Dear Editor,
The Media Monitoring Unit confirmed what has been common knowledge: state owned and state friendly news outfits deliberately have carved out new, ugly, and piercing territory in an unconcealed hustle to inflame and manipulate. The continued effort speaks for itself, and in this fragile society requires no repeating, if only to avoid further harm.
When men in the media are ready and willing to go to any lengths to savage truth, to peddle dishonesty, they are no different from those who torture or burn genitals in isolated police precincts. They, too, will claim to be doing their job in the pursuit of a shoddy truth. Like the torturers, the media practitioners might be waiting for their promotions and other rewards. But where does this leave the rest of the media, and those who share thoughts and visions in the public domain? For the rest of us, there can only be one reality: It is imperative that I/we be civil, civil especially when under fire, and civil always in public discourse. This is a product of upbringing, self-discipline, religious belief, and personal outlook. It is what separates the tolerant, the understanding, and those who believe first in dignity and mutual respect; and then practise humbly all of these.
If not, then what follows is close imitation of the malice, meanness, and mischief that has come to characterize local discourse, whether political, social, or otherwise; but none more so than the political. In this particular realm, there has been the repeated unforgettably wounding experience of venom hurled through the pointedly vituperative that originates from a determined shrieking vindictiveness. ‘I am going to show you; I am going to teach you; and I am going to get you’ appears to be the premeditation, and the injurious objective. From a group perspective (read political) the objectives are: We want to divide; we are going to frighten; we will incite and excite and get to where we want to go at any cost and by any means necessary. Consequences be damned!
This is the determined way, indeed the proud hallmark, of a certain political sect. Unfortunately, this crudity of conduct has seeped into other areas of life in Guyana from the higher elevations. From the abominations challenged and condemned, scales have been shed, only to fasten on to the unwary below; so, too, their fangs and poisoned breath have found residence in too many citizens, including some in the public domain. This is to be abhorred; from such inexcusable, undeniable vulgarity, there must only be retreat, and the comfort of distance. Let it not be so.
It is all too human, too instinctive, to desire to settle for ‘an eye for an eye’, but this is not the way. There are better ways, far higher standards. This is what must be aspired to, must be lived, and never more than when the sharp severe tensions of the day arise. It is acceptable to manifest cynicism, impatience, and wit; it is not acceptable, however, when patent intimidation and tyrannizing features appear in whatever guise tendered. This speaks poorly of everyone, all are lowered. Do we revel in being more of brawlers and less of thinkers? Is there greater satisfaction being axmen rather than penmen? Then again, the focus might be more on marketing, less on truth….
In sum, points, positions, exchanges, deliveries – whether verbal or written – must aspire to first, and then adhere faithfully to mental honesty, moral courage, intellectual force, and spiritual wisdom. Anything less befouls, and further enfeebles this society and its struggling peoples.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
