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Dear Editor,
A serious weakness of leaders everywhere is their failure to benefit from lessons of the past and perhaps more troubling is a tendency to take citizens on every side of the divide for granted, failing to recognize that in the case of Guyana, half of the population views with some skepticism statements coming from Government leaders, even before Independence.
Many assume that the people they represent are gullible and incapable of an understanding beyond their words and these days well-oiled propaganda machine.
Additionally, our leaders ignore the reality of people’s perception when it comes to matters of interest and importance.
After Irfan Ali was sworn in as President, hours after we celebrated the Emancipation of slaves in Guyana, I publicly noted that the ‘die is cast’ and earned the chagrin of many friends when after his first public statement I offered my ‘critical’ support and wished he and his colleagues well – all in effort to advance Guyana in the belief that both sides of our political divide would recognize that the extant polarization of our country would benefit no Guyanese.
I hope, for example that the Police, Security Services and those who deal with the commission of crimes would be relieved of all forms of political influence.
A glimpse of the news headlines suggest that the President is not serious about fulfilling his promises delivered in August this year.
Let me deal with only two perceptions that the President and his colleagues will do well, not to ignore.
Before inviting the leader of the PNC R/Coalition with the other three former Presidents, the administration would have been better advised to quietly initiate discussions with the principal political parties in the Opposition to agree on the matters, which ought to engage the attention of the present and former Presidents.
The fact that three of the former Presidents and the present President are of the same kith and kin is of course a hurdle, which ought not to be ignored.
Again, we deal with the perception of a little insincerity and another photo-opt event.
The other troublesome matter is the perception that sections of the Police Force and other law enforcement agencies are no longer professional and in the case of the Police, not faithful to their creed of service and protection.
This is a serious matter which ought not to be ignored.
In spite of a recommendation by the Chief Justice, SOCU withdraw charges against Messrs. Brassington and Ashni Singh.
Look at the records and be reminded of the popular programme titled ‘different strokes for different folks.’
The handling of the brutal torture of the Henry cousins and the murder of their friend Haresh Singh is but another example.
A well-oiled propaganda machine declares that Singh’s murder is a retaliation for the killings of the Henrys.
No credible evidence offered.
The perception among large sections of Guyanese is that Singh a friend of the Henrys, may have stumbled upon incriminating evidence that could convict the killers and so had to be eliminated.
The arrest of the Henry sibling at Sparendaam by the Police after attending the symposium organized by the Guyana Human Rights Association dealing with the Argentine offer to help in solving the West Coast Berbice murders.
Of course, the apparent ‘cold-shoulder’ of the Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology (EAAF) is another matter.
Here sections of the media are found guilty.
What is the perception?
The most tragic event among civilized nations was World War I, which took millions of lives, where the bayonet of soldiers was no more than a sharpened cutlass, and as we say to “jook – to kill another human being.”
This war erupted basically because of mistrust among several European nations.
The Heir to the Austrian throne was assassinated in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 by a radical Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip.
Because of mistrust for four years, the people of Europe and most of the world were fighting, taking 9.7 million military personnel and 10 million civilians.
After the second World War, the big three, US, UK and Russia met on more than one occasions.
This in spite of what historians claim, it is the mistrust that existed that led to the stress and strain of that all-consuming Cold War (1947, 1985).
Look at the front page articles, over the past four months, one gets the impression that our leaders, all of them, seem unwilling, but I hope not incapable of learning lessons, so that they deliver to their supporters, what the average Guyanese man and woman, young and old desire – Peace and Prosperity in an environment of love and trust.
I conclude this letter by stating that we should realize that when our law enforcement agencies appear to be biased, the population would soon loose trust in these agencies.
This loss of trust and lack of confidence is an unfortunate development, and I ask the powers that be not to ignore the massive damage that is done when there is no trust, no confidence, no faith in the agencies established to enforce the law and protect all citizens.
I appeal with good sense and sanity to save our beloved Guyana.
Regards
Hamilton Green
