Dear Editor,
Baldwin wrote: “I love America more than any other country in the world, and exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it,” Mark Twain.
Loving America is not incompatible with acknowledging that the U.S. has oppressed certain people and groups on its path to glory.
As I write, I am on an American plane with American pilots and flight attendants. Most of the passengers are Americans not Guyanese Americans like myself
First class only has white people. I am watching an American movie
A movie about how white Americans took the land of native Americans. And then I realize that the Americans were taking our (Guyanese) land. And so I thought not much about history have changed.
Years ago it was the Native Americans whose lands were stolen. But today it’s the Guyanese whose land (oil) that is being stolen.
I don’t want you to get me wrong, I’m not one of those “people” who see white Americans as bad people.
On the contrary, if you look at the many letters that I have written none can be more pro Americans than I’m. I am perhaps one of the most patriotic American citizens in all of Guyana.
Having said that, I can’t help feeling that I as a citizen of Guyana am being treated badly by my fellow Americans.
I couldn’t resist the fact that my fellow Americans citizens are taking excessively from the poor citizens of Guyana oil. My conscience wouldn’t let me overlook this evil the Americans are doing to Guyana.
I am a big supporter of capitalist America. I fought for America in Iraq and I’ll fight for America again.
But watching how Americans stole the Native Americans’ land. My eyes have been opened to see how the Americans are doing the same thing to Guyanese. Because of this, I feel torn.
The country I love and fought for and which has done so much to give me a better life is taking advantage of the people of my native country and I don’t know what to do.
I feel discombobulated. I can’t remain silent anymore.
Should I remain silent or speak out? I’m not sure what to do. I love both countries. My choice is not easy.
Put differently, I am struggling to find a way to be a patriotic Guyanese and American.
Yours faithfully,
Anthony Pantlitz
