Dear Editor,
The sudden rise of crime all across Guyana has been a great concern of all Guyanese citizens fearing for their lives from the hands of criminal elements and bandits.
I was flabbergasted when I saw the news on Channel 67 May 3, 2016 in Travis Chase news report he mentioned the Police Force said the crime rate has fallen significantly while many are begging for their lives from criminal elements that stalks our beloved country like a sudden Nightmare on Elm Street now in the streets and homes in Guyana.
With this new wave of crime where just a few days ago Princess Hotel Casino was robbed; many families in Berbice and Essequibo are robbed and killed. But this doesn’t seem to bother our erudite Home Affairs Minister and obscure Commissioner of Police. It seems as if our complicated political ideologies tied the tongues and hands of our security people in authority.
What plans do our APNU+AFC administration have to tackle this crime situation in Guyana? Our President needs to address the nation on crime and blackouts, and not the Minister of State.
We have quite a number of Vice Presidents: I am unable to count but yet they are very silent on the crime situation but very vocal on the 50th Anniversary celebrations. I still wonder what is there to celebrate when our people are crying and hurting for police protection.
If this administration cannot protect our own citizens then how will they protect the foreigners coming in to celebrate our 50th Birthday Celebration?
I am yet to hear the voices of the religious organisations about this crime situation such as: CIOG, Maha Sabha, Guyana Evangelical Association; Bahai and Rasta organisations.
To my amazement the United States Ambassador is silent; the British and Canadian High Commissioners are silent but were very vocal during the elections. Why are they silent now? We will soon become a nation of political refugees just like Syria. I am yet to hear the voices of many of our so-called prophets and false apostles in Guyana who were given political awards for achieving nothing.
I remembered two profound quotations from George Orwell’s book Animal Farm: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.” ? George Orwell, Animal Farm
These elegant truths from Orwell’s magnificent book fits our political scenario here in Guyana. Our leaders crave political power and recognition but cares less for the citizens of this nation. That’s what Orwell meant when he said ”but some animals are more equal than some” depicting man with a greedy and unscrupulous mentality.
It’s about time our soldiers be placed to guard government buildings and banks, and patrol the nation around the clock like Suriname. We must accept one fact: that after 50 years of Independence we have become a failed nation, failing to protect the rights and dignity of our citizens. What have we really achieved after 50 years of bad administrations?
It’s time we rise up and take back this nation, all of us from every religion, creed, culture and race must fight for justice to protect this nation.
I end this discourse with this inspiring quote from Dante Alighieri: ”Consider your origin you were not born to live like brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge.”
Yours faithfully,
Rev Gideon Cecil