Dear Editor,
In Friedrich Nietzsche’s work Thus Spoke Zarathustra he gives a metaphor that describes the evolution of a person from child to man. In the beginning of one’s life Nietzsche likened the child to a camel. This stage of evolution was called the camel stage because it represents a period of time where the burden of the world’s expectations and ideas are thrown upon the child. These ideas come from society, parents, teachers and even religion. The child is at this point physically and emotionally immature and does just as the camel does, he or she bows. In other words at this stage you are much like a beast of burden.
At some age the child begins to venture out on his own and there is a beautiful passage where Nietzsche describes this new phase. He describes the camel standing up and wandering into the desert with an enormous load on his back. In the desert the camel comes to meet a dragon and his name is ‘Thou Shalt’. It is at this stage that the camel must make a decision to continue bowing or to slay the dragon. In slaying the dragon the camel sheds its accumulated burdens and becomes a lion amongst men and battles with its weapons called ‘I Will’ and ‘No’.
The youths of Guyana are ready to slay their dragon and the process is long underway. Let us support our young people and give them this opportunity to mature. This March 18th support ‘Youth For Local Government’ and be a part of a new era for Georgetown and Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Stefan Hutson
