Dear Editor,
Dave Martins column ‘So it Go’ featured a very interesting piece on how our habits divide us and ought to be discussed in a much wide theatre in order to bring awareness to what most Guyanese see as a great national problem. As Mr Martins pointed out, we, like other multiracial nations, have a natural human tendency to huddle, and this must not be confused as it often is to mean that one group of people is better than the other.
Guyanese must be encouraged to take pride in their ethnic differences without prejudice and political interference. Perhaps if this can be achieved we will at least be able to step over the ethnic hurdle a little more easily.
The culture of ‘Us against Them’ promoted through the exploits of politicians needs to be discarded in order to make space for greater unity to flourish. Voting for ‘We Own’ will always be natural since, as Dave said, we tend to stick to the culture we are most familiar and comfortable with. However, at least we might be more likely to forge links of greater tolerance and respect for each other.
I recall early after Trinidad’s independence that Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams’ government outlawed the racial call-names that were common in pre-independence Trinidad, and terms like ‘Indo’ and ‘Afro’ came into common usage.
It is time we grew up and took pride in our ethnic differences, without the stigmas and profiles which we impose on and create for each other. The big question is, are we mature enough as a nation to do so or are we still in adolescence?
Yours faithfully,
Bernard Ramsay
