Dear Editor,
Rashleigh Jackson, in response to a question posed by a reporter at a press conference at the United Nations some years ago gave this response: “If your information was accurate and your analysis sound then I would agree with your conclusion. But your information unfortunately is not verifiable and in my view your analysis is flawed.
Under these circumstances therefore I cannot agree with the premise… the conclusion [on which your question is based].”
This response would be an apt one to the letter published in your Saturday, September 1 edition from Vishnu Bisram on the upcoming US election (‘The US election will be close until the end’).
Any analysis of the issues which are most likely to influence the voting pattern(s) of Guyanese and other Caribbean Americans that does not include their thinking on immigration and which does not take into account President Obama’s health care policy which, among other things, allows children to remain on their parents’ health insurance policies until age 26, is seriously flawed.
According to Mr Bisram, “as an observer and political analyst, the level of interest shown (watching it on TV during prime time) by Guyanese Americans and other ethnic minorities was shocking, as most Guyanese tend to be Democrats.” Where did he get this from and on what basis is he making such a sweeping statement? He is suggesting that an alarming number of Guyanese Americans and other minorities watched the GOP Convention. I don’t know about “other ethnic minorities” but what I do know is that the overwhelming majority of Guyanese and Caribbean Americans did not watch the GOP Convention, and the same may well apply to the Democratic Conven-tion. Not even those in Queen’s New York where I think Mr Bisram is domiciled.
What is certain, however, is that 1,000 times more Guyanese and Caribbean Americans are likely to watch the Democratic Convention, especially when Michelle Obama and later her husband speak, than those that watched the GOP Conven-tion.
Mr Bisram claims that Guyanese Americans are disappointed over Obama’s education policies. Where is the evidence to support this? Yes, we have concerns about certain aspects of the education policies such as the FCAT exams in Florida and the lack of security at schools where our immigrant children are often the target of bullying because they refuse to let their underwear show, pay more attention to their schoolwork than to deviant behaviour and ultimately end up being the favourites of all the good looking and intelligent girls in the classroom.
But these problems predated Obama.
And the extension of the health care coverage for children until age 26 must also be seen in the context of education, since Guyanese and other immigrants place tremendous importance on higher education and this provides for our children to have access to health care while pursuing higher education.
Yes, the issue of jobs and the economy are of foremost concern to all, including Guyanese Americans. These are two issues that most voters will be analysing as they think about how to vote. But this analysis will not be restricted to the conditions under Obama’s presidency but will certainly take into account how the country got to this position in the first place and what would have been the situation had the current administration not taken certain steps, such as the TARP and Stimulus and even more important, whose proposed economic plan stands the best chance of continuing the decline in unemployment and improving the economy overall.
Finally, Mr Bisram says, “I don’t think an Obama victory can be ruled out…” I would say that I don’t think an Obama defeat can be ruled out but this is highly unlikely. And yes, for those of you who know I am a Republican, I say what I mean and mean what I say.
Yours faithfully,
Wesley Kirton
