Dear Editor,
I read in shock, in all three dailies, of the Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the operations of the city administration, retired Judge Mr. Cecil Kennard, demanding that the Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green “shut up and listen”
Editor, I’m no fan of the Mayor. I’ve wrote many letters about her poor performance as mayor which were never published.
Having said that, I do believe that, regardless of our personal opinion of her, the office of Mayor should be respected. As a result, I write today to express my disgust at the language used by one of Guyana’s better judges.
I do believe that the learned judge has better words in his vocabulary to communicate his obvious frustration. If I were him I would have dealt with it differently. A firm fist on the table and a loud and assertive bellow of “order!” would have sufficed while protecting the dignity of the Lady Mayor.
For me by his actions, he has disrespected not only the Mayor but his position he once held as an esteemed judge. He has also brought his position of Chairman of the COI into serious disrepute.
I have a brilliant and articulate British-born ten-year-old daughter. I would not. I cannot tell her shut up. Neither would I accept any of her teachers telling her shut up.
Professional women need to be respected. We professional men need to recognise that young lads are looking at how we treat our female colleagues to pattern their behaviours. For too long women have been told “shut up we men are doing serious work.”
No woman should accept such behaviour from any man. As a result I write to condemn and I hope all women will join me condemning the treatment meted out to Mayor Patricia Chase-Green by retired Judge Kennard.
If I were the Lady Mayor, I would have demanded an apology from him. Failing to receive one, I would have politely walked out.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Mark Devonish
