If every country had a Freddie Kissoon the world would be a better place

(Letter to the Kaieteur News Editor 05/30/10)

Dear Editor,

Of all the possible things a person can throw on another person, some miscreant chose to throw feces on Sweet and Sensitive Freddie Kissoon.

This man could have thrown water on Freddie, or pieces of paper, or rose petals.
But no, the scoundrel threw sh*t on poor, poor Freddie. This has to be a new low for even the most depraved of minds.

Let us take a moment to acknowledge what many have either already said or thought. Freddie can be a real big pain in the umm, rear. I’d bet he would even get on a holy man’s last nerve some days. Moreover, he truly isn’t all that sensitive anymore. And after this week, he probably does not smell all that sweet either.

Now, having acknowledged the obvious, it is clear that Freddie handled a very er, stinky, situation like the hero we all know him to be deep down inside. (Very, very deep down) He dealt with the whole fiasco using more grace and finesse than most of us would have been able to manage.

After all, Freddie is not just a columnist in Guyana. He is Guyana’s columnist. (No matter how stinky and insensitive he is) My initial reaction to the news was mixed with sadness and outrage. Is this how a journalistic icon should be treated? Hell no!

No matter that Freddie takes no prisoners. No matter that the whole country trembles with the thought of being caught in the cross-hairs of his angry pen. Freddie Kissoon symbolises the ongoing struggle toward a fair and just Guyana. As such he should be able to write whatever he wants regardless of who he hurts in the process. That’s only fair and just – right?

Sarcasm aside, the nastiness of this act against Freddie disgusts me. Even if one doesn’t always agree with his politics (which I don’t) and even if one thinks he crosses the line all too often (which I do), Freddie is one of the most important things that is right about Guyana. If every country had a Freddie Kissoon, the world would be a better place.

Pause for just a moment and consider what Guyana would be like without Freddie Kissoon. Sure, we might be able to digest breakfast a bit better since we wouldn’t be fretful over his abrasive writing tactics. However, beyond that, without Freddie Kissoon this nation would not have one of its staunchest advocates.

Let’s face it; we are never really sure how many of the other “advocates” are just blowing smoke.
Their words say one thing and their actions say something completely different. With Freddie, we always know where we stand – and we always know where he stands (glad it was far from me this week – phew!).

In short, Freddie Kissoon is not perfect (far from it) but Guyana needs this man.

A good man is not made up of what someone else throws on him; he is a culmination of what is in him. President Jagdeo may well be a “Champion of the Earth,” but Freddie Kissoon is Guyana’s Champion.

Stella Ramsaroop