On local hospital — and school books
Pardon today’s brevity please. Perhaps it’s some mental laziness occasioned by my “overdoing” it for my birth anniversary earlier this same week.
Yet I feel compelled to offer brief, hopefully provocative comment on a social phenomenon that’s so grim, so tragic, so unproductive to human existence. Yes, I’ll come off as somewhat “preachy” but I aim to provoke responses from parents, teachers, preachers, community leaders, attorneys-at-law; even the magistracy and judiciary. What am I going on about? It’s essentially the crime of murder!
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Life’s worth versus murder
Of course criminologists, social workers, police and legal minds will have numerous and various analyses as to the causes of bodily assaults with intent and about murder itself.
This non-academic, man-in-the-street, twenty-nine year old column regards highly those scientific, informed commentaries. But seeks to present even more basic, practical, down-to-earth observations. As I do below.
As we sadly experience the criminal daily upsurge in the crime of murder, right here and in Trinidad and Tobago, for example, do not some basic questions assail our minds? And would, do these considerations occur to the under-forty youthful citizens of our less-than-a-million population?
I mean what does the wonder of the birth of a baby mean to young fathers these days? After initial boasting or pride of becoming a “father”? I’m really wondering whether young Guyanese appreciate the value of human life. All that any life expectancy – from actual birth to say seventy/eighty – really means to living humans.
Animal lovers and activists do not ever want to see a snake, frog or puppy or donkey injured or killed. But other under-educated, intolerant humans assault, wound or take the lives of others with seeming abandon sometimes with legal impunity. Which brings me to the question of homicide and relevant laws.
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Homicide – and the law
Are you-all reading about the Court of Appeal reducing some other judge’s sentences imposed on convicted murderers? No matter how unnecessary or brutal the murder when committed, after months when emotions might fade; when outrage dims, the courts, prosecutors and defence “debate” the “merits” of the crime.
Victims, relatives of the murdered, the perpetrators and legal arbiters (judges) are subject to interpretations of the crime of murder and the myriad attendant laws. Frankly speaking, I feel that though many laws were made to protect the innocent too many criminals are spared!!
Homicide – “the killing of a human being by another” – is sometimes actually justified or excused. As in when a person has to defend himself or/and family from attack by a thief at midnight, or from some deranged criminal. But no human is entitled to take another’s life because of theft, anger, even the loss of a girlfriend.
So even as I acknowledge that this subject and issue can command many pages to properly delve into the unwanted social phenomenon, I conclude for now with two points.
Firstly, the school and church should preach more, the value and sanctity of human life. The community should help broken, single-parent families to teach young males to use tolerance and the police instead of walking with knives and guns to solve disagreements.
Secondly, frankly speaking, I feel that judges should not use the available law to accept the reduction to manslaughter so frequently. (Murderers feel assured of lighter punishment and early release!)
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What “APNU”? What “parties”?
No matter how limited my own political intelligence might be – and often I feel “superior” to many young political pretenders – I’m always annoyed when hearing about some “APNU”.
That grouping is a false, fake, phony political construct to pretensions that the People’s National Congress (PNC) leads some mini coalition. Besides with the “dead meat AFC”. What “parties” constitute this imaginary “partnership” for “national unity”.
Before I upset myself more, let me give those of you still interested some homework: find out for me the leaders and membership of the following political “parties”: AFC, WPA, ANUG, Equal Rights and Justice Party, The New Movement, LJP, the NFA, the GAP and another new grouping led by a young lady named Sarabo-Halley.
I’m actually depending on your assistance. Even enlightment. Ho-ho-ho!
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On new hospitals, new school texts
I’m now mentally tired. I “beg pardon”. Once again a government is promising new, upgraded, modernised hospitals throughout Guyana, no need for frequent referrals to Georgetown. Do you believe such? That will finally happen?
Between 1971 and 1978 I was part of a team producing the first set of local supplementary readers for Guyana’s primary schools. So I was interested when reading of a new Atlantic series of texts being produced (seemingly by an all-female team!). Then I read Ryhaan Shah’s credible critique. Shame!
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Ponder…
● 1) Recommended: For an insightful analysis of Guyana-Trinidad trade/political relations, read Wired 868 Noble: “Reading Between The Lines – How Leaked CPSO e-mail Could Trigger Guyana’s Caricom Exit” (That won’t happen but it’s an informative read).
● 2) Now after all the encomiums for the recently-departed Balram Singh Rai, I just came across a copy of an instruction in The Guyana Teacher 1975 in which I had an article about the National Service in Schools.
● 3) The Honourable Minister of Community Development and Education, Singh-Rai, banned four local folk songs from all schools as having “no educational or cultural value”. What!?
`Til next week!
