…for Police
The Police is the most visible symbol of the essence of the State: it has the power to inflict the ultimate sanction on citizens. This is a very intoxicating power and as most Guyanese know to their cost, it’s been much abused. For which the Government is blamed, since from the colonial time through the PNC’s 28-year dictatorship, they used the Police to keep the population in thrall.
Even if the PPP wanted to follow suit, it’s always been constrained by the Police being staffed and commanded by officers supporting the PNC. And this isn’t coincidental, since the PNC under Burnham never rectified the colonial composition of the GPF – even the ICJ recommended as a precondition for gaining independence. Now this isn’t just an idle figment of your Eyewitness’ imagination: up to the ‘90s, in the public breakdown of the votes of the Disciplined Forces, the PNC consistently received 85% of their votes.
So, the opprobrium on the Police is generally justified – as we can see from the number of cases and complaints outstanding against serving ranks. But this doesn’t mean ALL members of the GPF are unprofessional and aren’t doing their best to enforce the law without fear or favour. So it’s the duty of we the people to encourage this tendency in the force so that hopefully it will become its dominant tendency.
So when it’s shown that particular Policemen might’ve been given a bad name and hanged for it, we should highlight it. And such an instance occurred recently when two Police Ranks (male and female) were totally exonerated from the accusation and charge that they had used a baton to anally rape a prisoner, Colyn Harding. This allegation back in Jan 2014 of the act allegedly done in Nov 2013 created a huge stir when as usual the PNC and AFC and their minions got involved from a “human rights” angle.
Problem was, the fella made the rape claim long after doctors had examined him, determined he had a hernia with complications – and treated same. He never mentioned any baton rape to the doctors. The Police Complaints Authority investigated and found no evidence for the rape, but recommended charges for assault which were instituted and thrown out in Court. A cousin who’d claimed she witnessed the rape never came forward to testify. She tried to get a piece of the action by claiming that she’d been kicked in the stomach by Policemen and suffered a miscarriage. But never brought charges!
Finally, 7 years later, Harding never showed up for the final hearing on costs. Your Eyewitness hopes the strident backers who flew him to Jamaica will now pay those costs.
The cops must be recompensed also.
…(finally) for Americans
For the last 5 decades, America spent TRILLIONS of its greenbacks to wage wars to save the world for democracy (against those Commies!), against drugs any terrorism, etc. Sadly, those wars seem to sustain each other! For instance, fighting against commies in Afghanistan and Columbia resulted in those locales becoming the major supplies of – respectively – heroin and cocaine to the world. With the US the major customer. It was a vicious circle!
How to jump off? Well, Biden seems determined to have a stab at it. He’s already decided to pull all US troops out of Afghanistan – the last battleground for democracy. And even though it’s obvious that the “democratic” govt will be overrun, he doesn’t seem to be backing away from his decision.
Rather he’s just worked out a bipartisan deal to spend US$1trillion on America’s decrepit infrastructure. This will create millions of jobs which will pump money into their economy to hopefully create a virtuous cycle.
Something the PPP’s doing here already.
…for the Jamaicans
Jamaicans are noted for their creative cultural industry – and producing world-class athletes. But seems they’re finally moving into the modern economy. A Jamaican firm “itel” just bought out Guyanese “Emerge BPO” –- which works as a back office for US firms.
Ital!!
