I am truly troubled by the decision to reduce the curfew hours

Oct 06, 2020 Letters

Dear Editor,

Several years ago, the late Dr. Dale Bisnauth and I had a conversation during which he said “Guyana is both blessed and cursed at the same time”.

In explaining that obviously contradicting statement, he emphasised that we are blessed with an abundance of natural resources but are cursed because there is hardly anything which anyone can say which will not be positioned in a twisted racial and political framework.
In other words it is difficult to be deemed and seen as objective and neutral in this country.

Be that as it may, please be assured that the sentiments expressed in this letter are intended to be – as I usually am – non-aligned and absolutely neutral. Against that background, I humbly submit that I am truly troubled by the decision to reduce the curfew hours and reopen our international airports, in the face of the rising COVID-19 numbers.

This troubling and disquieting decision comes at a time when we are reminded that regardless of how powerful a person may be, we are all subject to that great equalising factor known as ‘death’. In many instances, death is preceded by an illness of some sort.

The word death appears in the King James Version of the Holy Bible at least 342 times and there are scores of poems, books, sermons, movies and quotations about this mysterious and frightening subject. The quotation which I wish to call forth at this time is from Cary Holbert who said:

Death comes as it pleases; it is no respecter of persons leaving
Memories and a fading sound of a familiar voice”.

I am truly impressed by the fact that death is no respecter of persons. Hence when the news of the Covid-19 status of Donald Trump –reputed as the most powerful man on earth- was revealed to the world, I was not at all surprised. The news merely served to remind me that one day we must all leave behind our most elevated political and other careers which we desperately seek to secure.

While death is inevitable various strategies are usually employed to prolong life. As a matter of fact, one individual offers 13 tips to longevity. I embrace all 13 tips but would like to add a 14th called “Truth and Life”.

All of the COVID-19 protocols and precautions are intended to maintain health and prolong life and until such time that we can eliminate the spread of that deadly disease, we should not restrict or relax the control measures.

It seems to me that the decision to relax the protocols rests on a foundation of economics and in that regard, I wish to remind the decision makers of the management mantra which was advocated by Sir Jock Campbell in the mid-20th century when he said: “People are more important than ships, shops and sugar estates”.

Approximately 70 years later (May 2020), as countries including Italy grappled with the idea of reopening from their COVID-19 lockdown status, Pope Francis reminded them that “ People are more important that the economy”.

The fact that we as a nation seemed to have placed the economy above human life is very very troubling to me. Do remember that I told you so.

Yours truly,
Francis Carryl

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