Dear Editor,
On Friday, November 7, the Ministry of Human Services held a public discussion at the City Hall on the law of divorce and sought proposals on a change in the law whereby a person seeking a divorce does not necessarily have to prove the other party is at fault. I was one of the persons in attendance, and listened carefully to the minister explaining the reason for the forum, then the floor was opened for those in the audience to give their views. Several persons expressed their views, some the wrong ones, since the forum was not for the purpose of seeking an alternative to divorce. I naturally had a view, and made several attempts to stand up to give it, but I was disallowed. Guess the others who spoke were more significant, so I left.
At the coffee shop on Saturday the 8th, someone who had been at City Hall and had seen me leave told me I had shown disrespect by leaving. If there was any disrespect it was meted out to me, since I wanted to have my say and was not allowed to do so, and one lawyer kept going to the microphone and as such prevented me from doing so, and the Minister did not tell him he had had his say more than twice, and in the circumstances he should sit and let me express my view.
Yours faithfully,
WP George
Mr. George, were the members of the audience required to submit thier comments, questions and/or remarks in advance? It sounds like the minister somehow did not want your views to be heard on that particular forum.
You got that right Uncle Joe.
But that apart, conduct at public forums calls for some skill.
In G/T that skill is apparently absent, in that we will allow speakers we know
and those we feel we know as not being on our side, then they will stay on
the sideline.
If Wendel has raised his voice, he might have been given a hearing, you know,
the type of vociferous person who does get heard for a brief moment.
Hay….dat is G/T.
You should have realized by now that there are new task masters, but the principles and practices remain the same. Now you have certain individuals advising you of your etiquette. Where does that leave you?
oh george i believe it was a staged forum .U should have demanded to be heard .
I think u should now plann ur own forum and invite the media .
Not allowed to speak? How is that possible. Where in the constitution of Guyana is there such a ridiculous law?