Dear Editor,
‘Sorry Mr President, I could not hear/watch your New Year’s message’ was the caption of a letter from R Simeon (KN, Jan 6 ).
In this particular instance, I found this serious cry about noise pollution to be most amusing. It is amusing despite the savagery inflicted and the barbaric sources, given the general thrust of the letter. Why amusing? Because the big man himself is very familiar (and can share with the assaulted public, if he so wishes) with the continual battery on the eardrums and sanity, compliments of some of his comrades, very senior comrades.
If the President needs any reminder, I point him to the joys of karaoke, and the thrill of the pulsating syncopation raised to piercing decibels in the still of the night, and weekly. He ought to know very well that of which I write; just like the men in uniform down the road in Brickdam, who dare not intervene. They can hear, too. In fact, only the stone deaf and confirmed dead would not hear the ungodly rackets created. This is but one representation of the total disregard for the law by those who make the laws (and their own ones) in this country.
To the R Simeons of the brawling, cacophonous Guy-anese world, I say it is not just the corner rum-shops or residential boom boxes that disturb; there is also the rowdy bacchanalia from some very powerful political players that distresses trapped citizens. As said before, the President should be most familiar with the circumstances, people, and venue(s). He knows that none of them can sing to save their lives. Still, they persist in creating the unholiest of dins as part of their celebration of the rich, easy life in Guyana. Perhaps, the President might condescend to share a note ‒ during daylight hours, of course ‒ with the listening public. He might even stumble his way unwittingly into a longed for crescendo.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
