I don’t want to and will never be Peeping Tom

Jul 12, 2021 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Kaieteur News- In the space of two months, my article was the same in the Peeping Tom column and Peeping Tom’s piece appeared under my name. This happened three times the past two months; the latest is last Saturday in the e-paper where my analysis of the Walter Rodney/Gregory Smith tragedy appeared under both names – mine and Peeping Tom.
As usual, I had calls and received emails. Some folks think that Kaieteur’s management did a slip up and revealed the identity of the anonymous writer thus exposing me. I have been in the public eyes for decades now and by now, a little bit of who I am must be out there.
I will never allow myself to be intimidated by others to the extent that I express myself anonymously. That has never been me, that is not who I am, that will never be me in the future. I have learnt one crucial, priceless, life-saving lesson in life – do not live your life to please people who don’t give a damn about you, do not feed you and couldn’t be bothered with your existence.
At an early age, I passed on that philosophical lesson to my little daughter when she was growing. I emphasized that she must show respect and deference to those that care about her and those that she takes her plate to. I was very emphatic about my teaching that she must not alter or reshape her personality based on what strangers think or how strangers laughed at her.
I am a very aggressive and combative person in defending what I believe in. No human being can stop others from disrespecting you or laughing at you or bad-mouthing you. That is an impossibility. But you can and must defend yourself if they think they can write about you, or speak in your face and you choose not to respond because they have more societal status than you. I am a happy man that my only kid does not embrace that weakness of character.
My praxis in more than 50 years old (yes, I am getting on in age – I am now an old man) and I have never been afraid of anyone with power, money and status. They will not deter me in criticizing them if they offend the basic values of life that I believe in. I will not be silent if they violate the rights of anyone in this country or elsewhere. I will denounce them using my name. I will not hide under my wife’s dress when I open my mouth, raise my finger or use a keyboard.
I have criticized every president in this country facing terrible consequences under Presidents Forbes Burnham and Bharrat Jagdeo. I chose that pathway and I walked it in my own way. I have criticized wealthy family heads and powerful companies using my name. I have received far more libel writs as a columnist from prominent citizens than any in the history of the newspaper business in any CARICOM country.
I don’t know who Peeping Tom is. I have absolutely no interest in knowing that identity. The identity never made me curious and it will never. About 15 year ago, I did comment on this page that I think persons should not attack public figures and criticize their character and lives using a false name.
I understand the need for whistleblowers to remain faceless and nameless. I could accept the use of pen name when one analyzes broad social issues or specific processes. But to actually use insulting and demeaning terms to describe real people who are known in society is not an act I could ever support. It cannot be argued successfully using any philosophical perspective.
Why someone would choose that pathway, I don’t know and don’t care to know. What I know is that I would never go in that direction and one reason among many stands out for me. I don’t want to be a superior person in relation to anyone. And I would not live my life acknowledging someone is an inherently superior person to me so I will hide and criticize him/her.
If the next time, there is a repetition of my column appearing under my name and in the same edition it appears under the sobriquet of Peeping Tom, then I would hope that the reader would understand that it was a mistake by the lay-out artist. I have my faults and flaws but I will not run and hide from a fight. I grew up too tough in Wortmanville in south Georgetown to live a life of fear and cowardice.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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