Dyslexia? Never give up!
Man, the captions will easily indicate that I’m “all-over-the-place” in these paragraphs today. (As again I leave crime, road fatalities, the 2019 Budget and Comrade Chairperson Volda to persons, commentators more competent to confront such issues.)
I return, most briefly, with the moral issues embedded in our now rampant cocaine trafficking enterprise. A seemingly pervasive underground but yet visible “industry” that’s not going away. Worldwide, America’s DEA, tries to assist poorer jurisdictions like Guyana, in combating the pernicious trade. Why? Only one of the main reasons: the USA is the baron’s favourite lucrative market for coke and all life-threatening narcotics acquired and used illegally. Especially by societies’ vulnerables. But since the modern world is beset by this “industry” which is actually “legitimized” by prominent players in many societies – as say, food manufacturers are regarded – this war, Frankly Speaking, will be never-ending. I offer the following real-life scenario as a reason – a why.
The huge Atlantic state of Sealand presents a vivid example of a society where former cherished life-line values have been completely compromised by the “positives” the legal drugs trade offers some. And as in many states in South America the under-privileged, the needy, as well as the rich greedy seek and accept the cocaine enterprise’s “rewards”.
Cocaine barons send their children to Law Schools and Medical Schools – the best – with cocaine trade earnings. These “successful” attorneys and doctors are now Sealand’s role-models! Cocaine-cash has enriched Sealand’s private sector players who now bankroll the society’s charitable and service organisations; its art and entertainment fraternity; national sporting events are funded; beneficiaries of Sealand’s drug trade now mingle and are accepted in and by “high society”; business places owned by (invisible but known) drug lords are supported by many of Sealand’s citizens – including its more elite. Even churches are funded by some of Sealand’s “barons”!
Of course it is also rumoured that Sealand’s police, judiciary, politicians and government functionaries are also being compromised by cocaine’s takings and influence. Just what is Sealand to do in these modern times?
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The Bible, please assist me…
I conclude my cocaine-generated moral dilemma by asking for help in undertaking what is meant in the Christian Bible Book of Proverbs.
Now I know that the law in many jurisdictions has been fashioned to seize assets of convicted criminal drug-barons. Some societies convert the convicts’ filthy lucre into funding for the fight against the trade and/or to afford opportunities for the young, the vulnerable.
So assist me again. Is the Proverbs of Solomon justifying one use of originally-acquired dirty money? Chapter 7:22 advises: “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children and the wealth of the sinner is “laid up” for the just!” (Related to Job 27:16, 17) just what does King Solomon mean?
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What rights? Bolsonaro, SASOD…
A few years ago, in the letters column of this newspaper, one gentleman frequently engaged the premier local organisation representing Guyana’s LGBT “community” – SASOD – in robust debate. (I forget his name). He used to make the case that – from his perspective – the homosexuals, transgenders etc claimed more rights than was normal, routine, constitutional, for other “regular, straight” citizens of this country.
There were two issues which attracted my interest in matters relevant to the Gay-Lesbian portion of our society since this December 2018 began.
SASOD is recommending that a certain medicine – Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) be “provided” within Guyana’s public health care system. Apparently, this PrEP is both a preventative drug and one which arrests the spread of HIV throughout the body. Truly a remedy to embrace. But SASOD’s professionals must declare whether they are advocating this new treatment for their people especially after their recent “assessment”/survey.
Then there was a quietly-aggressive and persuasive Phyllis J Jordan who also used SN’s columns to respond to Vidyaratha Kissoon’s original “cross-dressing” remarks after the Caribbean Court’s decision in favour of the LGBT community. I quote just a bit of her position: “We concede that some people for whatever reason find themselves attracted to persons of the same sex. The same-sex struggler is not unique! Everybody is born with the natural propensity to lie. But thanks to social and spiritual intervention, many of us have been saved from succumbing to this propensity. The same help is available for homosexuals and lesbians.”
Do you believe that the SASOD/LGBT “agenda” in Guyana is only representative? Or selfish?
Brazil’s Bolsonaro; SASOD?
The advocates for the human rights of the LGBT folks in our powerful southern neighbour, the Federative Republic of Brazil, must be concerned – fearfully – for their safety and status.
Reason? Because the ex-army officer Jair Bolsonaro who becomes Brazilian president in a few days absolutely disdains those he refers to as “gays”. I won’t have space here to develop his position. But I advise our SASOD to explore Brazil’s Constitution about their human rights, so to advise their brothers and sisters to the south. Where the bullish ex-army officer will take charge shortly.
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Ponder, immediately…
What is dyslexia? In the summary, it’s “a brain-based type of learning disability that specifically impairs a person’s ability to read.”
It happens from childhood but over time and expert correction therapies the disability can be gotten rid of. An old magazine tells me that some of the world’s accomplished personalities suffered from not being able to read well in their youth.
The list includes American President George Washington, Picasso, Winston Churchill, Steve Jobs, Abishek Bachchan, Salma Hayek, Muhammad Ali, Einstein, Edison, the Alexander Graham Bell!
So you see, you should never give up!
Venezuela’s autocratic President Maduro might actually be pleased that millions of his starving countrymen are leaving as refugees. Less opposition on his streets.
Could GTT arrange for those hundreds who have to pay bills in person not to have to suffer in slow lines? I, a senior guy, was in one such torturous queue for nearly two hours!
The PPP’s Gail Teixeira says Minister Jordan’s good life is throwing up numerous dog-food vendors!
Again I ponder: how is the Bajan Leader enjoying political life without any formal opposition and will our Movietowne Complex ever open?
’Til next week
