Dear Editor,
It is clear that Stabroek News has an agenda to muzzle or control the African interpretation of reality. For Africans who do not sing to Stabroek’s tune or conform to their agenda there is no freedom of expression in their newspapers.
Two recent letters (20/1/2008 and 11/2/2008) were written by me outlining the economic problems confronting the African community. On both occasions I made reference to a prominent and outspoken African Guyanese trade unionist with concrete insight into the realm of labour economics who categorised the PPP marginalisation of African Guyanese as “economic genocide.” The SN refused to print letter dated 20/1/2008 and refused to carry the quoted term “economic genocide” in letter dated 11/2/2008 published 15/2/2008 inspite of the overwhelming realities and situations I cited.
I watch as the paper continues to describe the killings of the Lusignan 11 as a “massacre.” Dare I remind the media continue to ignore the public comments of a well reputed African social scientist qualified in the field of behavioural sciences.
On both occasions the interpretations of reality by leaders in the African community are ignored for a reality that the media is bent on putting in the heads of the people. By this behaviour the media is denying the option of thought, thereby controlling the knowledge and thinking of people, and ultimately their destiny.
SN has enlisted and received African support in condemning the government’s withdrawal of advertisement based on a name (Press Freedom) they give it. It is obvious SN is consciously determining its reality but at the same time is denying Africans their right to interpret theirs. This is inequality. As much as Indians, Portuguese and others have the right to name their realities, so too must Africans.
Yours faithfully,
Osafo Modibo
Editor’s note
We have never been able to print all the letters we receive. Many are not printed, primarily due to considerations of space.
