The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has brought a charge against a dental surgeon. It is alleged that in September of last year, the surgeon refused to perform an extraction on a child because of the child’s ethnicity. The man appeared in court on Wednesday and will return on January 22nd, when a trial date will be set.
I have noted that the ERC has been making efforts to address incidents of racial prejudice. Whether these efforts will be ongoing and whether this will result in long term behaviour change, only time will tell. Nevertheless, I commend them for their efforts.
Prejudice is often highlighted in Guyana. The seeds of prejudice are often planted by some families when children are young. Whether this prejudice stems from perceived racial superiority, culture or religion, those who choose to remain unchanged water it with falsehoods until it blooms into discrimination, which contributes to upholding systematic racism.