Dear Editor,
The media reported that the combined religious groups comprising of 97% of the Guyana population are unanimous and unequivocal in their opposition to the Casino Bill.
If this is so, and the present administration continues to flout the wishes of the majority population, it is quite clear that the administration is unconcerned with the desires of the majority. And this has no bearing on the morality, righteousness, or economics of the issue. To what extent then does the government represent the masses? A moot point – something to think about.
Advocates for a responsible government in the Guyana context may very well see this situation as both an indictment and a most potent argument for non representation and therefore a vote of no confidence to all intents and purposes.
The railroading of the bill will only lead to further opposition and measures to prevent its enactment, and will cease only with the scrapping of the bill.
To recapitulate, this issue has nothing to do with righteousness, morality, or economics but only with flouting the will of the people.
This has happened before in Guyana in the political arena, and presently it is happening in the USA.
The rebuilding of the Sacred Heart Church is another instance where the will of the people is being ignored.
The Catholic Herald in its edition of January 12, 2007 reported the resignation of the Archbishop of Warsaw because of alleged misconduct. The Pope had known this Archbishop for more than 30 years, and had hand-picked him for the post of Archbishop, and had even supported him when allegations were first made against him. The Vatican suggested that the Archbishop had misled the Pope and as such the Pope had not known of the allegations at the time of the nomination.
Are there other issues that the Pope is not aware of? Is the Vatican aware of the fact that stalling the rebuilding of the Sacred Heart Church is having a negative impact on Evangelization, that flouting the wishes of Catholics and Non Catholics puts Evangelization on hold?
Let us take comfort in the fact that flouting the will of the people has never succeeded in the past.
Yours faithfully,
John Fredericks MD
