A few days ago, I was in a school zone, when I saw a police car driving up the one-way with sirens blaring. I could tell it was not an emergency when I observed the two officers in the car. It was just their way of getting through the traffic quickly because in this country it seems that police cannot suffer like the rest of us in the daily traffic jams. I understand in emergency cases that they need to get through the traffic quickly. But it is common knowledge that blaring sirens are not always emergencies. They are usually speeding too. And of course, accidents and the loss of lives often occur because of speeding. But people dying on Guyana’s roads because of recklessness is common. Every time bodies are lying in the streets or pinned in vehicles, we will express outrage and shock and then it quiets until the next tragedy occurs. But the police driving up a one-way road, putting other drivers in danger, the children in that school zone and other passengers, is a perfect example of how chaos runs Guyana. Law and order and justice for all are like fleeting dreams as disorder and corruption are found in every thread unravelling in this society.
Almost two weeks ago I saw a police vehicle with the word ‘polícia’ boldly printed on it. I thought “Hmm, that’s new. Whose decision was that?”
The questions about the decision of the Guyana Police Force to print the words ‘polícia’ on their vehicles has stirred a sleeping nation. The police put out a statement and one of their justifications was that they are catering for the influx of Spanish speakers in Guyana. But as many others agree the word ‘police’ is understood universally.
We have an influx of Spanish speakers, but there are also Chinese, Brazilians, Haitians, and other migrants whose first language is not English. So, are we going to decorate our police vehicles with those languages as well? Since we are catering for one, why not cater for all? Is Guyana not for sale? And why not take it a step further and tell us that we are preparing ourselves to be a minority in our country. Of course, many trapped in this chaos, blind to the truth of who we are, will argue that that will never happen.
Nevertheless, xenophobia must not be encouraged. Guyanese are everywhere in this world, and we want our people to be treated with respect. However, you will never go to a foreign country and see them accommodating Guyanese by translating any language to Guyanese Creole (Creolese). Still, I discourage xenophobia. I am aware that many migrants coming from places like Venezuela are experiencing violence and crime at the hands of Guyanese. And even though the police are now trying to seem warm and welcoming by printing ‘polícia’ on their vehicles, reports have shown that they are not always willing to help the migrants. For example, I was privileged to see a 2022 report documenting experiences of migrants in Regions 1, 7 and 8. This report was done by the National Coordinating Coalition and one of the issues that emerged from that report was that the police are not always willing to help migrants when they report crimes. But perhaps that is changing.
In our efforts to accommodate, we must not forget that Venezuela is still claiming about two-thirds of Guyana. With catering to the Spanish speakers, I guess if we wake up one day and some of us no longer live in Guyana, we would not be surprised. But I guess that’s me being a creative letting my imagination run wild. Then again, maybe it is not so wild to think that a country with millions of people, who want a large part of our country with a population of less than a million according to every census since I was born – maybe it is not wild to think that their people coming here in droves is a threat to us. There might be spies and plots to overthrow us but, again I am a creative and my mind constantly thinks on the worst case scenario.
Nevertheless, while we think on ‘polícia’ I was also reminded of how we disregard our people while bowing and catering to the wants, needs and demands of foreigners. This might not be the average poor Spanish speaker coming to this country, but those with money to invest, who are being granted land to do as they please while some Guyanese wait for years, those who have millions of barrels of oil and however many local slaves they desire.
The mental slavery we are trapped in is the death of us. It is not a death that is coming. It is a death that is in progress and since the revolutions are few, quiet and nonexistent, I will conclude that we have given up on ourselves and are just waiting to lie in our final resting place as a failed nation. Nevertheless, delusional ones, some who sit in their positions of power, their mansions, somewhere overseas or even some of the ordinary who are suffering like the majority will boast that Guyana is becoming a better place – One Guyana, a dancing president, progress, hooray!
Within the chaos that runs this country, there are many distractions. For example, the hosting of the Caribbean Premier League 2023 tournament has been happening for the last couple of weeks. A few nights ago, I saw people complaining on social media that ordinary people had sirens on their vehicles to get through the East Bank traffic quickly on a night of one of the matches. Chaos, just like the police driving up the one-way who obviously had no emergency. We wonder, in what country where law and order are upheld are ordinary people allowed to put sirens on their vehicles. Yes, I understand the traffic woes are frustrating but how do we consider this a disciplined society when people depending on their connections and wealth are allowed to break any law in this country without fear or consequences?
The chaos is exhausting. I was walking up the street on the pavement a few days ago and there was a truckload of sand on the pavement. Of course, one could not walk there. I had to step onto the street and look left and right so that the crazy drivers would not run me over.
As I continued walking, I looked at the overflowing garbage bins along the street – a depressing sight where rodents, flies, and maggots multiply. Once again, the garbage truck had not been seen in over a week. But there is no outcry. We are passive in our chaos.
I also observed the potholes on the street expanding by the day. I guess they will be fixed in time for the next elections. I wondered if a speeding ‘coche de policía’ would slow down there even if it was an emergency.
