Dear Editor,
Ban those firecrackers for Christmas!!! It is not a fun thing; it is a deadly and dangerous thing; it is not clean and safe fun. Please Mr. Robeson Benn, Honourable Minister of Home Affairs, put out an urgent advisory to the public in consideration of our canine family.
I understand that animal lovers and other concerned citizens are lamenting on Facebook and are already dreading the plight of the animals, particularly dogs who run helter-skelter scared for their lives, scaling and jumping barbed wired fences and trying to force themselves through small spaces in gates and fences to get away from these flammable pellets, flying all around them in the name of human fun, frolic and revelry. These firecracker/squibs injure and harm, disfigure and maim animals; many who run away from their homes never find their way back all because of uncaring human beings in positions of authority who fail to exercise their authority by implementing the law against this deadly, destructive noise nuisance.
The “good book” says: “The righteous care for their animals but even the kindness of the wicked is cruel.” Failure to implement the law against this dastardly act of criminality is cruel, wicked and downright unkind and uncaring.
This is a good time for me to remember our former Attorney General and former Chairman of GECOM whose dog lost his life frantically trying to escape his yard from this monster called firecrackers and called squibs. The dog was strung up on their fence when he could not scale the fence in his scamper for safety. He eventually died some days after as a result of the injuries suffered even though our animal activists Syeada Manbodh and Jerry La Gra were called out and painstakingly tried to extricate him from the barbed wire. He was eventually freed but badly injured.
Can all ears, listen, respond and add your voices to my pleas on behalf of us law abiding and concerned citizens for the safety of the lives of our canine family residing on their own premises. Not to mention what happens to the animals on the street who are even more exposed to these cruel elements in our society.
Mine is the voice of the animals who cannot speak for themselves but must be defended. I speak for others like myself. Please, Mr. Minister of Home Affairs, our vote must count when we ask you, you the elected government officials to respond and take action on the cries of what matters and are of interest to the electorate, and appeal to our government who says it is for the people and of the people.
Now is your time to listen and respond favourably and positively as promised in your manifesto to listen to the concerns of the electorate.
Put a seizure and a halt to those deadly firecrackers also known as squibs. I thought Guyana had a ban on firecrackers/squibs!!! Where and when was the ban lifted and in the name of what was it lifted??
I fear the onslaught of the non-stop firecrackers and squibs and calling the Police is many times of little help or no help at all. As we all know, as soon as the Police drive off, the flippancy continues with no regard for the Police and too, the underlying problem is the continued open selling of firecrackers and squibs. Why? Because the law that these were banned items, is not enforced and lawless, ruthless deeds of misguided citizens continue to plague us each time there is a festive season.
Disgusted and annoyed that our society cannot be rid of this wickedness!!!
Yours faithfully,
Maria Rodrigues
