READING the daily newspapers these days is an exercise of death and destruction. Hardly a day passes without this morbid tale of domestic violence and death. I mean the situation is so pervasive that one is forced to ask the question: What is going on in Guyana?

Given the pace at which domestic violence is moving, it seems that women would have become an endangered species. Well, sort of, because my assertive friend who is a career woman in her own right emphatically replied: “not this woman,” she very assuredly cautioned me to say “those women.”
And she is so right, knowing that help is just at their fingertips.  By now our ladies should have been on top of the situation. However, the sad story is that this is not the case; women are still turning up either badly injured or dead.

I shall comment on the last such case, Carlotta Stephens, who was viciously attacked and brutally chopped by her reputed husband. She is hospitalised while he continues to hurl threats at her. How many times haven’t we heard of such stories? How many times haven’t we witnessed such horrific sights? Yes, all too familiar episodes and not forgetting, too numerous to mention. Now, when will this nonsense end is anybody’s guess.
The answer is, it will stop when our women wake up from their stupefying slumber. Until such time the madness will continue. Look at this latest episode, these two are what we would call hardened participants in the domestic violence landscape. Man going after woman as if she were his property to have and to savagely subject. In this instance she is getting the worst of it.
As I have written in previous articles, why should women put up with such nonsense and the answer comes back again: because they believe he is “madly in love” with them, “it is the sugar that mek he always coming after meh.”
Woman you are so wrong that is a fallacy that needs to be erased from your mind. If someone truly loves you then they will not harm you. But some women continue to live in that “dream world”, mistaking his jealous pursuits, oftentimes brutal, as an expression of his undying love. Hogwash! Too many women fall prey to this nonsense.  I am absolutely sure with all that talk coming from  her sister (because she is the one doing all the talking) would deter that woman as we say in Guyanese creole: “mek up back with him.”
What she should be doing is to educate and inform her silly sister as to her legal rights and seek prosecution of the offender. Castigating the police and making wild statements would not help the situation. She needs to do the right thing so that this low-life of a guy is placed where he rightfully belongs.