Dear Editor,
In response to Bill Cotton’s having heard it all missive, and his reference to the white acceptance of Elvis Presley’s mimicry of black music as popular culture, which in the end did not upturn society as whites feared it would. One must remark, following his logic that it is a wonder that the US government does not promote gangster rap and gothic heavy metal which is graphic about bloodshed as culture that the people want, Mr. Cotton might wish to explain why the worst of artistic expression and activities that promote vulgarity and disorder are not given awards for contribution to culture and arts by the US government.
A government is required to promote and preserve excellence in all areas of culture and to institute policies that do so. The ‘stink and dutty ‘and the carnival lewdness are the worst parts of the culture and Mr. Cotton’s barely veiled attempt at carte blanche referencing it as black music and culture is disingenuous. This is not surprising coming from one who declared Castellani House to be a mansion in which the late President Burnham lived. The PPP is an abysmal failure in developing and promoting policies for Arts and Culture that promote excellence in creativity and expression and which are endogenous to Guyana. This is both a factual and political reality that perceptive citizens can acknowledge.
Sincerely,
Jill Croton