Dear Editor,
Once again the account given by the newspapers of how how ‘Fineman’ was taken out, raises the question whether the stand-off could not have resulted in the capture of him alive. The armed forces would have outnumbered him. He was holed up in a building. Tactical measures coupled with time would have seen his surrender which would have been of vital importance to understanding the truth behind those massacres at Lusignan, Bartica and the burning of the miners’ camp in the interior.
The truth was killed along with the two criminals. It was easy to convince the general public that this course of action by the armed forces should be applauded. People were very infuriated and angry by the wanton murders allegedly committed by Rondel Rawlins and his gang, hence the news of their deaths would obviously be welcomed. The clear and objective thinker, however, would know that emotions can understandably cloud judgment.
When Lincoln Lewis spoke out against the killing of Fineman, it should not be misconstrued that he was supporting criminality, like some would want us to believe. It must be taken in the context in which it was expressed. We must suppress emotions and objectively look at the truth that the families of those who died at Lusignan and Bartica may never see true justice.
I tend to think that what happened to Mr Lewis recently is a stark warning intended in the form of intimidation to silence him.
Yours faithfully,
Norman Browne
