I wish to share a few thoughts in response to the Freddie Kissoon Column published in the Sunday, March 23 edition of the Kaieteur News titled facts that would not go away.While I am not a fan of ‘Freddie’ I do read his columns occasionally. The particular article under reference was of some interest to me since as in previous articles he has ‘lashed out at Government’ for some thing what exactly it is does not matter. His objective seems to be to criticize the Government — as that is the easiest thing to do – and people will keep reading your column and you will continue to be paid.

As an educator of some sort Kissoon would not accept a paper submitted by one of his students supporting a particular moot unless it is supported by some scientific data (evidence).

Kissoon’s articles like so many other newspaper articles are riddled with suppositions that are presented as facts. Say for example a particular student in his class excels in semester two after failing miserably in semester one and it was found out that during the semester break both he and the student were in Trinidad and Tobago the same dates and stayed in the same hotel. Should I take it as evidence that there was more that contributed to the improved “performance” of that student?

To deal with the claims in his articles the Ministers of Government and in fact no citizen should respond to unsubstantiated claims that do not name them. To do that would be crazy since no matter what they say people will believe what ever sounds ‘juicer’.

Many politicians in the U.S. have been brought down not because of misconduct only, but because the media did their ‘homework’ and were able to present the evidence to the electorate.

The reason why the international community and most intelligent Guyanese do not take the reports by the media seriously is that there is too much bias and half truths designed to make the government ‘look bad’. Everything that is said and done by any government official is viewed with suspicion and this forms the thinking of the part of the population who do not support the government. So even when opportunities are created for them, they fail to take them, resorting instead to ‘blaming the Government for their failures’.

What exactly is the aim of ‘Freddie’ is anybody’s guess. To hear him comparing this Government to the PNC dictatorship is unbelievable. Freddie must have suffered some serious brain damage and memory from the beatings he claimed to have received from the PNC goons.

Every Government in the world has had its fair share of scandals. Opportunists will always use their friendship and whatever other influence they may have over those in power to their advantage; this is nothing new, it has been happening before the beginning of recorded history.

With the advent of the internet and all the other advances in technology it is easy to produce evidence and remain anonymous and it is easier for every misdemeanour to be reported world wide.

Kissoon as a so called political analysis needs to do a better job to gain some respect, at this time his articles come across as more a political gossip than anything else. For a Government Minister to respond to every piece of gossip would be a waste of time.

Freddie and the local media need to stop trying to fool the vulnerable part of the population into believing that only in Guyana these things happen. They need to be objective and give the whole picture then maybe they will be viewed as a credible source of information.

Guyanese would be better informed and take the opportunities that the Government is making available to them instead of depending on the Government finding a way for them to survive. It is always better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.
That fact would not go away.
JEAN RAMROOP