Freddie has not returned the same compliment to me

Dear Editor,

I have long decided that I would not enter into a media brawl with Freddie Kissoon and I am not about do so now. It is not my style. I have never used my media privilege to assassinate people’s character. I disagree with people’s politics and their opinions without abusing them as persons. Freddie and I have been friends for a long time and have agreed to disagree on a host of political issues. As much as I am alarmed at Freddie’s dogmatic political stance on Guyanese politics over the last year, I respect his right to his opinions and have not even criticized him for it. It has never entered my head to try to diminish him or to question his commitment to the ideals we share.

Freddie, however, has not returned the same compliment to me. He has intimated that I am racist, that I support rigging and that I am no longer a Rodneyite. Recently, he accused me of “cussing” down the CCJ when I actually said I disagree with those Caribbean countries, which have kept out of the CCJ because they fear the court would become a tool in the hands of politicians. When I wrote that systemic racism existed in Guyana, he accused me of racism and of trying to bring an African American construct to Guyana. Finally, in his July 6 column, he wrote that were I to write a biography of Eusi Kwayana, I would “obfuscate serious wrong-doing Kwayana did to Guyana when he was Sydney King.” A few days before he wrote that Kwayana must apologize to Guyanese for the things he did when he was Sydney King. So, it is with great grief that I pen this letter with much love and respect but with equal disappointment.

Freddie has shown that he cannot be relied on to respect friendships and comradeship. He does not draw the line. He has over the years displayed hatred for WPA leaders, persons with whom he once shared comradeship. He saves his worst beatings for the African Guyanese WPA leaders. One day he calls them icons, the next day when he disagrees with them on some issue, he uses the privilege of his column to assassinate their characters. He knows that most of them would not reply to him, so he crosses the line into abuse and libel. His recent target has been Eusi Kwayana. He wrote that Kwayana was not a hero to him because he is “secretive” and guarded in what he says. In other words, Freddie denies Kwayana hero status because Kwayana does not engage in political gossip and “buss mouth” politics– characteristics that Freddie obviously admires.

Well if Kwayana must become a political gossip and a “buss mouth” to earn Freddie’s hero-status, he can keep it. Kwayana is a hero to tens of thousands of Guyanese across generations. His moral standing is acknowledged even by his detractors. The problem is that Freddie thinks he knows Kwayana; he does not know Kwayana. Kwayana is too deep for Freddie’s time. He is not an easy target for Freddie’s tomorrow column. So, he invents a Kwayana. He is also taking the liberty to tell African Guyanese who their heroes should be. African Guyanese embraced and protected Freddie when his newfound heroes wanted him expired. Even now when he has betrayed their trust, they are still polite to him. So, he wants to make that love for him his permanent address.

But I know that his obscene attacks on Eusi Kwayana have not gone unnoticed. Many persons have written to me about racial overtones and undertones of his attacks. Yes, Freddie has been abusive to leaders of all races, but he saves the worst for African Guyanese leaders. His attacks on Kwayana smell different but familiar to us whose foreparents slaved for this country. We know the rancid attacks on us when they go for the conscience of our “race”. Kwayana represents the best gift of political morality to Guyana. It is one thing to criticize leaders, but it is another thing to assassinate their characters. In our fragile environment, Freddie is allowing himself to rapidly slip into the mode of racial attack dog.

Freddie’s anger at Kwayana is that he has not allowed himself to become a “good negro” in the latest quest for ethnic dominance disguised as something else. So yes, Kwayana is my hero because his human qualities are worth admiring. He is not God, but he has done God’s work with distinction. Now Freddie has reintroduced an old PPP narrative about what Kwayana did “when he was Sydney King.” Freddie, the historian may help us. Yes, I am writing a political biography of Kwayana which will be devoid of political gossip. But I am willing to accommodate Freddie. I am willing to do two things. First, I want Freddie to publicly tell me the political gossip he has on Kwayana when he was Sydney King. Second, I will invite Freddie to come to Buxton at our next Emancipation activities and tell Buxtonians what he knows Kwayana did to Guyanese when he was Sydney King. We would have lots of Conkey, Mauby and Cook-up rice.

David Hinds