Dear Editor,
During the past week, there’s been a series of events that took place, and it raises many people’s eyebrows.
There’s been more than one deadly accident occurring in two days. Is there a rush, or are the drivers just careless/drunk? Even though there’s Police presence all over, the mayhem still continues.
Careless accidents and causing death by dangerous driving attract some serious jail time, and drivers are still killing people on the road. Are they just desperate to get into jail? They could go there without killing innocent people, especially children.
Videos and allegations of school bullying have been circulating on social media for quite a while, but recently, the latest video circulating is of a male student physically assaulting a female student, both attending Richard Ishmael Secondary, based on the news reports from the various news agencies.
Now, our Education Minister has made a statement that has many people peeved at her, and they have launched an attack on her. While I was attending school, there were many fights. I was even involved in a few, but none was with females, or I never witnessed a boy assaulting a girl in that manner. Well, her statement has me scared for my children going to school, because she seems to condone what happened to the young lady, and her erroneous statement would only encourage more violence against the female gender!
For a minister to make a statement like that is very embarrassing, especially when Guyana is becoming popular with the oil discoveries and everyone has an interest.
Another video is circulating of females ‘busing’ down one another; and eventually a fight breaks out, which manifests into a group fight. Sadly, mostly males could be heard in the background either encouraging or saying what they would do sexually to certain females in the scene.
What is really sad to see is that one of the females is seemingly pregnant, and between the crowd and fights, small children/child could be seen. The fight escalates to a point where two of the females ended up in what looks like a middle walk or small trench, and one of the fighters was attempting to drown the other, until another went to the rescue.
The situation could have ended up worse, and I am wondering if those involved would have been prepared to face the consequences?
Editor, the firing of the gun by the security guard at MovieTowne and the quick dismissal of the guard is highly commendable, but then we have to question the sanity of these young men who are given guns by security firms for people’s protection. Are they capable of handling themselves properly should an event occur and there are patrons/shoppers around, especially if it’s a crime?
Speaking to a few of these guards a couple of days ago at Regent Street, they informed me that they would be glad if someone or a set of persons decided to try robbing anywhere around. Their exact words were, “They don’t have race or age; they would make them a strainer”.
Even though that might sound comforting to hear, it is also very scary, because criminals have no particular time when they commit a crime, and should they decide to commit a crime when the place is crowded, then we all would have to pray.
Since under the PPP’s time, many security firms were established by private individuals for their own protection, and most of the security personnel were given a handgun, which they kept on their persons at all times, even if they are not working. To date, that practice if still ongoing, and I am personally concerned because, as was demonstrated by the security at MovieTowne, they could get carried away and do something contrary.
Finally, Editor, we would see many videos from other countries that show scenarios similar to what is now flooding social media; and, quite frankly, I am under the impression that the overseas videos are motivating our locals to do the same. It’s as if they are competing, which is very dangerous, and they have no regard for their actions at said time. Some could clearly be seen looking to see if they are being filmed, and then starting to act up more.
Then we have cases wherein people are filming the Police when they are executing their duties. some have some serious attitudes towards the lawmen, that started here too. The sad thing about it here is that these dunces here do not know the law, but they are trying to intimidate or provoke the Police to do something drastic.
What these people fail to understand is that things could get out of hand here, and they would not be given any satisfaction. in other developed countries, justice might be served there, but in Guyana, it’s a different situation.
Guyana, stop! Look at where we are heading. All of this is happening because of our careless actions, and it is nothing to be proud of! We are going too fast. It cannot be that we are frustrated, I am wondering if the oil is already flying to our heads.
Yours respectfully,
Sahadeo Bates