The Police Chaplain

Mar 12, 2021 Editorial

Kaieteur News – There was this rapid flowing storm in a teacup that was over before it had even begun. The Police Chaplain was fired in short order and quickly unfired in less time than it takes to say: there was a mistake in judgment or severe overreaction or grave misunderstanding at a basic level.
In what has since become widely quoted media coverage in an abbreviated form of what the Police Chaplain said in fervent prayer, and publicly, the man of God covered a lot of territory: hard, dirty, and dark Guyanese territory. It is what most people, especially political figures, wish not to go near to, or hear mentioned in their presence.
The chaplain words spoke of corruption, which is something that all Guyanese know that exists, but which everybody distances from the substance and sum of it. He prayed about racism and division and that, too, is something that Guyanese pretend exists only during times of elections, and at no other time. Though there is some regard for hearts being in the right place, through seeking to obscure the negatives that plague this society, it should be clear that our heads are screwed on wrong, as in backwards. Racism does exist in this country and in thick impenetrable layers, so much so that it would take a chainsaw and blowtorch to cut through the steely resistance of a great many citizens, who revel in its passions and the prejudices that such provoke.
To say that it does not exist in the Guyana Police Force, appears to us to be a more than a bit of exaggeration or understatement, it is the height of denial. Yet as we say so, there has to be recognition for the efforts to address and come to grips with what is as wide as the nation is long. We have a serious problem, chronic and acute and persistent, with racism in this country, and virtually no institution, no community, no place, and no mentality is alien to it, or that remote and immune from its poisons. We must be blunt as usual: the Guyana Police Force is no exception. But this is bigger than the GPF. And it is bigger than the public service and the private sector and the major political groups and large and small institutions of worship in this country.
We must repeat that so that the point is not missed. In this country, even our houses of worship are plagued by the radioactive toxins of racism. When the well populated spiritual world of Guyana should set the tone and standard for the dominant way of life here, that has been infiltrated and overwhelmed by the sicknesses of deep and sprawling bigotries. Instead of the world of the good books and the standards of sacred scriptures – the brotherhood of man, the equality of all – taking charge and leading the way, it has been the other way around, with the political cum racial calling the shots and penetrating every nook and cranny of our society, and almost without fail.
Then there is that other evil, which does not disappear, despite fervent promises of clean governance and zero tolerance for wrongdoing by one victorious political party after the other. It is called corruption, and it is a cancer and virus on this society in its long reach and more lasting and lethal effects. There is corruption of and by their own (condoned or covered up), corruption of political enemies (exposed and rejoiced over), and corruption in most places (some smartly, some stealthy). But as in the highly charged racial environment, when we deny its runaway existence, it is burying heads in the sand and deserving of a well-directed kick (a series of them) in prime spots on the behind.
Let us face it: we have got numerous problems in this society: untrustworthy leaders, serial inciters and dividers, and great hypocrites and blatant falsifiers. Let us not compound those problems by making still bigger fools of ourselves by putting paper bags over our heads.
We have only touched the tip of the iceberg and in passing. But what the Police Chaplain, abruptly fired, then rapidly rehired, did was simple: he told the truth. He prayed sincerely and courageously about our sins. They are not only of the Guyana Police Force, but of Guyana at large. If the man was so out of touch, so far out on a limb, and so woeful and wicked in his heartfelt prayer, then why did they (Office of the President or Home Affairs, or whoever and wherever was responsible) rush to restore him to where he was before? Think of that.

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