Democracy betrayed

In present-day Guyana, democracy itself has been wounded and lays prone awaiting urgent attention. The current government is guilty of wounding democracy in many ways in our Nation. It is not just a case of truckloads of lies, blatant favouritism, and bare-faced thievery. It is not just a case of clamping shut the mouths of the majority of the citizens of this country while they pillage the treasury. Those things are bad enough. It is much worse.

In present-day Guyana, the most vulnerable have been made more vulnerable, the victimized are subject to greater hardship and economic torture. We must realize that democracy is not just the simplicity of numbers—who got how many votes! Essentially, a true democracy takes care of the most vulnerable of its citizens. It is about “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” as one great nation would put it. In Guyana under its current rulers, it is exactly the opposite: Life is cheapened; Liberty is restricted to a few; and Misery is the order of the day.

20141204AFClogoIn present-day Guyana, we cram our young children into hazardous buses and take them on “school” tours to nowhere. A bus erupts into flames and the little children escape with their lives by seconds. The next day, we see this on Facebook: the two government ministers who are directly in charge (Education and Youth) show their deep concern by dressing themselves up in gaudy costumes. They are shown prancing in the streets. This is not a democracy! In fact, no one from any government office went to meet with the traumatized children and their parents. Only one person showed up to offer some counselling—and that person is a member of the Alliance For Change. Change is desperately needed. Change is the cure for this wounded democracy!

In present day Guyana, women are treated in shameful ways: they are bought and sold like cattle; they are beaten and raped. They cannot even walk the streets in peace without being harassed by the scum of the earth. They go into what should be their most safe places, and are further tormented. In this wounded democracy, victims are further victimized. And these government “bills” are but ink shed on paper because there are no ideas from our rulers as to how to implement those laws! One of our rulers is reported to have spat great venom about a female. This is the example our current rulers set in present-day Guyana! There is no democracy without thought, without ideas! No democracy without genuine care! Democracy itself has evolved after prodigious work by great minds.

Democracy bleeds here since none of our current rulers has been blessed with a single original idea. The fellow who should arrive at new policies in law enforcement opens his mouth and bleats rubbish. There is not one idea advanced from this chap about training our law enforcement to respond and to reward them for having responded in effective and timely ways. Not one idea! But democracies are built on ideas!

Present-day Guyana has the notoriety of having the highest suicide rate in the world! In this wounded nation, our rulers offer no comfort, no training, no effective counselling, no preventative ideas. Instead, they go to the odd funeral and raise political battle songs! For them, people are votes! This nation of souls shall vote them out! Change is the balm to heal the wounds inflicted upon this Guyana.

A true democracy demonstrates tangible care for the most vulnerable! In this wounded place, we give our most vulnerable blackouts! They offer us darkness. In the dark, evil thrives! Most despicable deeds are done when the light goes out, when darkness falls upon the land like a hammer. A democracy lies bleeding when criminals inside and outside of homes are given the chance to rape and pillage. Darkness is one of their main weapons!

Our children cannot study in the dark, but one of our rulers flippantly tells us that if we “get” blackout buy generator! We are sure that he was joking, of course. But for those of us that see our children suffer from

blackouts while we suffer to put bread in their mouths and education in their minds, it is NOT a joke! Blackout means no schoolwork can be done. The next day, children face humiliation because some “project” is not done. Our children begin to associate school with humiliation. A nation bleeds in this way.

Meanwhile, our so-called academics do “research” on truancy and absenteeism. Not a line published internationally, of course! And not one piece of evidence that our rulers would sponsor genuine research on the psychological effects of these blackouts on our most vulnerable. It is better to spend taxpayer money on mediocre “academic” imports.

Change is the only cure for the wounds inflicted upon this nation. The Alliance for Change will seek to heal with genuine care and with humble service! Do not vote us into power! Vote us into service!