Different… (Opposition) strokes?

Another day, another Sanction Man contradiction!! From the news hitting your Eyewitness’ feed at dawn, the Leader Of the Opposition (LOO) has apparently discovered a new constitutional principle – the law must be applied equally to everyone – except when it’s applied to him!! Seeing as to how he’s only recently entered the political arena, is it a case of just plain ignorance about the law – or is it a continuation of the hypocrisy that typifies his smuggling world??
Here it was; he’s been complaining (bitterly, vociferously, and continuously) that the Government plays “favourites” in applying the law to all manner of things, from excavations to extraditions. Now, in all honesty – a word that has to be stretched when used in the same sentence as the LOO – all things being equal, that’s a perfectly respectable complaint, if one actually believes that laws should be enforced impartially and that nobody should receive special treatment!!
But time and again, we’ve seen that when it comes to Sanction Man, like with the not-so-small matter of not paying full taxes on his Lambo, etc, he demands an exception be made for him!! And that brings us to the present matter of his “go-fast” vessel!! When the Coast Guard did their job and hailed him and his MP posse on the Demerara River for the registration, Captain’s licence, and certificate of fitness of the vessel – documents that the law requires to be produced – the response was to ignore the law and “go faster” to his private wharf upriver!! The patrol claimed something was thrown into the river!!
By the time the law caught up with them, some passengers had already disembarked – including the Captain – who Sanction Man claims had the “papers”!! The Coast Guard then had no option but to take the vessel with its passengers to their nearby base for a thorough search for any illegal substances!! And that produced the delightful paradox of Sanction Man insisting this perfectly legal operation was “harassment”!!
With all that’s coming from the LOO, it seems Guyana needs a new category in its legal system – the Sanction Man clause, where every law comes with two interpretations, one for the Authorities and another for the LOO!! And the real test of whether the law’s being applied fairly is whether it inconveniences the LOO!! Now, your Eyewitness believes that nobody should be above the law – not Pressie, not a Minister, and certainly not the LOO in a go-fast boat without papers!!
So if documents are required, produce them, and if the authorities erred, challenge it through the proper channels!! But calling enforcement “harassment” simply because the enforcement officer happens to be looking in your direction does rather weaken the argument about favourites, innit??
Different strokes for different boats?

…charm
Dolly Parton’s passing reminds your Eyewitness that the American rags-to-riches story can occasionally be more than a cliché!! Born into extraordinary poverty in rural Tennessee, she rose to become one of the world’s most beloved entertainers – not through connections or inherited wealth, but through extraordinary talent, grit, and sheer hard work!!
Her gifts seemed almost unfairly plentiful; that distinctive and unforgettable singing voice and a remarkable gift for song writing – over 3000 of them!! AND an acting talent that made her as comfortable on the screen as on the stage!! And then there was ole Dolly herself – with the bosom, the glamour, the beauty, the wit, and the exuberant personality – all worn with a disarming lack of pretension!!
But perhaps her greatest achievement was what she did with her success. She didn’t just accumulate wealth, she gave away hundreds of millions of books into the hands of children!!
From rags to rhinestones, Dolly Parton remained, at heart, the little girl from the Tennessee mountains who never forgot where she came from.
RIP.

…Burial ground?
Your Eyewitness was shocked to see what the Bourda Cemetery looks like when cleared of all the bushes!! Wow!! His question is – with M&CC’s billion-dollar spending and the city unemployed – why can’t this be permanent??