Dear Editor,
The rush is on these days it seems to deal with businesses and persons found selling pornographic videos, as per the newspaper articles ‘Three held over porn’ (Stabroek News, April 5), and ‘Police crack down on pornographic movie sales’ (Kaieteur News, April 9).
In Guyana, it is against the law to market or sell pornography. I believe, too, it is illegal for TV stations to air such material, though I wonder who these laws are trying to protect. If they are aimed at children—which seems logical—then the children of this internet generation can certainly access pornography very, very easily these days by just the click of a mouse on the internet.
If the law here is so concerned about under- age girls and boys gaining easy access to such material in these shops, shouldn’t it be equally concerned about its full availability and access on the world wide web? The internet is the place where pornography is quite accessible; in fact, it is said to be the number one source for such material. I wouldn’t put it past Guyana to bring in laws shortly that will restrict access to such material on the internet, given the way we seem to be going, along with the Caribbean, in living so conservatively. The churches might even start to protest as they did during the casino gambling debate.
So, instead of robbing people of a daily living—and I do see it (selling pornography) as making a daily living (and I believe everyone has a right to make a daily and honest living)—the police and the law should focus on cracking down on the many rum shops that are sprinkled here and there all over the country, many of which are frequented by youths and under-aged customers.
But these places do good business overseas where the law shows much more consideration for freedom of expression and preference—much more than we ever will in this land of archaic laws.
Additionally, I believe the law should go after the numerous junk-food eating houses and beverage companies that prepare, market, advertise and sell unhealthy foods packed with salt, sugar and fats to the general public, fuelling—pun intended—the fat syndrome taking over our society, instead of cracking down on pornographic video vendors.
We have our priorities all mixed up in this place.
Yours faithfully,
Leon Jameson Suseran
