| Oh Judgement! Thou art fled to brutish beasts |
| Wednesday, 03 March 2010 | |
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By Freddie Kissoon I can remember vaguely that I did a column many moons ago with this title. It is one of my favourite quotes and will stay in my mind forever. I have used it so often in my home that my daughter has claimed it as one of her gems. It is taken from one of civilization’s greatest minds, William Shakespeare, from his play, “Julius Caesar.” The complete line includes the following words, “And men have lost their reason.” I can distinctly remember applying it to the PPP Government when my friend was mauled by a jaguar in the Botanical Gardens while on duty as a staff member of the zoo. This man came from abject poverty in Wortmanville. His wife needed his entitlement after he died. She didn’t even have money for the funeral. She told me that for one year Dr. Luncheon kept her running. In the end, the Guyana Government insulted her with a pittance. This government is worse than the Burnham regime that we were told was tyrannical and brutal. I say without fear of contradiction that if Burnham had heard that a zoo worker was killed while feeding the animal, funeral arrangements would have been borne by the state. If the guard of a Minister was killed by attackers, Burnham and other PNC leaders would have not refused to extend a compensation offer. For each passing day, we see the comparison between the PNC Government (under Burnham) dying. In fact, it has died. This is the most uncaring government we have seen in this land. No wonder, quite a large number of non-white people in the Third World when asked if they would like the return of the white man and his rule answer in the affirmative. For years now, I would stop and buy coconut water at a little cart managed by a poor couple as I travel home. It sat on the northern side of the East Coast Highway on the parapet just a few yards east of Sheriff Street. Last week, the couple told me that officials came from the Ministry of Works and ordered them to leave. She had a little baby in her hand as she spoke to me. She said it was her granddaughter. It was the same story on JB Singh Road (commonly but mistakenly referred to as Irving Street after Lamaha Street going north) last year where two poor vendors on the parapet were removed by the same Ministry. How are these underprivileged folks going to live? The answer is simple – this country is the Caribbean version of Saudi Arabia. But this is in the mind of the elites in the Government of Guyana that go on extinguishing the livelihood of the poorer classes in Guyana. This country is not the version of anything except itself – a poverty-stricken territory whose economy isn’t moving. Its leadership should not put the less endowed classes out of its modest incomes. Why is the Ministry of Works moving itinerant fruit vendors who are out of harm’s way? Here is the answer. These people are illegally occupying Government’s reserves. But who cares if it is out of harm’s way? A woman and her husband are on the seawall parapet. The other couple is way on the grass parapet almost to the gutter on JB Singh Road. Who or what are they obstructing? Go to Mexico, India, the Philippines, Brazil and dozens of other countries far, far richer than impoverished Guyana and you will meet itinerant fruit vendors. This is a common sight in the Third World and even in some European countries like Italy, Malta, Greece, and Portugal. Why is the Government moving these helpless, poor souls? Why are we not coming to their rescue? Why has no one directed a question to the presidential hopefuls from the ruling party? Why has there not been a call for the dismissal of Minister Robeson Benn? Here is one such call now. I told these helpless vendors that on Election Day I’m coming to drag them out of their homes to vote against the PPP. |
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