A punch is more severe than a slap

Dear Editor,

In catechism class we were instructed that the Pope was infallible as he was the direct representative of the Supreme God. Later, we learnt that the pontiff was the head of the Vatican, the smallest nation in the world with all the political and diplomatic entitlements incidental to a sovereign state.

Guyana is a sovereign state, having gained its independence in 1966 and declared itself a republic in 1970. Its current constitution provides for a President with supreme executive authority, bearing a topless empyrean of impunity from any civil and criminal action, during and after the presidency, for acts done or executed during his incumbency. Not unlike the Pope, he is head of state and government and is duly elected in pursuance of the constitution which confers upon him powers to which he has unabridged access. As an incident of their election, the Pope and the President are entitled to a level of respect above and beyond that accorded to lesser mortals, but both remain essentially human.

In a direct reference to the unpardonable Charlie Hebdo tragedy the Pope was adamant that freedom of expression was violated by those who insulted Prophet Mohamed by their scatological caricaturing cartoon. He drew a comparison with a notional scrofulous reference to his mother and indicated he would punch the violator, even if he was his closest ADC. To date, there has been no public condemnation of the pontiff, either here in Guyana or the world over. However, there have been rabid outbursts in a section of the media, not unknown for its daily criticism of the government, against President Ramotar for his alleged reaction to an intoxicated Guyanese who was persistently heckling him and was heard making insulting remarks about his predecessor, the sanction for which was a mere notional slap. Any informed lexicographer would confirm that a punch is a more severe penalty, and it would be expected that even our recently appointed Ombudsman would be constrained to decline jurisdiction should there be a complaint!

But this is Guyana where double standards are the outcrop of the new journalism under the guise of freedom of expression.

Yours faithfully,

Justice Charles R Ramson, SC

Attorney General and Minister

of Legal Affairs (rtd)