Dear Editor,

My letter on the President and the videos ended with a  Creole proverb of African  Guyanese  origin.

He said that he had read “all sorts of claims” by Roger Khan, but in relation to Khan himself, his response was “I know not the man.” Is this likely in Guyana? Here there is no video.

“Jackass size big, but e’ nah-ahear e own tory.”  (Jackass ears big, but he don’t hear he own story).  The version printed in SN on April 21, left out this very rich social, political and moral proverb. Before I accuse anyone of clipping it out, I search for a defence. Perhaps the sending process dropped it, but this is unlikely.

Proverbs do have value, apart from show and tell times like Carifesta.

Jack Lindsay tells us (Song of a Falling World) that during the decline of the Roman Empire some were trying to save Rhetoric and argued, “If we lose rhetoric, what remains to distinguish us from the barbarians?”  Some of my East Coast colleagues, like EPN will remember how we used to laugh over this concern, and will be in stitches on reading this. If we lose proverbs we become even more dependent with no wisdom  of our own.

Anyone who thinks I was calling the president a jackass is in a bad state culturally. I do not want to say “not literate.” Let me remind the public that Amerindians inherited, and  Africans and Indians brought here and developed a rich resource of proverbs.  I know that the University of Guyana has at least two Guyanese women lecturers who can handle proverbs, as much a part of our heritage as anything else. They can spell creolese in a new standard way too.

One feature that greatly relieved my disappointment was the report on Mother Adina Capitus at 103 in Bagotsville. We all celebrate her and with her loved ones. We should also celebrate her heritage.

Yours faithfully,
Eusi Kwayana