Dear Editor,
Please accept my humble apologies for my unusually late letter. The reason is not physical, rather it is spiritual.

The fact is that once again I found myself praying for the souls of the kids that Freddie Kissoon spent nearly three decades at UG miseducating. Mr. Editor, each passing day I am becoming more convinced that Freddie Kissoon’s columns are more of a dumbsite rather than a medium for academic and social commentary. Everyday Freddie’s true Bourda-Market-vendor persona is coming out.

His columns are full of “he say and she say.” In essence, one thousand words of useless hearsay. I could just imagine him with his dog gossiping with some random stranger in the park then he rushes home to type it up for another installment of gossips.

In his most recent installment of lonely housewife gossip, he employed Guyanese vernacular to add spice and excitement to it. Truth be told, the article is as dead as the opposition leader’s chance of becoming president.

The academically constipated article is titled, “Kamarang visit: Jagan compared with Granger.” In this garbage, camouflaged to look like an academic analysis, he concluded that President Granger is not modest since he had bodyguards when he visited Kamarang, while Dr. Jagan did not. What utter hogwash. He also stated that the fact the President went with his family is immodest. This guy is not serious. Whose family should Mr. Granger had gone with – your family?

Mr. Editor, I asked my eleven-year-old daughter what she thought of Freddie’s recent article. Her response was expectantly caustic: “I never heard so much humbug in my entire life.” I’ve seriously had enough of Freddie. Mate here is some free medical advice. Take it easy on the laxatives, faecal matter is plastered all over your face and please don’t blame Kwame. Mr. Editor, to determine whether someone is modest is a complex process of observation that can take years in varying environments. It is impossible to characterise one’s personality based on a one hearsay encounter.

Mr. Editor, I would not pretend to be a security specialist. Far from it, but what I do have is basic common sense. One cannot compare the security detail of Dr. Jagan and Mr. Granger without first analysing the political environment. The intelligence gathered would influence the extent of the security. In 1994, when Dr. Jagan visited Kamarang, I’m absolutely certain no one was calling him illegal President. No one was calling him caretaker President.

No one was labelling his government as illegal. There was no mass protest around the country. The then opposition was not power drunk and was cooperating with the government of the day. Guyana had not discovered oil, the main cause of attempts of creating political instability.

None of these was at play, hence the security specialist would have advised low level security. As a result, it is obvious that the smaller security detail for Dr. Jagan was just based on the political environment and nothing to do with his modesty. The larger security detail for Mr. Granger was because of the political environment and impending election.

Mr. Editor I’m not arguing that Dr. Jagan was not modest. No Guyanese would argue against that. What I am arguing is Freddie Kissoon hearsay argument is flawed. Frankly his conclusion that Mr. Granger is not modest is based on hearsay, but more importantly based on one encounter.

Why Glenn Lall publishes such a ridiculous column befuddles the rational mind but then again Glenn does not know better. Anyway, I will take definitive actions against Freddie. Put your hands down, take 10 seats back and let the smart kids speak.
Regards
Dr. Mark Devonish
MBBS  MSc