Dear Editor,
Kaieteur News has separated itself from the part of Guyana which is seeking to deal with domestic violence by furthering the objective of the man who was abusing a woman in public. Kaieteur News put this picture of violence proudly on its front page. We know there is domestic violence in Guyana. We know that many men have no fear of brutalising the women they are supposed to love, because they believe that they operate in a society which tolerates and accepts that violence as a normal part of family and family values. The abuse continues in front of the media – no problem. No one knows if the woman wanted her picture on the KN front page.
The man who is beating her in public – Kaieteur News helps him along, contributes to his values. The woman must be shamed and humiliated further. All women who dare to leave, this is what the message is. Kaieteur News will publish your humiliation, your confusion. All abusers are safe in learning that the media will support them.
The headline, ‘Woman gets sound beating in public for threatening to leave husband’ – there you go; the woman gets the beating, not ‘Man beats wife without fear of sanction from the KN photographer and editor and publisher and reader.’ The husband is beating, and it is the woman who has “threatened” – threatened – a wrongdoing as we know, because that is what threats are. It was not, ‘Man beats woman who is trying to leave him’, no, she ‘threatened’ according to KN, how dare she! We know how powerful language is when we use it to describe human relationships.
And so it is with one of the major media houses in Guyana with supposedly experienced journalists and columnists and editors who abuse their right to freedom of expression. Other abusers might call the media in advance now, and let them know that they will be beating the women in public. They might even send their videos and hire photographers to spread the word. ‘I am not afraid of nobody,’ says the abuser; ‘I can do anything I want.’
Maybe the publishers and editors of Kaieteur News will ensure that justice is done for the woman. They might choose to make a front page apology to the woman they have not named.
Or they may not. The violence will continue unabated. And the media colleagues will probably remain silent since nobody likes to get involved in a man and woman story, save to enjoy the spectacle which Kaieteur News’ male subject has intended to provide in the public.
Yours faithfully,
Vidyaratha Kissoon
