Dear Editor,
I refer to your article in the Sunday Stabroek dated 21st October 2018 and titled, ‘PAHO/WHO, health ministry to start work on alcohol control policy’. While this initiative is highly commendable, I do not agree with certain aspects of the article and believe that it fails to identify the real perpetrators and reasons behind many social ills that plague and damage our society and people.
According to the article, ‘Alcohol is said to be a major contributing factor in the large number of suicides and sexual assaults which have been occurring in Baramita, in Region One, over the years’. I believe that this statement excuses the horrors occurring in this place, we have an age of consent and laws to deal with paedophiles, rapists and traffickers, why isn’t there full enforcement of the law with regard to Baramita? Instead of pandering to paedophiles and rapists there should be enforcement of the laws of the land and justice for the victims. Everyone living in Guyana should adhere to these regardless of ethnicity, way of life, religious and personal beliefs. An intoxicated rapist or paedophile is still responsible for his/her actions and alcohol should never be used as an excuse.
People are not sheep, we expect adults to know what is right from wrong. The problem is lack of enforcement of the law and people being allowed to get away with horrific crimes by not being held responsible for their actions, everything is excused and too often inanimate objects and things are made the scapegoats. How many of the alleged cases of rape, incest and trafficking in Baramita were thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators charged? We should think of the victims instead of excusing the monstrous behaviour of the perpetrators. What about the teenage mothers below the age of consent, was forensics employed to determine the fathers of the children? In Guyana, people often pander to the perpetrators and further victimize the victims; many do not report sexual abuse due to shame, stigmatization and victim blaming, the same is true for many cases of domestic violence where the excuse is often, ‘she must have done something’.
With regard to alcohol being a contributing factor in suicides, I wonder if a study was done. If so, did people who attempted suicide or thought of it state this? In Guyana, I believe that alcoholism particularly among women is generally seen as socially unacceptable behaviour. What about domestic violence, the mental pains from sexual assaults and economic reasons being contributing factors?
We live in a patriarchal society where many women are viewed as property by their spouses and male relatives. Abusers are really cowards who use alcohol as an excuse to abuse because they really don’t want their victims to leave and after the act the victims have to take care of them by cleaning, cooking and providing other free services. It is all about the ego; power, domination and subjugation of the perceived weaker sex. Although both sexes are guilty of domestic violence, most aggressors in Guyana are males. Women especially wives and girlfriends are seen as belonging to the man (in many cases) and when there is a belief by the man that his woman is ‘giving him blow’/ being unfaithful he reacts violently because it is a blow to his manliness/status. When the violence results in death as in murder/suicide I believe the suicide comes about because the abuser loses his victim and now has to face the consequences of his actions.
There are many horrific crimes occurring against women in all parts of the world; female genital mutilation, femicide, severe oppression where women cannot even leave their homes without permission or choose their clothing. What is the contributing factor, inanimate things or medieval beliefs of the people?
We live in a modern, secular country where we enjoy many liberties. Nothing should be done to undermine or limit our freedoms. Way of life, religious views and beliefs are all personal matters and should never take precedence over the laws of the land instead people should be made aware that there are consequences to certain actions and they will be held responsible for unlawful acts. Alcohol doesn’t sexually assault, beat and murder, people do; knives and guns don’t kill, people do. These are all inanimate things that people with brains and the ability to reason use to excuse and commit devious acts. Apart from alcohol, overindulgence in fast food, sugar and salt are all detrimental to our health. Then we have air pollution which is linked to so many terminal conditions. Even sex is highly dangerous to one’s health if not indulged in responsibly. We live in a world surrounded by things which can harm and be used as weapons but as Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, ‘Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.’ How do we deal with such persons? By enforcement of the laws of the land, which is the most effective deterrent.
There are large communities of Guyanese living in the ABC countries and they respect the laws of the countries in which they live and are model citizens. Many socially unacceptable and criminal acts that people do without thought in Guyana they would not dare do in the foreign countries in which they live or visit because they know that there is enforcement of the law and consequences to face.
Alcohol abuse is a serious health issue and I commend the relevant agencies in their efforts. The population needs to be educated on the dangerous effects of alcohol abuse so as to make better, safer and healthier choices. They should also be educated on the laws of the land.
In Guyana there needs to be strict enforcement of the law with regard to abusers, paedophiles, rapists, traffickers and those who drink above the legal limit and drive among others. They need to take responsibility for their actions and face the consequences.
Yours faithfully,
Narissa Deokarran
