We must always attempt to converse with innocent Guyanese mind

Dec 17, 2022 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Kaieteur News – I have written it on this page several times that people with obscure minds write irrational things but there are innocent minds out there that could accept what is disseminated. That is the fault line and line fault of the human mind.

It doesn’t matter how unknown is the signature of the letter writer, the subject of the letter writer should extirpate the fictional ramblings for the sake of disseminating knowledge.

My methodology as a columnist is to reply to these irrational, biased, and sometimes evil minds because in doing so I am having a conversation with people – Guyanese and non-Guyanese- in the hope that logical reasoning will lead to the imparting of knowledge.

I have faced this unwanted, attitudinal ugliness since I became a columnist 34 years ago. It does not stop. Recently, there were two recent manifestations of this character-shape. First, Mr. Robin Singh actually defended the Stabroek News’s attitude to Professor Randolph Persaud.

The newspaper’s editor told Dr. Persaud it will not carry his letters if they are critical of civil society organization. Mr. Singh relied to my condemnation of this treatment of the professor with these words: “You lower your standards to allow all and sundry space in your publication.” Professor Persaud is attached to one of the top ten universities in the US – The American University.

Then there is this gentleman who signed his name as H. Singh. He rejected my description of mistreatment of visa applicant by the ABC missions here by asking why then these people do not go to Russia and China. For my rely to H. Singh and Robin Singh, see my column of Tuesday, October 25 titled; “When you confront ignorance, other people learn.”

Now yesterday another one of my detractors popped up. He wrote a letter in this newspaper and lambasted me for criticizing the Stabroek News’ reservation about Guyana having visa-free travel to developed countries.

The gentleman wrote; “I was disappointed and horrified about two things in the Freddie Kissoon Column. First, how dare him attack the Stabroek News Editorial, whose writings have always been intelligently constructed and have always given wise advice to citizens and in other circumstances. Second, Freddie has now publicly given support to President Ali and his Administration. If you have, the President who feels there is no need for meaningful consultation then you are supporting an unhealthy dictatorship. Freddie must therefore say if he is being disrespectful supporting this move to dictatorship. If you have, the President who feels there is no need for meaningful consultation then you are supporting an unhealthy dictatorship.”

It is when you reply to these manifestations of fetid and unbridled ignorance, the resulting conversation with innocent minds achieve something. First, this gentleman who makes reference to dictatorship is himself the embodiment of dictatorial instincts.

He is horrified that I attack the Stabroek News (SN). So one must not confront some of the flawed arguments of SN because he finds the SN the embodiment of wisdom?

And what did I chastise the SN for? It wants the government to be cautious about accepting visa free travel for Guyanese. So the SN wants the government to decide which country Guyanese can travel to without a visa. This is the wisdom the letter-writer finds in SN.

This writer sees nothing wrong in SN’s advice to the government to be cautious. He wrote in his letter SN always give good advice to citizens. Well is that good advice? Shouldn’t Guyanese enjoy the privilege of having hassle free visa travel?

Next the gentleman says that I now give public support to the Ali presidency. I ask readers if they cannot see this as pure unadulterated ignorance. Why can’t I give support to an elected president whose directions I see as positive?

What are the things this man is doing that would make me catapult myself into being a critic of the Ali presidency? I would be happy to examine his record of negatives coming from an independent mind and/or an independent organization.

When I get that report then I would be happy to rethink my politics. Unless the letter writer wants me accept the demonic, fictional enumeration of the opposition PNC, the lunatic fringe, the Creole middle class and the political nuveau lumpen.

The people in those worlds have a political and ethnic agenda. I don’t want anything to do with such minds that I was once associated with. I do not consider myself Guyanese first and then an Indian. I go through life as a philosophically trained person who judge people as human. If Dr. Ali continues in the way he is going, he has my support. Who vex, vex.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)