Dear Editor,
The cat is out of the bag and the truth hurts. That truth uttered by former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, ought to hurt Guyanese. This man is a real big hypocrite, a pretender of the highest order.
Mr. Mike Pompeo is the man who came to this poor blighted neighbourhood with all the pomp and power of America behind him and lectured us about democracy, getting things right, and doing things. This is the same man, who was holier than thou, like the Pharisees and Sadducees of old, but was nothing more than an empty whitewashed tomb. For there he was on the last official day of an unmentionable president that he served, and he showed his true colours.
In an online article from the Independent dated January 19 and titled, “Pompeo slammed for final tweet saying ‘multiculturalism’ is not ‘who America is’” the secretary is taken to task. Yet, I say that, at least, the man should be saluted for speaking what is on his mind, and how he sees us coloured folk and our presence in the good ole USA. I wonder what the resident American Ambassador, Her Excellency Sarah-Ann Lynch has to say about his parting broadside. Further, I wonder what Guyanese who hung on to his coattails and his every word think about that bit about ‘multiculturalism’ and presence and place in America. I am sure that my fellow Guyanese would have no difficulty interpreting what ‘multiculturalism’ means when spoken by the likes of Mr. Pompeo.
I know I am taking this very far, but the hypocrisy of these characters, who pretend at noble leadership and stirring partnership, but deep down inside are only about colonialism, imperialism, and paternalism, and its cruel exploitative hegemonies over natives and little brown people wherever they may be. It is okay for us to do their dirty work, but not to be around them. It is fine for us to give them our natural resource riches but, like wayward children, not to be seen or heard. I must wonder what His Excellency, President Ali, now thinks and feels about this friend of Guyana and democracy.
As I ponder this last-minute confession from a man who is a former secretary of state, no less, I reflect on how divisive and degrading such a statement is. How in one sentence and swoop, Mr. Pompeo dismissed the presence and contributions of millions of nonwhite citizens living in America. In other words, go back to where you came from and now. It is no surprise that he was so much at home working for a man who was more than a closet racist and worse; that he lasted so long. This was the senior American diplomat, who spoke sharply from afar about elections integrity and then came to this bitterly divided country to divide it still more. I am glad the man spoke as he did; at least I know where I stand.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
