September 29 ,2020
Dear Editor,
I refer to the article titled, “$329B Appropriation Bill unanimously approved” (SN September 26). I share some thoughts.
I am impressed by unanimous approval, which makes me question what all the hullabaloo was about. We have neither time nor capacity for theatre; not while citizens deal daily with hard reality. Just get on with it. I was also impressed (and amused) that the Hon. Minister of Public Works found occasion to speak of the “moral and ethical” as imperative for his parliamentary listeners, all leaders in the National Assembly.
Moral and ethical, so well proclaimed by the man of the cloth, is not exemplified with half-truths and halfway efforts in the national house of the people’s business. I suggest the minister conduct tutorials with his own flock first. I give him two recent examples on which he can pontificate about the “moral and ethical.”
There was a naturally resourceful member, who took to the parliamentary pulpit to make an utter prankster of himself, when he spoke of a $48B deficit at the Gold Board. I give extra credit in recognition of a manufacturer, who exceedingly early abandoned the moral and ethical so beautifully waxed about by the man of scripture. His colleague profaned those words by his patented falsehood, since no such thing existed in possibly any place in this country. But lies sell, and the more flagrant, the more buyers there are. Those pursuing truths are left to manage the damage done. I suggest that the Bishop conducts a prayer vigil for his people on what is moral and ethical. They need the guidance.
Then, there was the works junior, out to make his bones in true Mafia fashion, who was saddled with the duty to mow down somebody. He spoke from the heart of a $4B deficit inherited. He is young in the game, so forgiveness follows. I ask the bishop to pray for him, since he knows not what he does. A stripling practitioner, so enamoured of his elevation and zealous about proving his worth that he neglected the first part of the story. That is, there was a more than $12B deficit in 2015 that his people left behind, and which they left honest people to clean up and fix. My caution: deo, dat is not done in dah house.
I trust that Bishop Edghill now has a fuller measure of the wilderness he inhabits. He has much work on his hands, many false prophets nearby. I think the good Bishop means well, but I urge wisdom: the brightly spiritual has zero reception and application in the diabolical regions of the political. He has his work cut out for him on two counts. First, to persuade his colleagues on engaging in behaviours and standards moral and ethical. And second, to defend himself at the Pearly Gates, when asked about the company he kept.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
