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Former Member

STABROEK NEWS, MARCH 15 --- We, the undersigned, are outraged and saddened by the senseless murder of Mr Courtney Crum-Ewing on Tuesday, March 10 in Diamond, EBD. Mr Crum-Ewing was most brutally gunned down while performing a civic duty for his country, that is, engaging in the political process of Guyana. His engagement took the form of encouraging Guyanese citizens to exercise their right to self-determination.

The right to self-determination is a most basic human right that is embraced by all Guyanese regardless of political affiliation. This is what was fought for and won through independence from Britain.

We are reminded of the words of Dr Martin Luther King: “The first thing we must do here tonight is to decide we are not going to become panicky. That we are going to be calm, and we are going to continue to stand up for what is right. Fear not, we’ve come too far to turn back.” Therefore, we call for peace. We call for swift and just actions to be taken against the perpetrator(s) of Mr Crum-Ewing’s senseless murder. We call for all political leaders to dial back their vitriol particularly at this sensitive juncture.

We raise our voices as one to express our heartfelt condolence to the family and friends of Mr Crum-Ewing. We raise our voices as one because we feel particularly aggrieved by this wanton act of violence. We raise our voices as one out of love and loyalty to our beloved country. We ask all Guyanese to join us as we publicly and privately repudiate violence and intimidation.

We are and will continue to be – regardless of our gender, race, religion, ethnicity, political beliefs, geography – guided in our actions, in part, by Martin NiemÖller’s famous poem:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

May the soul of Mr Courtney Crum-Ewing rest in peace.

SIGNED:

Mohammed Karimullah 1968-1976

Nathilee Caldeira 1979-1986

Ronald Caleb 1972-1974

Karen Wharton 1976-1981

Mark Kirton

Bryn Bowen

Louis London 1966-1972

Keith Wilson

Corinne Locke 1975-1982

Compton Saywack 1967-1972

Alissa Trotz

Fairbairn Liverpool 1962-1965

Hugh Hamilton 1971-1977

Lloyd Houston

Neville Burke 1998-2004

Dominic Gaskin

Gordon Williams

Diane West 1986-1988

Kamal Dookie 1964-1971

Raphael Lindo

Leyland Grant

Michael Harris 1964-1971

John Rickford 1960-1967

Eden Gajraj 1954-1961

Adam Harris 1960-1966

Vibert Cambridge 1955-1961

Alfred Granger 1964-1971

John Campbell 1974-1981

Terrence Blackman

Jemel Liverpool 1995-2001

Ian Carto 1966-1972

Gordon Wilson

Michelle Mickle-Foster 1977-1983

Louis Kilkenny

Shondel Nero

Lance Chase

Patrick Stephens

Frank Douglas 1959-1962

Mortimer London 1962-1969

Dane Hartley

Jerome Branche 1967-1972

Vonetta Edwards 1990-1997

Edward Meertins-George

Vishnu Mahadeo 1975-1977

Dawn Holder

Darlene Walcott 1998-2005

Saran Nurse 1985-1990

Ronald Moore 1980

Aubrey Smith 1961-1969

Trevor Grant 1964-1971

Paul Montague (Kojo Nnamdi) 1956-1963

Frank Denbow 1967-1974

Clairmont Chung

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Former Member

QC ole bais (and gals) standing up!

is that our own Kari heading the list?

nice statement

3/15/1511:16 AM

KariSenior Member

Which Queen’s College tradition will we stand for?

March 15, 2015 | By KNews | Filed Under Letters

Dear Editor,
In October 2014, the media released a private conversation in which the current Attorney-General Anil Nandlall is heard making threats against the Kaieteur News for critical coverage, discussing how to get the sexual services of a young woman for a relative and admitting to taking government money for private purposes. Near the end of the call, Nandlall, an alumnus of Queen’s College, states: “Is Queen’s College people does run this country, you nah realize that?”

Queen’s College, seen by so many for so long as one of the top schools in Guyana, can stand for different traditions. One is the reproduction of the status quo, the politics of exclusion, of climbing the ladder and kicking it away when you get to the top. It’s about clinging on to your power and your privilege, no matter what the cost, no matter what the price. The most recent and vulgar example of this part of the Queen’s College heritage is represented by these actions of Anil Nandlall, the Queen’s College graduate who occupies the office of the Attorney-General.

There is another tradition that has also always been part of the Queen’s College heritage. It is about saying no to abuse. It has to do with speaking back to power. It has to do with taking a stand whatever the cost. It has to do with breaking the silence despite the fear, and because of the fear. This tradition was for example represented in the hope that resided in two alumni (Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan), when in 1953 Guyana took the world by storm, before things fell apart , before our beloved country fell into a deep anti-democratic slumber that started close to a half-century ago and from which we have still not awoken. It is represented by Walter Rodney. It is represented most recently by Courtney Crum-Ewing, a QC alumnus of the same generation as Mr. Nandlall, who tragically, heart sickeningly, was gunned down earlier this week while calling out people in his community to vote in May.

When Mr. Nandlall, who occupies the office of the Attorney-General, says ‘Is QC people does run this country,” let us understand that the tradition which he represents feeds off little more than contempt for Guyanese other than a select few.

I ask as a Guyanese woman, which tradition will we stand for?

To my fellow Queen’s College alumni, when Anil Nandlall (who has taken the disgrace of public office to a record level) says that Queen’s College people run things, does he speak for you? And if not, what has our silence meant so far, and what is the work to be done?

My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Courtney Crum-Ewing. We must all suffer this unbearable loss with you.
Alissa Trotz

3/15/1511:23 AM

Former Member

Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Vishnu Mahadeo 1975-1977

Is this our Salty Daag? I didn't know he was such a big Coalition supporter.

Makes sense though that Salty, a big PPP soupie, is positioning himself just in case of a Coalition victory

3/15/1511:24 AM

alena06Senior Member

So has a court of law ruled on who killed Crum-Ewing?

Burnham was also a QC Old boy with 9 A's on his first sitting at 'O' Levels.

3/15/1511:32 AM

KariSenior Member

Originally Posted by redux:

QC ole bais (and gals) standing up!

is that our own Kari heading the list?

nice statement

Indeed.

Any murder that is in some ways related to electioneering is alien to Guyana and Guyanese, regardless of the perpetrators and the character of the victim (and there have been facebook posts and situations in Antigua). It must be seen as a matter of human rights and that the principle of self-determination must not be compromised.

3/15/1511:37 AM