ALLOW me the opportunity to say that the mentally ill should never be allowed to roam our streets unsupervised as this poses a threat to the well being and security of persons with whom they may come into contact. Not two months ago, a mentally deranged homeless man from Charlestown went on a chopping rampage and murdered two persons, while wounding others before the police was finally able to stop him. Whenever these mentally ill persons are taken off the streets and enlisted into psychiatric hospitals, this is not a public service, it is an obligation, and the government should not be criticised for doing its job, regardless of whether it is during an international summit or for any other international forum. Like the international community, the public knows that Guyana is a poor country, and like any other country in the world, it has some homeless and some mentally disturbed persons that roam the streets. I for one am relieved when these persons are removed from the streets and given refuge. This way, they are no longer a danger to society and no longer a danger to themselves, to some extent. Hence, for individuals, and what are supposed to be respectable news carriers to insinuate that providing these individuals with a warm bed, a roof over their heads, meals and necessary medical attention and medication is just another political stunt to promote a good international image, is simply ludicrous. As a matter of fact, it falls nothing short of comical and foolish.
These individuals sit comfortably in their arm chairs by their fire places and enjoy these little comforts in another man’s country, and talk as if they are above Guyana and Guyanese, their own. These overseas based Guyanese like Tyrone Talbot (Kaieteur News of December 16, 2010) sit on their high horses and readily condemn this country and government, but can give no positive ideas or proper recommendations of how to address these issues. So this is what I have to say to Tyrone Talbot, get off your high horse and stop spreading lies to get your name in the paper.