Drug-pushers are parasites of the worst kind

Dear Editor,
I am flabbergasted by the comments of many Guy-anese, who responded to the article in the SN captioned, ‘Cocaine coming mainly via Venezuela.’ I am prompted to raise my voice loudly and say that persons who support and engage in drug-pushing as a means of revenue are downright unpatriotic and extremely selfish. The argument that the problem is for the US and Canada to fix because of the unquenchable thirst for the white stuff by their citizens, is a deliberate attempt of the unscrupulous to get away with their nefarious deeds.

Anyone who is thinking positively about the development of Guyana cannot be supporting drug-pushing.

Because this is an illegal business there is no recourse to the courts for the handling of disputes. This leads to the creation of a separate underground army of judges, juries and executioners to represent the business and product. But we all know that.  It becomes unpatriotic because as time goes by the underground army has the potential of toppling legal law enforcement institutions and governments, creating havoc for decent law-abiding citizens.

Take special note of what is happening in Mexico at the US border. The Mexican authorities have now lost control to drug cartels. Border towns have become war zones where the police and army are suffering the major casualties with close to five hundred law-enforcement officials executed in 2008. Cartels are regaining their lost income by kidnapping innocent families for huge ransoms.  This is the result for not nipping the problem in the bud.

This is where Guyana is heading if we do not stop the drug trade now. Guyana does not need the drug trade. Guyana’s natural resources give the country the potential to generate an extremely high GDP the legitimate way.
Although the spin-off from the drug business can be seen temporarily as a face-saver for mediocre government development initiatives, with manifestations in a few massive under-utilized structures, Hollywood-type homes and an over-the-top enviable lifestyle, this business does not lead to massive job creation and the growth of the country’s coffers through taxation and royalties.  On the contrary, it leads to severe poverty and escalating crime woes.

The drug business becomes an extremely selfish activity because it also strips the country of legitimate business opportunities and enterprises by destroying the country’s persona as a credible exporter of products. Many persons with legitimate investment intentions are prohibited from earning and creating jobs in their own country of birth. They are unwilling to get into business in Guyana because of the volatile crime spin-off and the extreme scrutiny and costs accrued on their products at ports of entry around the world.

How can persons support a system whereby a few become rich fugitives of the law while the masses are deprived of the opportunity of living an honest Guyanese dream? It beats me.  We cannot glorify drug-pushers.  We must spit at and scorn their perceived achievements.  We must not support their money-laundering front businesses. We must not allow them to see themselves for more than what they are − parasites of the worst kind.
Yours faithfully,
F Skinner