The nation mourns again. This time it is for a child who was killed in an accident a week ago. Questions linger. What if she had stayed at home? What if she and her aunt had not been standing where they were? What if the truck driver had somehow been delayed?
A sunny afternoon on the East Bank highway suddenly turned cloudy and wet with the tears and screams of onlookers when the truck slammed into the median, instantly killing seven-year-old Ciarra Benjamin. Her aunt said that she suffered a blackout. There are conflicting reports about what occurred. Some claimed the truck was speeding. Others claimed the truck swerved into the direction of the median to avoid hitting another vehicle. It was even said that the child attempted to cross the road, but then saw the truck and panicked.
Shock quickly turned to rage and resulted in the bloodied face and body of driver and the torching of the truck. I am sure when the driver left his home that day, he never imagined such a tragedy. He, too, could have died had he not been rescued by the police from the enraged citizens who beat him. I understand that the people were angry but should the driver have been beaten? No. If he had been murdered, would that have eased the pain of the child’s relatives and those who witnessed the accident? No. Would it have breathed life back into the child? No.
Vigilante justice can be justified in some instances but any society where laws are ignored or disregarded is a society in disarray. In many ways, we are there.
Young people who have not quite had the chance to grow and fully experience the joys and sorrows of life, are buried or cremated while their eyes were still bright with hope and the possibilities were numerous.
Last Saturday, a friend messaged me and told me to stay off social media because I have a seven-year-old daughter. At seven, they are beautiful, curious and intelligent; every day you are in awe of them and curious about what they will do or say next. You are also fearful, but not that they would be killed or die without warning, but that you somehow will fail them. You question if what you are giving them is enough, if you are enough. You worry about your ability to take care of them, but it is the hope in their eyes that keeps reminding you that you cannot allow your fears to overshadow and control your influence on the person you are raising.
Curiosity led to me check social media anyway and I saw the news. I knew my seven-year-old was safe but another mother’s nightmare had become reality. I logged out and silently continued my activities. I did not wish to see videos or pictures of the accident. Later, someone offered to show me and after I declined, I once again wondered why we as a society are so obsessed with the macabre even when it involves the mutilated bodies of children.
The accident has once again started the conversation about road safety in Guyana. Guyana’s roads are unsafe because of the people. While improvements are certainly needed on many roads, it is the impatience, inexperience and arrogance of the people that often lead to accidents. And this is not only on drivers, but pedestrians are sometimes at fault as well.
Now that Ciarra Benjamin has died, what will we do to prevent the next person from dying on the road? Are we going to be outraged for a little while—as is often the case—only to return soon to the road rage until another person or persons join the dead? More safety measures need to be put in place, not only on the East Bank highway but on all of Guyana’s roads. We will not be able to stop all accidents from occurring but if all drivers and pedestrians exercise more caution, patience and care, certainly there will be fewer of them.
Some people believe that the day we are born, the day we die is also registered somewhere. Whatever theories we have about the afterlife or lack thereof, we all are on a journey and though we may think we are sure about what comes next, life is full of mysteries and surprises. In a perfect world, death would spare children. Though for many who suffer from birth it is often a welcomed end, it is still hard to comprehend.
On the day Ciarra Benjamin died, people were quick to react by beating the driver who caused her death. All of Guyana’s children should be protected but not until they are dead. Many people are aware of children being abused and sit silently and watch. We should not wait for our children to be hurt or die before we defend their rights. Those who hurt children must always be condemned with the same zeal of those who beat the driver.
The day Ciarra died was also the day of the LGBT pride parade. A pastor in Linden, who is known for condemning the LGBT community, took to his Facebook page to suggest that Ciarra’s death was not coincidence, but God’s reaction to the pride parade. This man and his followers believe that God is angry with Guyana because of LGBT pride. This man attempted to exploit the death of someone’s child because of his displeasure with a section of our society. As I read various comments in defence of the pastor and references to religious texts where a merciful, loving and righteous God killed innocent children because he was displeased with a nation, I was reminded again that some people will never be free. They are slaves to fallacies, are comfortable in their delusions and are disasters that hurt our society every day. And the fact that some of these people call themselves religious leaders, the fact that a man could be so vile that instead of sending his condolences to the bereaved family, he used her death to further an agenda of hatred is another reason why I am convinced that our society is in disarray and people are possibly the worse they have ever been.
May Ciarra rest in power and peace, may her death not be in vain and may her family find comfort in the memories they shared with her.
