-His Excellency’s master-class – 2018-2020
As I indicated in my nostalgia piece two Fridays ago, I grew up in the city ward of Alberttown. So when two strong adult men stabbed each other to death in that section of the city a few days ago, I was moved to add my two cents worth of thought relevant to violence amongst the under-fifties. Reluctantly! Why reluctantly?
Because I fear coming off as “preachy” and alluding to all the behavioural sciences, the social scientists – from psychologists to preachers – the volumes which touch on the effects of slavery and its alleged impact on “African” parenting, even teaching. You see even as I felt moved to comment on our current rates, frequency of assaults, other violence and murder, I have to regard and respect all those well-studied views and reasons about the various forms of violence in Guyanese society these days. I respect them all.
However, as a one-time young teacher and parent; as one who later was involved in local party politics; as a keen participant-observer of working-class behaviours and responses to authority, I have to include now my own deliberate opinions relevant to these acts of daily violence and murders. And yes I will include the influence of music, movies, videos, the use of narcotics, as well as, however obliquely, the culture and politics of defiance to order and lawfulness – if the authority isn’t “liked”. Whew! I attempt my explanations hereunder.
