Crude language on the campaign trail

Dear Editor,

The Walter Rodney Youth Movement wishes to state its continued indignation at the choice of language being used by politicians on the campaign trail. Prior to this letter we issued a public statement on the said subject; however, the fact that our politicians who are supposed to be professionals continue to indulge in the use of crude language cannot go unnoticed. It is something which can be viewed as nothing less than repugnant.

At the recently concluded PPP/C rally in Linden according to Inews of April 13, Mr Robeson Benn spoke very inappropiately. The choice of words by Mr Benn left much to be desired, and his presentation lacked substantive points in relation to his party taking Guyana forward. His inability to respect the electorate by using vile language should be condemned by all.

If that was not as low as a speaker could get, the most shocking statement of the day came from Dr Roger Luncheon who made a reference to suicide in a political context. We find his statement to be very discombobulating. Must we remind Dr Luncheon that according to world rankings Guyana is estimated to sit in first place for countries with the highest suicide rate. With that ranking in mind, one would believe that he would see this social issue as a matter deserving of serious intervention.

In closing, suicide currently has a chokehold on Guyana and we the members of the WRYM wish to remind all supporters of the PPP/C and the Guyanese populace at large that life is worth living, we all have a role to play in the development of this nation even after elections. Further we reiterate our call for politicians to display a higher level of professionalism and consideration during their public presentations, campaign or no campaign.

 

Yours faithfully,
Clayon Halley
The Walter Rodney Youth Movement