Dear Editor

THE brutal murder of 13-year-old Leonard Archibald in an East Bank Berbice community, ironically called ‘Brothers Village’, has triggered widespread condemnation, and in every corner in Guyana, the cry for justice reverberates.

Strange enough, voices that had once bellowed in disgust at the authorities’ decision to implement capital punishment, are now agitating strongly for its reinstatement.
They are resolute that even if such measures fail to serve as an absolute deterrent, the reduction rate would be impacting.
The thing is, Guyanese cannot have their cake and eat it too; we must not be selective in meting out the law.

Rational minds are querying the whereabouts of members of the community when the poor soul was crying out for help. Where were the many critics when the vile act was being perpetrated against that lad? Must not the burden be brought to bear by the very citizens that are pointing an accusing finger?

Guyanese have become callous, and many choose to mind their own business lest they become victims of circumstances.
Guyana, a country of six races, is heterogeneous in nature, and naturally, there are diverse views on topics attracting widespread debate.

Further, with the emergence of new media technology and the Internet, citizens liberally express their views on issues of public interest. One only needs to examine the views of Facebook users to understand the complexity of issues; they are not always cut and dried.
On numerous occasions, we have witnessed situations that could have ended positively, had the relevant authorities acted differently. We have read of women who made reports to the police of abuse at the hands of their husbands, and then suddenly had a change of heart when the matter was placed before the courts.

Shortly afterwards, she is brutally murdered by the very gentleman. Suddenly, society and its many social groups echo disgust, and blame is apportioned in every quarter.

CRIES OF DESPAIR
The resounding cries of despair and resentment by the many social groups, coupled with condemnation of the police is deafening, and endures for a short period until the next gruesome murder.
Now, child deviancy and adult criminality might be deemed parallel variables, and many may want to dispel a nexus. Sociologists and other relevant professionals are divided over the issue of corporal punishment as a means of molding children for the rigors of parenthood.

A prominent view is that corporal punishment may damage a child psychologically, thus children ought not to be beaten in the socialisation process. Some even posit that flogging is counter-productive, and instill adverse beliefs in children that cruelty is an acceptable form of correction. These are all factors that could contribute in part to youth involvement in criminal acts such as the current rape/murder.

Despite all of this, the issue seems to have a heavy focus on the disappearance of the community spirit. A few years ago, at just about the break of dawn, I left the comfort of my bed to rush two neighbours to the hospital, who were targetted in a failed assassination.

Just after the sounds of gunfire (I later learnt that they were from an AK 47 assault rifle), I peeked out and saw two figures lying on the road. Instinctively, I rushed out to help, and shortly afterwards piled them in my car and sped off to the hospital.
I was questioned intensely at the hospital, and then later I was asked to go to the Police Station for another period of interrogation.

Instead of praising my efforts, some people felt I was crazy. Who would want to leave the warmth of their home to transport the wounded to hospital amidst such a dangerous period?

Despite the inconvenience at the station, and the derogatory comments, I would do it all over again if the situation arose. It is this very kind of civility that needs to be retained within the communities. Conversely, it seems that our nation has lost all ethics, and merely exhibit knee-jerk reactions when certain situations become toxic.

The recent murder is now the topic of the day. Almost everyone is pointing fingers; at the police, at members of the community and the list goes on.
The thing is, no amount of blame could bring back Leonard Archibald to life. As a matter of fact, the death penalty for the perpetrators may bring consolation to the affected family, but it cannot be said with certainty that other pedophiles will not emulate the gruesome act.

What is needed is a return to the community spirit, where each family is an extension of the other and the interest of each family is foremost in our breast.
Such community spirit will ferret out the deviants, and spare each member future pain of this nature.

Michael Benjamin