being conducive with the sanctity of a peaceful and sacred farewell and invaded with the racial diatribes of some merciless politicians. Guyana prays that, may the departed souls find their restful places within the softness of the eyes of that Forgiving Almighty and that, all who are guilty of orchestrating this heinous crime, be swiftly brought to justice. Guyana is waking up to another piece of disturbing news that 56 persons have died because of COVID-19 and, who knows exactly how many more have become affected since the gathering of protesters, rioters and looters who chose to listen to the dastard advice of heartless and selfish manipulators, exposing themselves to the deadly danger rather than, being conscious and calculative of the risk factor involved. Worry not why the infected number keeps increasing, thanks to the preachers and teachers from Georgetown. Has anyone of the Berbice “protesters” thought about getting tested? But some of us are either too gullible, naïve, carefree, irrational, nonjudgmental, illiterate, silly, passionate, emotional, apathetic, influential or one of a thousand other terminologies that may fittingly describe us, if we are guilty as a participant in one or more of the sadistic tragedies that caused death, pain, suffering, damages and loss in the atrocious fiasco that occurred last week in the Berbice madness. The callousness of the PNC leaders continues to endanger the entire nation in many forms and shapes and in variable degree, quality and quantity. The sad part about this degrading affair is that, APNU+AFC Party members and associates continue to allow themselves to be used and fooled by these mischief makers who are determined to still seize power, one way or the other at the expense of their followers, despite acknowledging that the PNC Party has a history of propagating violence since the days of 1960’s to current. Hello, has anyone seen or heard again from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Hide and seek is a favourite past time game in Guyana. He is still hoping to sneak in through the back door!
It was reported that the political poison providers “tried a thing” in Buxton and attempted Scene 2, trying to proliferate incitement, but, the Buxtonians were well prepared for this inducement and promptly rebuked and refused, quite rightly, to be deceived again and drawn into any monstrosity. Kudos to the smart and intelligent, quick thinking people who smelled the hunters from afar and did not allow themselves to become ensnared in the trap. Too long has vulgarity and hooliganism pervaded openly in society and it is time that the decency of moral dignity envelope our life style and we become compatible with socially distancing ourselves from corruption of the mind, whereby, we do not become vulnerably susceptible to volatility. The time is ripe and right for us to engage our conscience so that as we kneel, let us meditate on empathy to cleanse our hearts from guilt and shame so that we can see the light of being remorseful.
Gladston Henry is not only a figurehead, hero and teacher, but also, a gentleman and scholar, a healer and mediator who has created a precedent for refined sincerity, laying a cornerstone to catapult Guyana towards uniting from a raw division of racial animosity, to a peaceful cohesion of love and respect for all ethnicities. Guyana should feel proud that such a “Gandhi follower” exists and the honour of respect should be bestowed on him. It was Martin Luther King JR. who pensively philosophized, “Judge not a man by the skin of his colour but by the content of his character.” The President should enlist him on his award roaster. In the USA, following the death of George Floyd, riots have continued in some cities and other deaths and shootings during interactions with police. It is estimated that in Portland, they have seen some US$23 million in damages and in Minneapolis, the city had to endure about US$500 million worth of destruction. Will someone “guestimate” the unnecessary loss in Berbice? The present generation should pay attention to three lines that were printed back in 1882 and credited as “Motto on the walls of a school in Germany”: When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; When health is lost, something is lost; When character is lost, all is lost.
Think about it Guyana, every time the PNC doesn’t get their way, then it’s the highway to mayhem and destruction. Guess who has to repair and replace the loss? Yes, of course, you’re right. Good, old PPP/C Party is always the sucker, waiting outside after being sidelined and then to become the baby-sitter. They had to clean up the diapers when the PNC Party was ousted in 1992 and then again, in 2020, they have to clean up another lump of pooh. Is this country not blessed to go forward on a straight path without incurring all the terrible trauma, tragedies, terror, torment, trials, tribulations, trepidations, trouble, torture, tension and an endless list of torrential trivialities? Guyana had to jump the hurdles of slaveryship, indentureship, dictatorship, colonialism, racism, hooliganism, Burnhamism, looting, stealing, burning, food ban, prejudice, nationalization, dollar devaluation, migration, victimization, discrimination, corruption, collusion, scandals, propaganda, sabotage, closures, rigging, frauds, perks, drugs, crime, killings, mismanagement, embezzlement, COVID-19 and now to crown them all, the grand selling-out of the oil contracts! What next Guyana? Seems as if every time Guyana is on the road to recovery, a blockage surfaces, materializing in its devilish propensity to dispense its diabolic attributes to catapult Guyanese back to the starting point. Leaving a trail of greater negativity to challenge a resilience, inculcating a culture of discipline, honesty, astute stewardship, something that is sadly lacking in those who favour a state of bankruptcy, the fight is always championed by those who propose, preach and practice, peace, progress and prosperity.

Respectfully,
Jail Lall

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