5 ways to do nothing and protest...
A woman , a man and another man asked if I was out on the road protesting. Another man want a meeting of peace makers. Plenty people calling me a sheep because I not burning nothing down. Another woman waiting to hear if black people gun go in coolie people shop in Regent Street (I wanted to tell her that there are more chinee people than coolie people shop in Regent Street these days ).
Another man hoping that instead of burning down the place, that leaders could find nicer ways of protesting. Other people want to know what other people doing - religious organisations, academics , civil society and so.. but not bothering too much with what they doing.
Some people carrying on with normalcy.
1. Know what you want
Know what you want means deciding in all the various agendas out there, what exactly do you want?
I didn't vote in 2011. I learned in 2003 during the gay rights debate about how messed up the parliamentary system was once the real 'majority' tek over, and in 2009 about how our Constitution was messed up during the brief time I was on the Rights of the Child Commission.
I rejected democracy when I resigned from Help & Shelter after the majority ruled in favour of supporting an alcohol sponsored event organised by the Government ; and I had to quit SASOD when I realised that the way it was constituted did not allow for the levels of accountability, trust and respect I thought was needed.
The people who voted for the PPP did not put in 'my' leaders. APNU and AFC do not and cannot represent me . I do not want the PPP out and the AFC and APNU in under the same messy constitution. The majority might want that. Other people want different things.
The Executive Presidency is flawed and a 66% majority is needed to change the constitution. I do not know how it will be changed.
I want that those who assume the posts accorded by the messy constitution hold themselves accountable to the public they serve.
I want the public, including those who voted them in, demand that accountability and not feel that they will be opposition for doing so.
I want justice .
I know that I might want different things later.
2. Boycott the Government circuses
In 2011 , the group Youth for Coalition for Transformation managed a call for conservative spending and "know who to spend your money with" and those who obeyed the call managed to cripple the football organised by supporters of the democratically elected oppressors of Guyana.
Mashramani is one of the largest Government circuses in Guyana. Boycott it. Organise your own events. No calypso, No chutney no nothing.
Boycott the circuses organised by those who will not do anything to demand accountability but will support it.
Some circuses are geared to social issues - say no for the one off events and the committees and the task forces which are not doing anything.
I have no metric which I use, as sometimes too late I realise that a circus I am attending has Government involvement.
3. Shun the Ministers and the enablers of the lack of accountability
In July this year, the guests of the American Government booed Minister Manickchand when she started to cuss up their host.
Many persons , including those who sat and listened to the Attorney General while waiting for the $10,000 and posed for pictures with him afterwards probably like the Ministers and are friends.
Some of my friends are friends with the pro-rogues (word stolen from other people who are using it) . But I can fantasise, what if every Christmas Party and other event which honoured the pro-rogues was boycotted. What if the embassies cancelled all the cocktails? What if the Ministry staff did not turn up?
What if the Army people did not eat the lunch their Commander in Rogue served to them? Is there anything in the Army code of conduct which says that they have to party with the Commander in Rogue?
I walked out of one event earlier this year when Minister Manickchand started talking nonsense . I refused to interview the homophobic Minister Edghill for an assignment for a client - the client accepted my reasoning. I do not know if people walk out when Ministers rise to speak.
I am nervous of the NGOs.. I have boycotted two events from an NGO because they gave platforms to persons who are enablers of the madness.
I have to be careful which Hindu functions I attend because it is difficult to walk out when the big ones are lauded.
I have a thank you note from a retiring Government worker on a Minstry letter head. It is possible I think to work with the Government agencies, while not pandering to the Ministers and others.
Others have different views.. a woman I know keeps saying ' we all need to join and work together' as an excuse for cussing up the Government on one part while cosying up to the Ministers on the other.
4.Know who you are protesting against
Today in the news, Fright Night reveller is killed , and wedding house guests pelt an elderly couple's house in a coolie village. A coolie woman talks about her abuse from a coolie man and there are high incidents of violence and crime, many of which are not reported.
It is as though citizens turn against each other.
While I engage in these ways of doing nothing in protest, I do not believe I can cuss out about who not doing what to protest and criticise ways of protesting. I believe that every citizen (as Francis Bailey challenged this morning) can find their own way to protest the lack of accountability.
I am terrified of the people around me who are supporters of the bad behaviour of the PPP . It is these people who I might have to protest against really, rather than the leaders they support.
And so my doing nothing to protest has to include those who do not see anything wrong with a homophobic Minister, or a Minister responsible for children's welfare who does little or nothing about child abuse, or a Minister who admitted to taking money and putting it back or any of the other things which are coming to light.
5. Loving and Compassioning ...
A woman wrote that she going to read with some children in the middle of all this.
Loving is action and perhaps inaction too. By accident of birth or whatever, this is where some of us have ended up. Loving as thinking of engaging with nurturing spirit rather than being consumed by anger, rage, fear and hate.
Loving is not easy. Loving those who are not behaving well is not easy. Compassioning them is also not easy when people believe that compassioning means that you have to forgive and hug up and kiss up and not say a thing when they wrong.
I could love the Attorney General even as I think he should go away and sort out all the bad things he know about and ketch back hisself.
In fact, my compassion is for the PPP that they go back into opposition and cure themselves of the madness which they now embrace as part of their legacy.
Compassion for the PNC which believes that Burnham was the greatest thing that lived even though he framed the madness and compassion for those who keep saying that no no.. things changed under Hoyte.
Compassion for the AFC 'haul yuh ass' people.
Compassion for those who do not show accountability even as they demand it.
Compassion for those like me, who doing nothing.
Another man hoping that instead of burning down the place, that leaders could find nicer ways of protesting. Other people want to know what other people doing - religious organisations, academics , civil society and so.. but not bothering too much with what they doing.
Some people carrying on with normalcy.
1. Know what you want
Know what you want means deciding in all the various agendas out there, what exactly do you want?
I didn't vote in 2011. I learned in 2003 during the gay rights debate about how messed up the parliamentary system was once the real 'majority' tek over, and in 2009 about how our Constitution was messed up during the brief time I was on the Rights of the Child Commission.
I rejected democracy when I resigned from Help & Shelter after the majority ruled in favour of supporting an alcohol sponsored event organised by the Government ; and I had to quit SASOD when I realised that the way it was constituted did not allow for the levels of accountability, trust and respect I thought was needed.
The people who voted for the PPP did not put in 'my' leaders. APNU and AFC do not and cannot represent me . I do not want the PPP out and the AFC and APNU in under the same messy constitution. The majority might want that. Other people want different things.
The Executive Presidency is flawed and a 66% majority is needed to change the constitution. I do not know how it will be changed.
I want that those who assume the posts accorded by the messy constitution hold themselves accountable to the public they serve.
I want the public, including those who voted them in, demand that accountability and not feel that they will be opposition for doing so.
I want justice .
I know that I might want different things later.
2. Boycott the Government circuses
In 2011 , the group Youth for Coalition for Transformation managed a call for conservative spending and "know who to spend your money with" and those who obeyed the call managed to cripple the football organised by supporters of the democratically elected oppressors of Guyana.
Mashramani is one of the largest Government circuses in Guyana. Boycott it. Organise your own events. No calypso, No chutney no nothing.
Boycott the circuses organised by those who will not do anything to demand accountability but will support it.
Some circuses are geared to social issues - say no for the one off events and the committees and the task forces which are not doing anything.
I have no metric which I use, as sometimes too late I realise that a circus I am attending has Government involvement.
3. Shun the Ministers and the enablers of the lack of accountability
In July this year, the guests of the American Government booed Minister Manickchand when she started to cuss up their host.
Many persons , including those who sat and listened to the Attorney General while waiting for the $10,000 and posed for pictures with him afterwards probably like the Ministers and are friends.
Some of my friends are friends with the pro-rogues (word stolen from other people who are using it) . But I can fantasise, what if every Christmas Party and other event which honoured the pro-rogues was boycotted. What if the embassies cancelled all the cocktails? What if the Ministry staff did not turn up?
What if the Army people did not eat the lunch their Commander in Rogue served to them? Is there anything in the Army code of conduct which says that they have to party with the Commander in Rogue?
I walked out of one event earlier this year when Minister Manickchand started talking nonsense . I refused to interview the homophobic Minister Edghill for an assignment for a client - the client accepted my reasoning. I do not know if people walk out when Ministers rise to speak.
I am nervous of the NGOs.. I have boycotted two events from an NGO because they gave platforms to persons who are enablers of the madness.
I have to be careful which Hindu functions I attend because it is difficult to walk out when the big ones are lauded.
I have a thank you note from a retiring Government worker on a Minstry letter head. It is possible I think to work with the Government agencies, while not pandering to the Ministers and others.
Others have different views.. a woman I know keeps saying ' we all need to join and work together' as an excuse for cussing up the Government on one part while cosying up to the Ministers on the other.
4.Know who you are protesting against
Today in the news, Fright Night reveller is killed , and wedding house guests pelt an elderly couple's house in a coolie village. A coolie woman talks about her abuse from a coolie man and there are high incidents of violence and crime, many of which are not reported.
It is as though citizens turn against each other.
While I engage in these ways of doing nothing in protest, I do not believe I can cuss out about who not doing what to protest and criticise ways of protesting. I believe that every citizen (as Francis Bailey challenged this morning) can find their own way to protest the lack of accountability.
I am terrified of the people around me who are supporters of the bad behaviour of the PPP . It is these people who I might have to protest against really, rather than the leaders they support.
And so my doing nothing to protest has to include those who do not see anything wrong with a homophobic Minister, or a Minister responsible for children's welfare who does little or nothing about child abuse, or a Minister who admitted to taking money and putting it back or any of the other things which are coming to light.
5. Loving and Compassioning ...
A woman wrote that she going to read with some children in the middle of all this.
Loving is action and perhaps inaction too. By accident of birth or whatever, this is where some of us have ended up. Loving as thinking of engaging with nurturing spirit rather than being consumed by anger, rage, fear and hate.
Loving is not easy. Loving those who are not behaving well is not easy. Compassioning them is also not easy when people believe that compassioning means that you have to forgive and hug up and kiss up and not say a thing when they wrong.
I could love the Attorney General even as I think he should go away and sort out all the bad things he know about and ketch back hisself.
In fact, my compassion is for the PPP that they go back into opposition and cure themselves of the madness which they now embrace as part of their legacy.
Compassion for the PNC which believes that Burnham was the greatest thing that lived even though he framed the madness and compassion for those who keep saying that no no.. things changed under Hoyte.
Compassion for the AFC 'haul yuh ass' people.
Compassion for those who do not show accountability even as they demand it.
Compassion for those like me, who doing nothing.
You're in good company, Plato struggled with the problem of what checks and balances are needed to stop a good man from getting corrupted and how to rein in the power-hugry.
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