Dear Editor,
Because some of the supporters of the new government do not share the optimism and enthusiasm of other supporters, they’re being criticised for being pessimistic about the country’s progress so far. Their critics like to point out that the new government has made significant changes so far by cleaning up Georgetown.
Editor, I’ll be more optimistic when I see people’s lives changing. I would say that it is much easier to clean the streets than to clean the hearts of people. It’s much easier to change governments than change people’s minds. It’s much easier to change the world than the person within. Change isn’t only renaming streets, it’s changing people’s character. Anybody can clean streets but fewer people are able to change their own hearts, minds and character. It is much easier to clean up the streets than clean up corruption. It’s why achieving national unity is more complicated, confusing and challenging than keeping the city clean.
Some people don’t like to hear the truth because they can’t handle the truth. And those who don’t want to hear the truth, remarkably remain living in Guyana, but those who do want to hear the truth and accept it, migrate to another country. Some who stay, stay because they believe the hype that things will get better. But those who leave, leave because they don’t believe things will change.
I’ve never met anyone who left that regretted leaving. The vast majority of the people who left never regretted leaving; their only regret was not leaving sooner. But I’ve met and continue to meet, many who regret staying.
I remember when a friend came to America; she was one of the people who believed the hype and was a diehard supporter of remaining in Guyana. Over the years, I watched her as her views about remaining in Guyana evolved. Recently, she told me that although she still continues to strive for the American dream, many, many years later, she no longer dreams of returning to Guyana. Living in America has opened her eyes to many things that she couldn’t see before. What changed in her? The scales were removed from her eyes and they opened. And for the first time in her life, she saw the light. No more darkness. New eyes; new vision; new view; new start; new life. She saw the truth and stopped believing the hype. She experienced a paradigm shift.
I’m not saying that those who stay were foolish for staying. But they should never be upset with those who didn’t. Those who stayed or left, should not condemn each other. No one wins when people are divided.
Yours faithfully,
Anthony Pantlitz
