Dear Editor,
We learnt of an armed robbery committed in St Philips Church just as the congregation was preparing for Mass. This is a terrible event that further stains our Capital and State. On behalf of citizens, the Deputy Mayor, councillors, family and on my own behalf, I offer the Church sympathies, and pray that they be able to continue doing God’s work, also to be able to forgive the doers of evil, and pray for them to turn away from their wayward ways.
Even as we seek justice based on the law, it is a good opportunity for us to look at the broader picture, and not just focus on this horrible incident.
Humans by nature tend to imitate, learning from our elders, teachers, parents, our community and national leaders.
The message coming from the latter group is one of disregard for many of our cherished moral values. A safe society is one in which our young people look up to our Head of State, Cabinet, the Parliament, The Police,
The Courts and their religious institutions for good guidance. Today in Guyana we have our senior national leaders showing a scant regard for many of our precious values.
A leadership that will not reconvene the Parliament, says it is foolish to get local democracy moving, the lynchpin of a true democratic and viable country, fails to discipline errant Ministers and their top officials, NCN, NICIL, imposes on the City administration someone who misuses millions and the Police do nothing, worse aborts an investigation, the result of all this is a country where security is at its lowest in its history, sad but so true.
On the other hand this should be a wake-up call to stave off the prospect of our beloved society imploding.
One solution, among others, is for civil society, the Masjids, Churches, and the Temples to end a troubling silence in the face of wrong doings at several levels. They say ‘silence gives consent’. It will be unfortunate if these bodies raise their voices against the wrongdoing at the Church and ignore those stealing millions on a daily basis. The injunction not to steal did not identify circumstances, nor and could not define quantum nor what are your connections. Guyana, all Guyana awake let us hear a clarion call from all and sundry, from Sunday to Sunday that wrong is wrong. If we speak from pulpit to parapet we can yet save this country and so hand down to our children and their children a safe sound society, we owe this to them.
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green
Mayor of Georgetown
