I saw a letter in the Monday edition of the Stabroek News, which has a core argument that is disturbing.
The destructive potential in this country is citizens’ vulgar, ugly, egregious and downright barefaced prioritisation of the danger signals in this country, some of which are not danger signals at all but the political bias in the mind of the perceiver or writer.

If we are going to opportunistically pick out which danger signal we want to discuss and toss aside the real threats to social stability then, we come across as shameless opportunists or dishonest critics or simply people whose moral compass the society will question.

I am not concerned with the main area of discussion of the letter which is the tone of Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo’s critique of Justice Sandil Kissoon. All over the world, the Executive takes objections to decisions of the judiciary that the Executive feels is not in the interest of society.

Cabinet Ministers were livid that the court ruled that Brexit must be decided by a parliament. The US Government was angry that the Supreme Court (SP) overturned the right to abortion. The US government referred to a recent SP decision that upholds a Texas anti-immigrant law as unconstitutional.

Here are my objections to the letters. Firstly, the author wrote: “It is not without some significance that there has been silence since Jagdeo made his ill-advised statement. But no response is not only cowardice but gives a pass to this kind of behaviour.”
But there has been silence on many unsettling things in this country that calls for voices of concerns to be raised. I public wrote about the need for a debate as to if judges should sue media actors.

I was sued by a judge and no lawyer wanted to take the case out of fear. Justice Sandra Kurtzious declined to hear the case and ordered mediation. Think of the spectacle of a sitting judge being crossed examined and facing severe questioning about understanding the laws of libel.

Secondly, the writer wrote: “The Guyana Human Rights Association must show that the attack on its leadership has not silenced it.”
This commentator wants the human rights body to speak about the Vice-President’s disagreements with a judge’s decision. But that same body lost its voice for five months when if the 2020 election was successfully rigged, we would not have a country for people where people can comment on judges’ decision.

Actually, the question that should be asked is: Do we have such an organisation in Guyana? Which country is this letter-writer living in?
Thirdly, the gentleman enquired: “And where are the Press, the Fourth Estate? That is the work they chose, but now they choose silence.”

It would be interesting if the letter-writer can tell us what the work of the press in Guyana is. And why is the accusation of silence made against the press because it has not dealt with Mr. Jagdeo’s disagreement with a judicial decision? The very press has gone on a rampage since the Ali presidency, relentlessly attacking not only Mr. Jagdeo but every conceivable member of the government and every conceivable policy of the government.

Fourthly, still on the press. The Stabroek News’ editor, Mr. Anand Persaud informed presidential advisor, Dr. Randy Persaud that his letters cannot be carried if those submissions attack civil society.
This was such an egregious action on the part of the fourth estate that alarm bells should have been ringing all over Guyana but silence fell on the land. How does the letter writer feel about this danger signal in relation to the value of the press?

Here is another quote from the letter: “It is hard to think of any current issue of greater interest and importance than an attack on the country’s judiciary, whether direct or indirect. The silence is bewildering and troubling.”
Is this gentleman for real? Which county does he live in? Our economy is being threatened by a conspiratorial anti-oil lobby and this fellow thinks Mr. Jagdeo’s caustic words on a judicial decision is of a bigger danger to society. Is this fellow serious or just being provocative?

Here is this letter-writer once more: “We have the Guyana Bar Association and the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers whose members are actively involved in the judicial architecture. They are often accused of prolixity and verbosity, not of silence.”
I give up! I don’t think I want to comment on this eerie offering by this letter writer.

I have been involved in column-writing for 35 years plus some months, and I cannot recall the amount of times that I have accused the Bar Association and the Women Lawyers Association of silence. Political bile comes in various guises. I rest my case!

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.