Dear Editor,
This week we’ve had another unhappy situation at Buxton. Before I go further, let me make it crystal clear. First I grew up in the Charlestown/Albouystown/La Penitence areas and knew no racial prejudice nor hostility and this has molded my character and political life. Second, I condemn all forms of uncouth behaviour, disrespect for others and forms of lawlessness, however, it is human nature from antiquity through the dark ages, the savagery of slavery and imperial domination for people to strike out when they feel them and their kith and kin are under attack.
What happened at Buxton, with memories of the Henry’s cousins, Boston issue, spitting in the face of Constable Bollers, the interesting withdrawal of certain matters by the DPP and other incidents will happen again unless the present Govern-ment understands or is made to understand that sections of a polarized country, for whatever reason, will not accept the insinuation, the craftsmanship and trickery of a 21st century imperialist command. The major tool used by those who plundered our human material and natural resources was the divide and rule instrument.
In our case, the Government does not represent a huge and numerical dominant portion of our society and the question of shared governance and the consultation with the designated opposition must therefore be a sine qua non. So when you have a Head of State and his top brass going around to communities and deliberately ignoring the Opposition, including religious and cultural groups, you have the classic case of the Old Massa believing that certain folks are so low, so lacking pride that you can win their support by doling out paltry sums of money.
Editor, there is a dangerous and unhappy aspect which if ignored can lead to disaster. Eleven years ago, I came upon a boy, 9 years old, shoeless, selling genips during school hours outside of Stabroek Market. I engaged him in a quiet conversation and pointed out to him that he ought to be in school because of the importance of education. He said two significant things, (1) that he was selling the genips at the request of his mother to get money to purchase clothes for school. (2) I kept up the conversation and asked him what he would like to be when he becomes an adult. His answer, after repeating the question to be certain he understood what I was asking, he said he wanted to be a bandit.
This was a serious matter for me and I bought his genips and pursued the matter. It turns out that the village that he lives in had known bandits who were sharing goodies, so for this young boy that was his image, that was his ambition, that was his aim. I am avoiding details, but the absurdity of not having the Mayor of Georgetown take part in the annual ceremony held in November at the War Memorial to honour those who sacrificed their lives in the two World Wars is just one small example of the pettiness of a Government that prattles about One Guyana.
Editor, the worst affliction to descend on a country is when one group feels that they are the font of all wisdom and that the other people are stupid. Let us hope and pray that those in authority are possessed with a moral sense to know the difference between what is right and what is wrong and that they cannot ignore tradition and the significance of inclusionary democracy – the lynchpin of our Constitution.
Sincerely,
Hamilton Green
