If one were to compare the fortunes of the Bauxite and Sugar Industries under this installed government, it would be painfully obvious, they aren’t considered equals. For what’s certainly evident to us with objective eyes is, the Sugar Industry counting decades, remains in a state of irremediable economic decline. However, despite this irremediable economic decline, suffering losses to the tune of billions of dollars, the installed government of PPP, is brainlessly continuing with their asinine policy of bailing out an obviously cadaveric industry.
Now, if one were to make that comparison with the Bauxite Industry, the observation inescapable, paints a discriminated picture of an installed government which is less than compassionate. For the Bauxite Industry with a similar, if not less than equal economic downturn, is confronted with the PPP installed government, not so incline on providing financial rescue packages. In fact, such a policy is most inexplicable, considering the Bauxite Industry, the economic backbone of Linden’s predominantly Afro-Guyanese, was once the nation’s main provider.
And it’s in this context, considering the differential treatment of the two industries, that we have to examine the recent extrajudicial killings. For it is undeniable, PPP through their discriminatory policies, have reduced the Bauxite Industry and consequently Linden, to a skeleton of its former self. Moreover, with the industry having been reduced to a skeleton of its former self, the installed government through prejudiced lenses, considers the masses less than human. Thus, it’s in this perceived state of being less than human, that the barbaric police officers, under political instructions, would unhesitatingly use lethal force.
Furthermore, it’s in this very context of a people considered less than human, that the police despite video evidence to the contrary, would release a most incredulous narrative. For none with a rational mind, would consider the police version of events, in the execution of Ronaldo Peters and Dan Johnson, as being anywhere in the stratum of believability. In fact, despite our less than human status, cognisant we are that the police officer’s gun, lethal as it may be, comes with an intrinsic protective mechanism, preventing a bullet accidentally discharging. And considering this intrinsic protective mechanism, the argument could be made, the lethal fingers on those triggers were most certainly not accidental.
The fact is, we as a people have been here before, with the extrajudicial killing of three, registered in 2012, in the very mining town. And considering this counted as one of many national tragedies, we the rational masses were of the misplaced conviction, the police, evidencing an organisation that learns from its mistakes, would have appraised their standard operating procedures. But sadly, that’s not the case, as our very eyes were to witness a repeat of history, in two more tragic deaths, confirming that their protocol for crowd management hasn’t evolved after some thirteen years.
Thus, the conclusion is irrefutable, the continued execution of Lindeners, along with the many Afro-Guyanese men, has its painful genesis in the PPP discriminatory policies. For it can’t be denied, this blatant discrimination as practiced by the PPP, not only serve to deprive, but also selectively dehumanise. And it’s for this very reason of being dehumanised, that the police, through their discriminatory lenses, would also perceive us as less than humans, who justifiably deserve the use of lethal force.
