Dear Editor
In light of recent comments made in the April 17, 2017 publication, Kaieteur News and its editor via the column “Dem Boys Seh” seems to be hell bent on provoking a verbal face off with the Leader of the Opposition Honourable Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.
It is a universally known fact that any negative comment about someone’s mother is taboo and is sure to invoke the wrath of that mother’s offspring regardless of age, gender or status. Not only is it a taboo but it is also disrespectful to make disdainful comments about a mother, someone who is held in high regards since creation.
The owner and editor of Kaieteur News seems to have lost their way morally on issues as it relates to women. Women throughout the ages have always been the teachers of training, core values and genuine principles in and out of the home. Regardless of what is that woman’s status quo in society, be it good or bad, a mother would almost always seek to ensure that her offspring had a better life and upbringing. This moral is evident world-wide. However, there are instances when some children on becoming an adult would veer away from some of those teachings and this would reflect that there is a clear disconnect from childhood to adulthood.
Under the heading “All of them killing trace back to one man” and the jargon of Dr. Jagdeo’s mother being an encourager of assumed misconduct bears no relevance to each other. Thieving and killing plagued this earth long before the arrival of Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and will be here long after he departs. So how can he be blamed for it?
This article comes just after Guyana and the rest of the world observer International Women’s Day and just as we are preparing to celebrate another Mother’s Day. Hence forth this article reeks of disrespect and ingratitude to mothers and women in general and also to a former Head-of-State and a sitting Opposition Leader and his late mother. Former President Jagdeo has done Guyana proud and is respected internationally given the fact that he has received many awards from many Global Organisations for his work and contributions. But as the old saying states “A king has no honour in his own land.” I wonder if such an attack was attributed to the current President Mr. David Granger what would have been the outcome. But again two old saying states “Monkey know which limb to jump on” and “Tom drunk but Tom ain’t stupid.”
A review of recent happenings will show that seemingly women in Guyana have become targets of disdainful and reprehensible attacks in this new political dispensation. Not only women but any PPP/C activist or supporter male or female seems to be singled out for these attacks which have now channeled its way to our parents. I wonder what does Minister Dawn Hastings has to say about this article, since in one of our debates in the National Assembly recently she stated that Dem Boys Seh was her favourite column.
As a mother, a politician and a Commissioner on the Women and Gender Equality Commission I denounce this recent onslaught on the Leader of the Opposition and to ALL women in general from a News Agency that publishes articles on women in leadership and their contributions to our country’s development. Such utterances coming from an agency that heralds activities such as International Women’s Day, Stop Violence against women and Mothers’ Day is hypocritical of their work and support to core values of women. There is a deafening silence coming from the many women’s rights advocates and their organisations. Are they suffering from the muzzle me maneuver or the fear frenzy factor or a little bit of both. Let’s remember, today for me tomorrow for you and we all come from a mother.
Regards
Gillian Burto-Persaud
Member of Parliament