In this post-elections drama, the sheets feel cold as restless nights and tension grip us. Naked Guyana stands, cold and shivering from embarrassment as the world looks on while her children seek to debase and destroy each other. These bitter souls have not been bred overnight. The election fueled hate has always been beneath the surface waiting to erupt in times like these. People we call brother and sister in our attempts at social cohesion and to live by our motto of ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny’ have swiftly transformed.
In this post-elections drama, a man attempted to spit on a friend as she sat in a minibus on the East Coast of Demerara because of her ethnicity. My mind raced back to me at 19 in some chilly English town on a church outing. Three young women attempted to purchase ice-cream only to be greeted by the snarl of the Caucasian man who stood behind the cones and cups. It was like our money was not good enough. Like the colour of our skin was offensive to him. As we walked away, this man spat at us. I know firsthand what it feels like to come face to face with contempt simply because of one’s ethnicity or the colour of skin. It hurts and messes with your mind, but where home is, you should not feel this. This should not be a Guyana story. Guyana is where I am supposed to be a first-class citizen, where I am supposed to be respected and where I am supposed to be treated equally.