Dear Editor,
There is a situation in Guyana that has long gone out of control, namely the use of illegal firearms. It seems that the easiest thing to obtain these days is an illegal weapon. You can hold up someone and relieve them of their hard earned possessions among myriad other atrocities. Our country has become swamped with these weapons, and if government does not take this scourge by the scruff of the neck then heaven help us all.
Reckless endangerment reached epic proportions last week when a young lad of only 14 years old met an untimely death from a stray bullet. Someone (or people) thought it best to try out their newly acquired ‘toys’ wild west style by indiscriminately firing them near a populated area, and the result was that young Ryan Persaud was shot dead. A young promising life with lots of potential was snuffed out by person/s who really have no aim or purpose in life. Is this the society we want for our kids, where at any moment life can be brutally taken? If so, then, truly, Guyana would have become a dangerous place to live in.
Drastic action has to be taken, and for starters, heads must roll in the police force of that area for their inaction when this lawlessness was previously reported to them.
As a consequence of their laziness in not responding to those complaints on time Ryan is now dead. This is the kind of attitude that is symptomatic of the police force and has caused many a crime to go unpunished. It is a sickening situation that has persisted for much too long and it is time to stop it. I think the Minister of Home Affairs should back strong disciplinary action being taken to correct this glaring violation of the peoples’ rights.
Yours faithfully,
Neil Adams
