I HAVE been a columnist in all the major newspapers in this country since the late 1980s. In those years, I have done consistent work in investigative journalism for the Catholic Standard and the Kaieteur News.

I have worked with all the top editors in that period – Father Andrew Morrison, David DeCaires, Adam Harris, Anthony Calder, Henry Skerrit, Sharief Khan and Nills Campbell, among others. I think I know about journalism after being 35 years in it.

This column here is yet another critical look at the role of the private media in this country since the March 2020 elections. In yesterday’s edition of the Stabroek News (SN), an undersigned letter was published, and the content contained personal insults against President Ali.

There are two immoral dimensions to that letter — the personal derogation of the President and the cowardice of a person writing nasty things and hiding under one’s mother’s dress.
This letter was not an analytical flow, so one can accept the intellectual content of it. It is a vulgar tirade against the President that no decent paper should carry and worst of all; the person has no quality in his/her character to his/her authorship. So here is what the person who wrote that letter said: “I will attack him and no one will know who I am.”
I will quote selected sections of the letter then comment on the insane direction SN has gone in, that there needs to be a strong reaction from this country.
Before we enumerate the vulgar parts, it is stupid to say President Ali embarrassed Guyana in front of the world for hosting the nation’s CPL cricket team and he should have done it at his private residence.

The President hosted the nation’s CPL team for a commonsensical reason. It is Guyana’s team and the breakfast was to wish them well as they embark on an historic journey. He invited them in his capacity as the President, therefore, it was a state function.
Now let’s look at the ugliness and personal insults in that correspondence written by an anonymous dupe (I will use stronger language on my own programme – Gildarie-Freddie Kissoon Show).

This dullard wrote: “President Ali took a break from the back-slapping and conviviality to address the nation on the ultra-serious matter of Venezuela’s actions, he did not even change from his festive garb; he went right back to the bake and salt fish upon completion of his address.”
A newspaper allows a letter-writer to descend to that sickening level and the letter-writer insults the president and hides under his/her mother’s dress. This is not the first time the President’s sartorial selections have been ridiculed. It was first done by co-owner of SN, Isabelle DeCaires who referred to his style of dress during a visit by a Middle Eastern ruler last year.

Just to remind readers: President Zelensky visited most of the leaders of the developed world wearing a T-shirt and addressed both Houses of the American Congress wearing a T-Shirt. Boris Johnson as British Prime Minister always had an unkempt hairstyle.
How ugly an anti-government mind can get by the reference to bake and salt fish? How repugnant a newspaper can become by allowing such language against a Head of State to be published.

Let’s quote again from this missive: “H.E. has a propensity for dancing, deejaying, and playing “dress up” on every possible stage, including the United Nations. It is an odd profile for one touted as a protégé of Bharrat Jagdeo.” I am not a believer, but I have to exclaim and say: “My God, how could a newspaper allow such ignorance to be made public.”
All politicians, all prime ministers, all presidents “shake a leg” when they are on domestic visits countrywide in their respective countries, depending on the occasion. All prime ministers and all presidents would put on a cricket hat or soccer hat, and engage in some funny play when they are on a visit to a sporting event.

To refer to the President playing “dress up” is unadulterated ignorance. All the wives of visiting leaders would wear appropriate dress when visiting Muslim countries or India. Guyana’s President is a different politician to those we have in the world.

He likes to ground with the population. He likes to meet and talk with people. That is his style in a sharply divided country and it has brought him immense political capital. Macron in France is similar. I will end on a note that I have written about more than 20 years ago: I have pure hate in my heart for people like that letter-writer who abuses a head of state and puts on a mask.