There used to be this fella, MFK, who hosted a TV talk show called “The Big Question is why”. Some used to snicker at the fella’s homespun approach, but your Eyewitness thought it was a bold and brave attempt to answer that most important question: “Why?”
Some may ask: “Why was MFK’s own life snuffed out so tragically?” We still don’t know; and his has become a “cold case”. Why? As we go through life, we encounter all sorts of baffling situations. Shouldn’t we be asking “Why?” more often?
Take this tragic death of a ten-year-old child after she was kicked in the stomach by another kid in school. It seems it wasn’t a one-off instance – the child had been bullied on other occasions by the same “kicker,” and the parents had even gone into the school to complain to the authorities. Why didn’t the Head Teacher take some kind of action? There’s a great awareness programme about stopping violence on kids, but it’s all against adults inflicting the violence. Why aren’t we also trying to prevent kid-on-kid violence? From your Eyewitness’s own (bitter) experience, this is just as prevalent as the adult-on-kid violence.
Then the parents of the kicked child did the right thing and took her to the GHPC – a tertiary hospital with the highest level of care in the country. Now, your Eyewitness is no doctor, but he’d like to know why the serious effects of the kick weren’t picked up by the medical staff, seeing they have the best diagnostic equipment in Guyana at their disposal? Why’s the autopsy only saying “cause of death” is “blood poisoning”? Why didn’t the ultrasound pick up whether there was any rupture of the stomach? Wouldn’t a blood test show there were elevated white blood cells in her blood, indicating the child was fighting off bacteria?
Why weren’t the parents told to return? Why isn’t there an SOP for these sorts of things at GPHC? Why does a child of ten have to die like this? Your Eyewitness has seen protests over dogs being mistreated by some upstanding citizens. Why don’t some of these citizens protest over the death of this child? It wasn’t as if this was the first such death of a child. Just a year ago, another child died in identical circumstances. How many more children must die like this before we take action?
Why is it that some of you, dear readers, are mentally muttering about: Why is it your Eyewitness is going on and on about “just one child”? Well, if we don’t care about “one child”, how can we care about children?
The big question is: “Why?”
…on why submit a new GECOM list?
The Opposition Leader announced he’ll be submitting a new list for the new GECOM Chairman. After backing off his initial rejection of the first list, since the nominees weren’t judges or ex-judges, Pressie then announced: “The individual must not be an activist of any form — gender, racial, religious, etc; (or have) any political affiliation; and…should have the general characteristics of honesty, integrity, faithfulness, and diligence.”
Talk about giving basket to fetch water!! But hold it!! Doesn’t that first-list fella Lawrence Latchmansingh fit those criteria? He’s no activist, and with his lifelong commitment to the “do-gooder” causes of the UNDP etc., he hasn’t blotted his copy book; has he? But there’s hope for a settlement. In Guyana, the award of house lots — and now the award of B worth of houses — isn’t much less contentious than counting votes. Yet the Govt just appointed a pastor from Albouystown to be its head.
So Jagdeo can submit priests? What about pandits and moulvis? Do they have integrity?
…on Sugar workers
Minister Trotman says Govt will build a US0M “oil support” facility on Crab Island for the incipient mega oil industry.
Can he commit that “redundant” sugar workers from nearby Rose Hall will have first dibs on the jobs?
