Shaquille Grant must not be used as excuse for violence

Dear Editor,
I am really not happy with one of your political columns in the Sunday Issue of the Kaieteur News captioned “Don’t Cry For Me Agricola”. Obviously this article seeks to bring continued support to my friends and relatives of the late Shaquille Grant’s family. Yhis I support and further I add my voice unequivocally in condemnation at the way this young man met his untimely death.
I am certain that if the policemen involved had exercised common human discretion we would never have to deal with the aftermath of this willful act. However we are left to deal with the consequences of all that transpired on that fateful day September 11, 2012.
I dare say I had to work with Shaquille in his lifetime and shortly before he died. He had shown lots of respect to me and others in our small environment.
But it is time we call a spade a spade and we must be honest and help our youths in every way possible. To make politics out of everything that occurs negatively in these depressed communities will never help any one of us, not even the politicians. People will soon find out their motives and when they discover the reasons for sympathies they will back off.
Too much was done that is harmful to this community I love, this community I have great hope for, this community that I will never give up on, regardless of the Sanbalats and Tobiahs, there will always be Gainsayers, we must not allow political mileage at the expense of our goal to bring improvement, peace and restoration to Agricola, Buxton and Linden.
We don’t want people who would only show their faces when there is tragedy, we do not need reactive approaches but proactive ones, we need these same politicians to be with us throughout the year, to help us get our youths reformed, educated, employed and  create more opportunities for them, this is a message that I would want all and sundry to take, especially the Government of the day, yes, I mean this now is the time to step in with the other political forces and develop this community.
Please do not spurn our youths, All that transpired on October 11, 2012 was influenced by outside forces therefore, they were misled. Talk to some of these same youths and you will find a calmness, intelligence and very coordinated group.
They need intervention, not just for political purposes but for their personal development.
Coming back to that article the writer, and I wish he/she had put a name then I would have confronted him/her personally on alluding to an  interview I gave to the Kaietuer News some years ago. I detest what was done by that writer, firstly for not consulting me before using what I said and secondly by using it to make it seem as though this was done a short time ago.
Further to use it as a misrepresentation of the facts is horrible. To cause people to think that I have criticized the police for actions inimical to the public interest is partly true, but what needed to be said in that article was to highlight the fact that the police since then have done a lot to redeem themselves and have carried out a number of developmental projects to build a better relationship with the residents here.
They have been responsible for the improvement of the Evan Phillips Playfield. The scouts movement was birthed not so long ago and they are in the process of securing land to build a scouts’ Den right here in Agricola. Since the unfortunate loss of our son and brother Shaquille the police have not let up but have been doing more to assist us.
Sad but factual the killing of Shaquille, this I condemn wholeheartedly and will continue to condemn in cohesion with my fellow pastors. Shaquille should never have been made to suffer and I support all peaceful efforts for justice by his family.
Please politicians do not use us for your own gains but rather help us and remember there are hundreds of good policemen/women in the force.
Bishop Ivan John