Dear Editor,
Silly. It’s harsh I know, but it’s the only word I can think of when I read certain things in the newspapers.
Medical doctor, John Fredericks writes in the Stabroek News that the government is “flouting the will of the Guyanese people.” (All the religious groups were opposed to this bill – SN, Feb 1.) He alludes to unsourced media reports that say 97% of the Guyanese population staunchly opposed the Casino bill. This overwhelming majority was represented by combined religious groups, he declares. Nonsense, I say. Dr. Fredericks must provide statistics to show that 97% of Guyanese are church members.
Pastors, pandits, priests, mullahs, imams, shamans and the neighbourhood obeah man must all produce data that show the official numbers of their congregations. I bet that the “churches” combined membership does not represent 97% percent of the population and this leaves me to wonder from where exactly did Dr. Fredericks and his media friends pull this number. I think once casinos are in operation we will see clearly, by the level of patronage, exactly how much support (or lack thereof) there is among Guyanese for this enterprise.
“To what extent then does the government represent the masses?” Dr. Fredericks wondered aloud. Enough with this garbage about who represents the Guyanese people – this is obvious even to a congenital retard. The people elect their government representatives at elections. They go to church to be with God, not to appoint pastors as their delegates or agents in national affairs.
Yours faithfully,
Justin de Freitas
