Dear Editor,
When you consider the highway of history and how short our journey has been since independence, it becomes possible to frame Guyana’s current status in the rearview mirror of time. While some may have a sense of accomplishment, others may feel impoverished and helpless. But as difficult as it may be, as impoverished and needy as we may feel now, we must think beyond now; we must think into the future; we must think beyond ourselves. For when we do, we will realize that 49 years will become but a speck on the timeline of history. There is no reason why Guyana cannot, in years to come, become an oasis of success in a South American utopia. Consider the United States, an imperfect country, but whose accomplishments are well known. When you consider that this very country was even more imperfect then, 49 years after its declaration of independence in 1776; when you consider that it was almost 100 years between the Civil War to end slavery and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to grant all Americans equal rights regardless of race, colour, sex, religion or national origin, you come to realize that the fountain of hope still flows in Guyana’s direction.
Keeping that hope alive begins with each of us today. We must decide what kind of country we want for future generations and ourselves. This is not a decision we make through consultations with politicians, our Caricom partners, or international friends; this is a deep personal promise we make to ourselves. We must decide whether we want a country founded on corruption and crime or whose foundation should be established on truth and justice; whether we will gain our wealth through illegal business or conscientiously pay our bills through honest hard work and creativity. We must decide whether we will treat our fellow countrymen as equals or hate and malign each other: whether we will build up or whether we will tear down; whether we will hold onto the bitterness of the past or embrace a united future. These are the choices we must make and be prepared to stand by them. If we make the right choices, then we will put Guyana on a path to true sustainable development and prosperity, which is not simply measured by roadways, bridges and buildings, but also by dignity, honesty, security, and social harmony.
When we vote for a government, we must keep them honest and accountable to these values; the values that we have chosen as a people to uphold. We must not vote and then simply withdraw ourselves from the political process. We cannot leave our country’s fate merely in the hands of career politicians who make lavish promises. We must be actively engaged so that every current and aspiring politician must know that we, the people, will hold them accountable. It is our responsibility to hold them accountable and exercise our vote as a means to maintain our values so that those we elect do not pervert them. Our vote and our speech are the most powerful weapons in our arsenal, and we must not trade them for filthy lucre. If we put off choosing what is right today, we will make it more difficult for the next generation to choose. They will only inherit the misery of our poor choices, unless we choose what is right, and do what is right. My wish is that we would pause for a brief moment, consider our country, consider our families, consider our neighbours, and then decide what kind of country we really want.
Yours faithfully,
Kofi Dalrymple
