Dear Editor,
Professional soldiers should never allow themselves to be guided by politicians who have never even experienced the drill sessions of a cub scout. Those who join the General Staff for the privilege of duty free concessions, and undergo courses that are not as rigid as the norm, by and large cultivate no philosophy or code of integrity to define themselves by, and thus they can become the pawns of irregular and sinister directives. Discipline comes from the top. The ranks of the Guyana Defence Force have experienced too many cross signals and double standards to determine where to stop. The confusion has come through the weakness of those who know better, and who have bowed to the whims and fantasies of the political soldiers whom ranks have seen get away with ‘torture’ and other more serious breaches of regulations.
When the state offers joint service members bounties, converting them to mercenaries, then it encourages the torture of citizens and other atrocities by untouchable force members. Political promotions within the ranks demoralize the security forces. With the Kaieteur News revelations questioning numerous contracts, it appears as if the economic rape of this nation is in progress. So, in the joint services where is the moral inspiration to shape adherence to duty and discipline to come from? One need not ponder about who is truly responsible for the current conduct of the impressionable young members of the joint services, with special reference to the Essequibo River murder and the $17M heist, as the nation itself is drowning in scandal, with white-collar and narco-criminal activities, to illustrate the reality of how the state of corruption has influenced this generation, Kaieteur News on August 20 reported an accused drug courier telling a magistrate that his was a decent crime.
We must ignore the state apologists and those from the private sector and fully understand that only through an intensified struggle by the joint opposition and stakeholders committed to decency can we salvage this country from the stench and poisoning of our social and cultural values.
Yours faithfully,
Barrington Braithwaite
