Dear Editor,
The media and individuals, on many occasions, have issued glowing tributes to high profile citizens, deceased and alive. Some of the praises are unfounded and shocking but my opinion on this issue was delayed by my belief of “speaking no ill of the dead.” However, deception practiced in life should not be overlooked in death and to use another aphorism, “what we sow is what we reap.” Some of the citizens receiving such accolades have robbed people of millions of dollars, collectively. Some of them had coaxed people to obtain business for them and in all the cases verbally agreed to pay for their services. The victims were naive and trusting. They were deceived because of their honesty, holding the ancient belief which now seems to be non- applicable in Guyana, that “a person’s word is their bond.” The perpetrators of these violations had even used that adage, assuring the victims that they would pay them. The labour, professionalism and dedication of the persons contracted were unrewarded and they were callously trampled upon.
A more appropriate approach to penning these letters as testaments to a person’s worth, would be to speak glowingly only of their accomplishments but not combine that with references to their character unless a proper investigation of their morality and ethics is done beforehand. Qualifications and professions do not necessarily produce character or quality or reform people who are innately greedy and morally and ethically corrupt. Many of the perpetrators came from noble professions and had accumulated noticeable and vast wealth. They have disgraced these professions. My advice to businesspersons is to have all agreements in writing. In the United States, any business agreement of $500 or more, must be done in writing. There is really only one way to do business. My decision is to have these persons (those still alive) blacklisted. Based on their unscrupulous conduct, they have conformed to William Shakespeare’s dictum “all that glitters is not gold.”
Sincerely,
Conrad Barrow
