TOMORROW, Guyanese from all walks of life will celebrate the life of 11-year-old Adriana Younge as she is laid to rest. The family have planned a fitting send-off that is suited to her after the last two weeks. She will receive glowing tributes, and the call will ring out for justice for Adriana.

And, now that three international pathologists have said that she died as a result of drowning, there is some peace. Yet still, there are now more questions that remain than answers.  The public and the family need answers, and they need them now.  They need to know that since the pathologists gave the cause of different as drowning, whether this rules out a homicide investigation. They would honestly like to know whether the request made through the lawyers for the probe will take on an international and independent face.

As Adriana is going to be laid to rest, that family is urging that there be no protest, and for peace to reign while the government and the Guyana Police Force move ahead with the next stage of the investigation into her death. Adriana’s family made it clear that they want no violence and no misdemeanours from the public. Also, no incitement or acts of public terrorism must take place in the name of Adriana; no robbing or looting that will seek to further blemish her good name.

Firstly, the public stood in utter shock and bewilderment as a group of opposition politicians, loyalists, and groups sought to justify the so-called ‘scrape mentality’ in Guyana as they pursued scoring their cheap political points. Dr. Terrence Campbell and Dorwin Bess should be ashamed of themselves for seeking to normalise and justify the behaviour of the men and women referred to as ‘scrapes’. These men can never be taken seriously by any right-thinking and decent Guyanese who love their country and want to see it developed.

The public was mortified to see the leader of the Alliance for Change Nigel Hughes, and former PNC-APNU+AFC Ministers Catherine Hughes, David Patterson, Annette Ferguson, Dawn Hastings-Williams and Simona Broomes in the same gathering as people justifying the ‘scrape mentality’. While they acknowledge the comments made by Broomes and Hughes, the public will in no way acknowledge the ‘scrape mentality’.

Some fail to appreciate the link between ‘scrapes’ and the death Adriana and other Guyanese, while others fail to see how her memory is honoured through the opportunistic and vile actions of ‘scrape-heads’ or the ‘scrape mentality’.  The objective Guyanese also do not appreciate that rioting, looting and robbing innocent Guyanese is the way to seek justice for Adriana, and get the attention of the authorities, which the group claims have been “neglecting the scrapes”.

Let the record show that the majority of the public supports, wholeheartedly, the peaceful movement for justice for Adriana. They support her family every step of the way in getting to the bottom of how their daughter died. The public supports Guyanese in their vigils and other peaceful pickets against this seeming injustice that was meted out in this instance. The public stands with them, and believes that wrong is wrong, and could never be made right.

Yet, the public does not support justifying violence and criminality or ‘scrape mentality’. They do not support the acts of arson, theft, and other despicable illegal acts that occurred on the day of terror and autopsy.  They do not support the destruction of private and public property, stealing of items from stores and setting parts of critical infrastructure ablaze.

Secondly, the public will never support the idea of calling for ‘scrapes’, the perpetrators of these crimes, to be seen not as criminals, but as untapped potential. Therefore, a majority of the public supports the Guyana Police Force taking action against each and every one who participated in wreaking havoc on innocent Guyanese and businesses. This is not to say that they are not suspicious of the police, or that lack of trust does not exist.

The majority of Guyanese reject this aspect of the ‘scrape mentality’ that links bad, unruly and criminal behaviour with inaction on the part of the authorities. We should never praise this behaviour or condone it. The public does not want to see this “untapped potential”; if this is what the “scrape mentality” shows the public it is.

Guyanese must condemn the looting and destruction of private and public property, even as they are aware that there were opportunists who infiltrated the peaceful protest. After all, ‘Scrapes’ or ‘Scrape-Head’ is a derogatory term or insult often used to describe people who are involved in criminal activities, or viewed by society as troublemakers or delinquents. Simply put, it means calling the actions of this group of people ignorant and foolish.

The public must not believe in labelling or calling oneself a ‘scrape’ or ‘scrape-head’, and in referring to people, particularly disadvantaged youth, in such a way. Many of the young people who are called this way, the public believes, have gone to school and know right from wrong. They have the commonsense to appreciate that they are making bad choices.

They are urged to take advantage of the many opportunities that are available to them at the community and national levels to change the trajectory of their lives. Youths must be allowed to express themselves, but within the confines of the law.

Thirdly, Bess and the group may “stand with the scrapes”, but all peace-loving, pursuers of justice, decent-minded people are standing on the side of the law. However, even though they said they were against the violence and destruction, their intent was on riling up the people to continue the protests, because it served all of their political purposes. Telling them to “rise” or claiming that they “are not calling for an end to protest, but a rise in purpose” is evidence enough for me.

Going to Tuschen and holding a press conference near the hotel where Adriana’s body was found is just their desperation seeping through their cold veneers. It was politically immature and nasty. It is not symbolic. It is playing petty politics, and making it clear that this isn’t about justice for Adriana. Her death is being used as ‘collateral damage’, if it will help these so-called political patriots achieve their aim of winning the upcoming elections.

Finally, Guyanese will ensure that justice does not slip away from our grasp. Guyanese have to think strategically, intelligently and act wisely. Justice is only attainable if Guyanese are allowed to peacefully demonstrate while others go about their day. Justifying “scrape mentality” is justifying violence, criminality. Point blank.

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.