Really because they’re black?
I am a male donkey. That makes me a jackass from Guyana. Or put another way, I’m a Guyanese jackass. My favourite song is by another Guyanese, Mr Dave Martins from Hague, West Coast, Demerara.
I too was born in Hague Backdam. That backdam produced many jack and jenny-asses. Alas, I was among those who were “exported” for sale in the capital city Georgetown, a few years ago. And life was never the beautiful same for me. The Dave Martins’ song I mentioned earlier? It’s my personal anthem and has a line asking: “Who civilized an’ who’s de jackass?” (God bless that man for his insightful understandings, yeh!)
I did not and couldn’t know it from the start, but as a donkey I was destined to be a “beast of burden”. Well, as I grew I knew that I was certainly no beast. And any “burden” was also certainly not mine. Oh but the loads I’ve fetched and pulled! That’s why I choose to share a few glimpses of my life and personal analyses. You see, at fifteen, I’m already an old donkey. Especially in this Guyanese society.
Owners and attitudes
As a jackass, an allegedly “lower animal”, the attitudes of the Guyanese people struck me before I was ever really conscious of their categories of race, ethnicity, tribes, class or group. (We donkeys hardly recognize differences among jackasses, horses and mules. We experience a common human-made oppression, but unlike mankind, we don’t initiate local or international conflicts.) I assess attitudes through the behaviour, towards me, of the owners I had and have. There were/are two.
I was sold to the first fellow just as he graduated from a drug rehabilitation centre. Now here was a bitter, arrogant, often cruel Guyanese human. The socio-economic pressures of Guyana, combined with the fact that his father completely rejected him resulted in his attitudes towards me.
Often I would hear his conversations with his fellow dropouts and social rejects of the same group. But, to his dubious credit, there were times when he ‘bused even his very “own”. Such is human nature, I understand. I do think that these types represent that which is base in the human arena.
This forever bitter owner represented the whole working-class Guyanese society who, from the time they awake every morning must face blackouts, flooded streets, crowded buses, dowdy workplaces, mediocre recreation spots, gun crimes, fires, accidents, disease and constant political wrangling. Add to that woeful list high prices and I understand the average Guyanese human these days. This place is designed to foster human stress. (No wonder they jailed my first owner for snorting coke).
That is why even a jackass like me would hesitate to vote for any party in this land today!
The second and current owner I have is even more pathetic as Guyanese humans go. This man stole me from the police “pound” on the East Bank Demerara. He hardly fed or groomed me. He completely ignored the government’s specifications as to the weight I should fetch or pull. For my own health, longevity and usefulness, it is, in law, recommended that I fetch no more than 1,200 pounds in my two-wheel cart and only so many bags. Do you think my sadistic owner ever even read that?
Who civilized?
So I labour as I watch this degenerate scavenge and vandalise dump-sites, grave-yards and garbage heaps for bottles, cardboard, old iron and steel objects for sale to those who would purchase these items for sale and export. Not that there is much inherently wrong with these activities. But when a cruel unkempt human desecrate graves for iron and brass, lives at solid-waste, disease-filled locations, then overloads my cart, then that is unacceptable.
But let me end this lament with this grand Guyana irony. As a jackass surviving in Georgetown, I suspect that I am better off than many of its humans! Why? Well I eat what’s there – grass plus. I’m not bothered with Georgetown’s oppressive utilities – the electricity, water, telephone and airline companies. And I’m my own transportation! I escape crowded schools and hospitals and the crudities of the new concerts. And I’m even upset when Guyanese politicians are called “jackasses”. That is to dignify some of them and to denigrate us donkeys! Just look at what passes for a capital city – and its cemetery!
Bet now some of you more reasonable Guyanese humans would agree that it might be much better to be a jackass in Guyana these days! Agreed!?
Because they’re black?
Could Mr Phillips, ACDA or the multi-racial People’s National Congress/Reform/One Guyana convince me that the government’s racism is at work when Superintendent McBean, Chief Education Officer (Ag) Whyte-Nedd, Mr English (THD), a former chief magistrate and any other prominent Afro-Guyanese they might care to cite, have their careers put in jeopardy by the administration?
Would the ruling group act solely based on contempt for one’s race. My mind is still open on this, trying not to accept that the government’s actions are purely racist.
I perceive that the traditional PPP votes are being somewhat numerically diminished on the Corentyne. That party is continuously wooing the Amerindian constituency which is slow in migrating. Why would the PPP discriminate against and intimidate Afro-Guyanese and their role-models? Merely because they’re Black? Am I being naïve? Please assist.
Ponder…
Keep finding out! The building of the building at High and Princes streets, Georgetown.
Major-General (rtd) Joe Singh is right! The Brazilian President is acknowledging that all of Essequibo is ours! He’ll deal with Companero Chavez.
It’s really carnage on our roads. How many died over the past month?
Hon Sam Hinds is a part of the government. Has anyone ever asked his opinion of the Roger Khan/Simels affair?
Mr Boyo Ramsaroop’s letter explaining why he left the PPP was a moving testimony.
Two reasons why Jamaican “Dance Hall” artistes come to Georgetown almost twice a month?
Police stations/outposts should always be factored in the new projects to lessen the current horrors in the housing schemes.
‘Til next week!’
comments? allanafenty@yahoo.com
