Dear Editor,
This morning (May 13) while driving to work, I saw an image at the corner of North Road and Camp Street that has left me shocked, broken and confused. Those of us who live or frequent Georgetown have come across such a scene in one degree or the other and it has certainly become part of the landscape. It has been callously woven into the ugly tapestry that adorns this city.
As I stopped at the traffic light, from the side of my eyes, I made out one of the many piles of garbage that permeate Georgetown. I turned in the direction only to see a disabled vagrant in a wheelchair, struggling to manoeuvre his chair on the putrid heap, obviously looking for something to eat or for some other use. Editor, if that was not bad enough, a few yards away was the saddest part of the picture. In front the gate of the Indian Arrival Garden, were two women; I was later told they are mother and daughter. The older female was in a wheelchair and the younger one was sitting on the ground. The younger sat in a position as if she had just dropped herself down and stayed in that position. Her head was slightly bent and one leg was twisted under her body while the other was sticking forward. Most of her body was exposed as the morning sun beat down on her back.
From my vantage point I could have seen the expressions on their faces and that ripped my heart out. Their stares were totally blank as if they were peering down this endless, hopeless pit. Their faces wore sad countenances, while displaying deep, dark and excruciating pain. As the timer on the traffic light continues counting down, I could not help but feel the utter hurt for the trio, the women especially. I asked myself what went wrong and where their relatives are; where is society?
Have we as a nation morphed into this apathetic beast and allow our lesser folks to waste away at the sides of garbage heaps, waiting for the grim reaper? Permit me to borrow from Shakespeare: “O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts, and men have lost their reason.” We have certainly diverted from our social and human responsibility to care for each other; instead we have become consumed by our own desires. We are no longer our brothers’ keeper but keepers of me and me alone. Guyana which has abundant resources is too small a country to be abandoning our people at the side of garbage heaps to eke out an existence. We are not even eight hundred thousand people, for crying out loud.
It is elections season and we will hear all the usual promises of converting Guyana to a utopia with milk, honey and money for all. We have been hearing that for almost fifty years and all some actually get are the empty milk cartons and empty honey bottles.
Some might be on the streets because of their own making, but we all need a second chance. We as Guyanese at least need to give them the opportunity to live and exploit their potential and eventually help to develop this country. I am not saying there should never be vagrants, but we have more than our fair share. If we continue to neglect our own then heaven help us all.
Yours faithfully,
Leyland Mingo
