Lincoln Lewis responds to Freddie Kissoon

Dear Editor,

Reference is made to Frederick Kissoon’s column, 25th September 2020, titled “Lincoln Lewis: I will never retain friendship that is devoid of humanity.” If humanity falls on the lap of he who claims to know who is devoid of humanity, he will not know it. Evidently, he remains tortured by the fact that whereas he once considered me a friend, though we may have had friendly encounters, I never considered him my friend. Friends are people who could be trusted, and he cannot be trusted. He sees people as objects to manipulate in pursuing his divisive, destructive agenda. And in his usual meandering ways, he seeks once again to make me his target, a target he knows he will never succeed in demolishing.

In the video, he purports to have of a disagreement among myself and persons who want to covet my ancestor’s land in Kingelly, West Coast Berbice, he makes no mention of the cantankerous behaviour of a woman, half my size, flaring up in front of me calling on me to hit her. He also ignores my statement to said woman’s provocation that “I don’t hit women.” He ignores the young male sharpening his cutlass around Cudjoe’s heirs and behaving in a threatening way. It is understood why he ignores these acts and behaviours.

It is easy to see through the deceptive association of someone like me, with my natural physical attributes, (compliments of my enslaved ancestors) to be considered a threat. I have no excuse to be intolerant to anyone coveting and invading private lands that belong to my ancestor, which they know fully well are not owned by them and belong to the McPhersons (descendants of Cudjoe McPherson). I have no tolerance for this behaviour hence my action to pursue legal justice and to make this matter a public one.

He sees the rule of law applying to me being charged for assault, but he calls not for the rule of law applying to the woman and others who threatened the McPhersons with physical violence. I was not charged for assault with my encounter with the woman. I was charged for assault based on a false accusation made by a male land grabber on a different day. I am justly charged for assault, the same as the man who threw a miasmic mess in Kissoon’s face felt his action was just.

Kissoon asked of me to produce my papers of ownership for the lands, but it is noted he has not asked the woman. I challenge this profound distorter of reality to call on the woman he is representing to produce the papers, which she claims she has of ownership. It is a matter of fact in this society that some of us are always being called on to prove our innocence whereas others are automatically innocent and considered victims.

I stand by my position that systems must be put in place to protect Guyanese business from being overrun by businesses established by an imported Chinese business class whose owners continue to exploit Guyanese labour and make no reinvestment in the community within which they operate. This practice has impacted negatively on Regent Street, East Coast Demerara, and other parts of the country. Further, I retain an abiding interest in equal pay for Guyanese and foreign labour for the same job in the oil and other industries. I am a nationalist and no group will get preference over the other. My reality as a labour leader and citizen will be influenced by universally acceptable principles. A wicked and devious mind seeking to manipulate public opinion sees a principled stand as fascism, when it does not serve their purpose, and will continue howling at the moon.

Let me remind Kissoon and those who may not have followed the exchanges between him and I about the University of Guyana (UG)- the position taken by Ivor English, the Guyana Trades Union Congress’ representative on the UG Council, borders on principles and was treated in the media extensively. He brings nothing new to a conversation discussed ad nauseum other than demonstration of his hurt and dented credibility.

Further, he is being dishonest with his claim that “The Kaieteur News informed [me] that the contents of [my] columns in support of election rigging was against the essential guiding lights of the newspaper and that brought an end to [my] columns.” The decision was mine to bring an end to the relationship as a columnist and it had nothing to do with the false claims he makes. In fact, one of my concerns was Kissoon being allowed to use his column to attack me and me being denied the right to respond in like manner. That response was published in other newspapers.

There is no doubt Kissoon believes the current media landscape is in his favour to launch his vile attack. Let me put him on notice- the only thing that would prevent him hearing from me is the media denying me the right to respond by refusing to publish my letters. I have long learned to allow wicked, mischievous, and dangerous statements to go unrebutted is to give victory to those who are strangers to the truth, even to the detriment of their academic scholarship.

Yours truly,
Lincoln Lewis