Stella Says... Freddie, This is How to Get Your Groove Back!

(Originally published in the Kaieteur News on 18 Sept 2005)

It seems so many people are losing their groove these days. Since sweet and sensitive Freddie was so kind to caution me about how Guyana politics could cause me to lose my groove, it seems that other political junkies have been losing their groove left and right.

Cheddi Jagan lost his groove, Jerome Khan lost his groove and even the WPA seems to have lost its groove. I even heard through the grapevine (Peeping Tom’s column last Monday) that the ever-groovy Freddie Kissoon has lost his groove too. This is most certainly a national crisis!

If everyone keeps losing their groove, there will be no one left to dance - and dancing is the one thing the Jagdeo administration has thus far left unscathed in its quest for complete national control. Maybe the reason for this conspicuous omission in the pursuit of domination is because they haven’t yet realised just how important a good groove is to a nation. Then again, they still haven’t figured out very much of what is good for a nation at all. Now, back to my groove thing.

So Freddie, in the spirit of all good groovers worldwide, I am going to graciously share some of my secrets on how to sustain a healthy and vibrant groove. It all starts balance. You see, if one cannot maintain balance, there is no way you can groove.

Balance is the key element to all of life’s quirky little issues. In order to have a ying, then one must also find the yang. For example, if a groovy person decides one political party is in need of a good tongue-lashing for being puppets of backroom politics, then it is only right to dole out the same manner of reprimand to the opposition for being spineless and complacent.

Rhythm is also very important when you are in the groove. Can you imagine someone trying to groove without rhythm? Yikes! It’s just not a pretty picture. Where does one find rhythm? Quite honestly, you have to be born with it.

Rhythm is the ability to move with the beat of life. When life goes down, you know how to get down too. When life is up, you’re dancing on the ceiling. Almost everyone can groove to a slow beat, but when the pace of life quickens up, most people can’t follow. You have to keep step with the beat or you can lose your groove very quickly.

That said, I acknowledge that it is sometimes difficult to groove when standing next to someone who has lost their groove. But no matter how tricky it is, it would be wrong to find a new dance partner. This is the most important rule with groovy people.

It’s important to understand that it is so hard to find your groove when you can’t even find your next meal or when you son was just gunned down by some druggie who was trying to get at another druggie. Who feels like grooving with your children are wearing rags to school? No wonder so many people are losing their groove in Guyana.

This is when we take that person’s hand and help them find their balance and rhythm in life again. Before long, they are back in the groove and we are all grooving together again. Well, until the government reads this and realises they need to control the people’s dancing too. Maybe that is why they forced their man into the UG, they want to keep an eye on all those college students who know how to groove.

There is one more thing you should know, Freddie, if you want to be the grooviest of all. You have to realise that everyone else is groovy too – in their own unique ways. Well, except for all those self-seeking politicians. Don’t waste your time trying to help them find their groove - since one cannot possibly get back a groove never existed in the first place.

Just know that although grooving is so much fun, it can also be exhausting. Therefore, one must stay in shape. So make sure you get your work out in today, Freddie…so you can keep up.

Your energy is best spent on the good fight, not the petty one Freddie

This letter is written in response to Freddie Kissoon’s column from Tuesday, 6th of September.

Okay Freddie, you have my attention. Now what? I suppose you want me to delineate on the evils of journalism to nurse your hurt little feelings. Dear sweet Freddie, I warned you about how harsh Guyanese politics could be for someone as delicate and sensitive as yourself. Alas, you didn’t heed my warning and in the process your good sense is now being called into question.

I will graciously refrain from the “I told you so” retort, which itches to jump off the edge of my tongue even at this very moment, to get to the heart of the matter – ethical journalism. To be sure, this subject is not one to be taken lightly, so I will attempt to address your concerns as best as possible so as to lighten the burden you carry of what you view as an unjust assault on your character and mental capacity.

I continue to stand by my assertion that freedom of speech is a foundational right deserving the utmost protection and reverence in any democracy. Conversely, I also emphatically believe the press should have clean hands when it comes to the delivery of news and information.

It goes without saying that every newspaper should hold itself to the highest of standards regarding ethical journalism. Anything less is counter-productive because the people will not trust a paper that displays any type of partiality, bias or unsavoury behaviour – and rightfully so. Unethical journalism is a hindrance to freedom of speech, not a facilitator as it is designed and expected to be.

Ethical journalism is even more important in a country where lawlessness abounds. When government officials are shady, criminals are ruthless and the people live in fear, a newspaper should be the beacon of hope - not another avenue for victimisation.

Journalism is one profession that, when implemented properly, perseveres as a guardian of democracy. So I understand your frustration and resentment concerning the spiteful comments you mentioned in your column Tuesday.

However, I do not think it is necessary to take these comments about you to heart – or to court. I understand how difficult it must be for a university instructor to have his/her intellectual capacity questioned. However, you accused me of losing my groove. What if my groove were just as important to my life as your intellectual prowess is to yours? Would that mean that I could then sue you for libel?

Nah, I just took it in stride and had fun with it, which is what you should do as well. You do not have to prove your intelligence to anyone, it has been on proud display for quite a long time for all to see and enjoy.

If you lowered yourself to a battle of wits with the rest of us peons, I would lose a great amount of respect for you. I expect a man of your status to rise above petty little comments and remain focused on the real issues at hand that are far more important than an insult tossed about for reactionary purposes.

Frankly, I cannot possibly see how anyone could ever call your mental capacity into question, as it is very obvious to all that you are one of the more brilliant minds in Guyana today. That said -you are also a very public figure, due in large part to your column, and that makes you a target for the type of insults to which you have been subjected of late.

If we toss in your no-nonsense approach, which I can truly appreciate, it should be no surprise when others to take you to task. In other words, you cannot and should not expect everyone to agree with you or to remain silent when they disagree. As an academic, I would expect you already know that anyone who proposes a thought a particular topic should be able to defend their position, and if need be, digress when your theory has been chewed to pieces.

That is not to say that you have lost the war, just one battle. The war wages on and if you find yourself feeling especially vulnerable, it is no shame to retreat ever so slightly to regroup and return with an even more effective strategy to win the war.

This is how intellectuals wage war. We do not fear those with swords because we know the pen is sharper than the sword. Throughout history the pen has dealt fatal blows to even the keenest of dictators. Freddie, my advice to you is to not allow accusations or innuendo to ruffle your feathers so. Your single voice is far more influential than the voices of dozens of other Guyanese combined.

Which brings to light another important journalism code, to give a voice to those who have no voice. That is what you do and what you should continue to do. Don’t let these sideshows steal your attention away from the important issues of the country – like who will be serving as the next Vice-Chancellor of UG. That is a noble fight requiring your full attention.

Though we may not see eye to eye on every issue, we are definitely fighting on the same side. If you find yourself being challenged, as in the last few weeks, view it as simply a test to see if any part of your position has weaknesses. If you find weak points, strengthen your position by shoring up those vulnerable areas for the next battle.

This country tends to lose its focus so easily. Oft times the people are caught away in a torrent of emotional fury and in the process the primary objectives are lost in the fray. As an academic, I expect more from you. Don’t allow the strategic diversions like this one to steal your attention or wear you down. Your energy is best spent on the good fight, not the petty one.

- Stella Ramsaroop

Are you in the pantomime, Stella? - Freddie Kissoon

Freddie Kissoon's Column in Kaieteur News on September 6, 2005:

Guyana can sometimes be described as a comedy performed by circus clowns who keep falling over each other, and the audience laughs and calls for more, completely unaware that the jokers are not going through their regular paces but are bungling things up.

Guyana can sometimes be described as a Greek tragedy where the hero is crowned by the gods but ends up as the villain of the peace.

Guyana can sometimes be described as a game of cricket where the umpires go through the motions of allowing appeals for Leg Before Wicket, but in fact the sides consist of a team of eleven and a team of thirteen, the two umpires being part of the charade. Guyana is such a flawed society it can be described as anything you choose to describe it as.

Enter Stella Ramsaroop. Stella wrote an acerbic letter in defence of the Stabroek News when the President of Guyana sued the paper for publishing a certain viewpoint of Mr. Christopher Ram. Stella's argument was wide ranging.

She believed that public figures like the President should be broadminded enough to take criticism. She felt that when public figures resort to the courts, press freedom is in danger. What was missing in Stella's judgement was her delineation of press freedom.

I replied to Stella implying that she had lost her groove. My point was that if Stella had her groove intact she would have known that other people who want press freedom only want it to operate in their favour, and they seek to deny it to others when it suits their purpose.

Now that can hardly be an enlightened approach to freedom of the media. Stella of course did not know that Mr. Ram had sued me and the Kaieteur News for libel, and that therefore the paper and I could have interpreted that as an infringement of press freedom.

Stella lost no time in replying to me. She was assertive and apologetic.

She reaffirmed her opinion that the President was wrong to sue the Stabroek News, but said she didn't know what Ram had done to me and the Kaieteur News. But the part of her correspondence I like is when, in bold terms, she told me that she had never lost her groove; it is alive and kicking, and she has no intention of losing her groove and her marbles.

Well, Stella is in trouble if we don't hear from her after this column hits the newsstands. The Stabroek News, that Stella was so adamant in defending, is entangled in a web of double standards at the moment.

Is Stella going to extricate the paper she loves, or is she going to assert her groove and sock it to them? Let's tell Stella the story.

In the Stabroek News of August 31, 2005, the paper carried a letter entitled “I am not the only victim of Kissoon's sick mind” by Kit Nascimento.

Now I am a university lecturer and a public figure. Both Nascimento and the Stabroek News have ridiculed me in the eyes of the public by concluding that my mind is sick.

That is big, big libel. How are they going to prove that I have a sick mind? That is such a huge act of libel that even the most brilliant civil lawyer will find it impossible to defend.

Of course it was nothing strange that Mr. Nascimento did not send his missive to Kaieteur News even though he was replying in the Stabroek News to one of my Kaieteur News articles. The Kaieteur News will never print an opinion that says a public figure has a sick mind.

I replied to Mr. Nascimento in both the Kaieteur News and the Stabroek News; the latter printed my letter in its edition yesterday. But then something unthinkable in the media occurred at the bottom of my letter.

The Stabroek News asked Nascimento for an opinion on my response to him and published it at the bottom of my letter. Mr. Nascimento's comment was anything but complimentary.

This is unprofessional journalism at its worst. I have been associated with the Kaieteur News from the beginning and I can state without any fear of contradiction that neither the publisher nor any of the senior editors would allow me to make a comment at the end of a letter written about me.

The Kaieteur News had an incident whereby Adam Harris, then editor, placed an editorial comment which was in the form of an opinion at the end of one of my columns.

The essay was on the inconsistent bail structure of former Chief Magistrate, Juliet Holder-Allen. Mr. Harris defended Ms. Holder-Allen. I was livid when I saw that and lodged an official protest with the publisher, Mr. Glen Lall.

Mr. Lall summoned a meeting of all the senior editorial employees and he made several calls to media experts in and out of Guyana in our presence.
The consensus was that the editor can only intrude in an opinion piece to correct dates or established facts, such as if the columnist located a building in the wrong street.

The point was that the editor cannot interfere with the opinions of a columnist. One editor in Barbados told Mr. Lall it was unheard of. Mr. Harris did the decent thing and apologised the next day to me.

What the Stabroek News did yesterday was to severely lower the standards of its media behaviour in the eyes of the entire nation. I can say without fear of contradiction that the Kaieteur News would never do such a thing.

I go in and out of the Kaieteur News daily, and I am never told that there is a letter coming out on me. And it is unthinkable for any senior editor to insert a comment from me at the end of the letter. Newspapers cannot be so openly biased.
Mr. Nascimento had his say; I replied. Mr. Nascimento should have been given the privilege of responding if he didn't like my rebuttal. This is the problem with this society – double standards in every sphere, in every dimension of life in Guyana .
I once wrote that, if our political problems were to be solved in the immediate future, then Guyana 's social problems would not come to an end. We are a hypocritical society that love to criticise others, but we practise not one ounce of the virtue that we expect the government of the day to embody.

So where does this leave Stella Ramsaroop? I would like to hear Stella's analysis of what the Stabroek News did yesterday. I would like to hear how she feels about this aspect of press responsibility.

In closing, let me say that since I have done critical commentary on the role of the Stabroek News I am fully aware that I am not in that paper's good books. But professional ethics demand that institutions curb their personal vendettas in the interest of press responsibility.

Think of how the government would feel about what Stabroek News has done. Would the Government find the Stabroek News a source of objective commentary?

Read My Response

The Other Hate In Guyana

The other day I was waiting in a room and this lady looked at me and sneeringly told me about something a person of Asian descent had once done that was improper. She snarled her faced together and said, “It was the Chinese.”

The tone of her comment, her facial expression and the attitude that provoke this statement was nauseating. I walked away and asked my companion why people have to be that way. Racism is rampant in Guyana on all fronts, that much is true. However, there is another type of bias that is just as prevalent but gets very little attention – it is called misogyny.

Misogyny, or the hatred of women, is so embedded into our society that even most women have come to accept it as normal. But there is nothing “normal” about hate. Whether toward another race, another nationality or another gender – hate is always wrong.

Misogyny is evident even in our court system. The rape statistics recently released are atrocious alone. However, what is far more appalling is the number of convictions that DON’T put those thieves behind bars. I say thieves because these men steal something from women that can never be replaced – a woman’s peace of mind and her right to consent. It is a violation of the most heinous proportions.

These types of men should be removed from society for a good long time, but instead the courts have given them free reign to rape again and again. And be assured, they will rape again and next time it could be your daughter, wife or mother instead of a stranger.

Another example of misogyny in Guyana is obvious in how difficult it is for an abuse victim to find shelter, report violence and obtain protection. Every day there women all over the nation who shudder at the arrival of heavy footsteps belonging to her husband, lover or father. She knows those footsteps bring pain and more misery – and she knows there is nowhere to turn for help.

Some of these women even fear for their very lives. They remain stuck in a situation that could end in death, yet have no way to get out. She lives in constant torment at the hands of someone who is supposed to love her. If she has children, the hopeless situation increases exponentially. There are a few programs in place and some positive changes have recently been implemented to help these women, but the system is far from being sufficient.

There are also many forms of misogyny that may not be as drastic as these first two; however, they are just as poignant. This includes such facts as the low number of women in the corporate workplace, that women are under represented in politics and even that women are still expected to be the primary caregivers for the children instead of maintaining an equal role of childrearing to allow the mother an opportunity to pursue her own endeavours in life too.

Did anyone stop to think that she might want to do something else besides raise kids? Or does anyone care to know? The answer to both questions is usually, “No.” There is no doubt that women love their children and have developed, by necessity, a nurturing ability. However, it is shortsighted to assume that women have no dreams or aspirations to use their God-given intelligence in other areas as well.

Women are just as intelligent and capable as any man. In fact, I know women who can run rings around the IQ’s of many men. Where are these women? In their homes waiting for the children to grow up, which by then opportunity will have been long gone.

There are so many women who will never realize their full potential because of the chains placed on them by society. Likewise, society will never realize its full potential until it unchains the women. To block women from participation in every single aspect of society is to shoot ourselves in the foot.

When you put a hard-working woman in a place of leadership, you are all but guaranteed success. At least far more success than you would get from a lazy, self-absorbed man who is so busy catching a looking at the latest rear-end to walk by that he can’t get any substantial work done.

Drastic change needs to come to Guyana. It is time for the women of this country to stop hiding their beautiful intelligence in deference to an insecure man in their life. Ladies, arm yourselves with a solid education and step into a bright future. Take risks and open businesses, participate in politics and expect respect from those around you. Change will not be handed to us, we have to demand it and be willing to fight for it if necessary.

There will undoubtedly be women who read this letter and, because they are comfortable in their traditional chains, will get testy because I am pushing the boundaries of social norms. Dear Lady, it is for you that I write this letter. You may not understand or appreciate it today, but one day you will be glad that someone is standing up for your rights and the rights of your daughters.

Likewise, there will be some men who say, “I don’t hate my wife.” However, hate comes in many shades of colours. For example, when you came home from work yesterday, did you offer to help cook dinner or did you demand that your dinner be served immediately? The answer to this question will determine your level of hate.

And, Dear Sir, what will you do if you find hate in your heart? Will you excuse it as a cultural expectation, like that lady who snarled her face at the “Chinese”? Or will you love your wife and change? Will you ask her what she wants from life and help her find the answer that will make her happy?

If the men of Guyana would take these small baby steps, this country would see a revolution like never before. Who knows, maybe we could even start loving other races too.

- Stella Ramsaroop

Socialism is great in theory, but not practical for Guyana

This week, the PPP announced their plan to continue with “business as usual” – as George Bush would say (see Stabroek News article PPP rolls out new Guyana programme-says it remains true to socialism for more information). The obvious feeling is that everything is just fine with the country and nothing needs to change. According to Guyana's leaders, we just need to “stay the course” - another ridiculous Bush euphemism.

I am no capitalist by any stretch of the imagination. However, I am very much a realist and the reality is that socialism is not working for Guyana. I am also an activist, and when I see something that is broken, my first instinct is to attempt to fix the problem, which is why I cannot understand why Guyana 's leaders will not even make the slightest attempt at changing a failing system.

I am a strong believer in the core ideals of socialism. Marx's famous axiom, “From each according to his ability and to each according to his need” is a value I hold dear to my heart, and try to demonstrate each day of my life.

I am a supporter of the foundational thought of socialism, in that it puts the need of the community before the need of the one.

There is so much good that comes from this ideology that it is hard to see why it does not work in even a small country. The answer to the $10 million question is implementation. The reason socialism does not work for Guyana (and for many other countries) is because mere humans implement it.

Humans have this nasty little tendency to lust after power and money. Even the best of us can get swept away when a heady power surge is plugged into our feeble system. It makes us feel immortal.

Some get addicted to power and seek the highest seat in even the most humbling of circumstances. The love of money, we know, is the root of all evil. Yet we cannot live without it and, therefore, are constantly driven to find more and more every single day.

In the implementation process of socialism, humans sometime decide to keep the power and money all for themselves. Therefore, people become mere pawns in their whimsical power struggle game and the lofty principles of socialism are trampled underfoot. The good of the many is forgotten in a fight for power. In the meantime, the country keeps trudging along in poverty.

Where do we draw the line? Where should we relinquish power and refuse money for the sake of our conscience? Some would say never. They are wrong – and probably a capitalist. So how does a good socialist find his way into office just to turn into a money grubbing, power-hungry politician? Like I said, we are all human.

I do not believe socialism in its full glory is the answer for Guyana's woes at this point in time. Despite the lofty values, socialism meets its end every time a human touches it. And such is the case with Guyana. It has not brought the desired results and the country is no better off economically than it was ten years ago.

For example, the PPP just announced that it wants to build a strong modern economy and strive for financial independence. How is this going to happen?

They are going to focus on encouraging investment in the productive sector of the economy, which is abundantly clear by the way they just recently chased off a substantial investor in this sector.

The focus will be on the sugar, rice and mining markets. However, this is where the focus has been for years and it has not brought about the desired results.

The system is broke. Is it not apparent to anyone in the PPP that to be competitive on the world stage today there needs to be a focus on technology? Rice and sugar alone will not make the country financially independent. If the PPP wants a modern economy, the most logical step is to begin modernising our thought process.

The PPP's attempt at hoping no one will notice the sad state of the country if they pretend it is economically sound is embarrassing.

Do they really think the people are so naïve that they can't look around and see just how bad things really are? Staying the course is not doing the job. Change is what the PPP should have given Guyana this week, not business as usual.

- Stella Ramsaroop

Beware of Stella, Freddie - Lloyd Marshall

This letter by Lloyd Marshall was published in the Kaieteur News.

Beware of Stella, Freddie

Dear Editor,

The letter entitled “My groove is fully intact Mr. Kissoon”, which was written by Stella Ramsaroop and appeared in your issue of Tuesday July 26, is a literary gem. It is rife with sardonic humour but at the same time compelling in substance.

Stella Ramsaroop's letter prompted me to locate and read the article by Freddie Kissoon which provoked this brilliant response. In the unlikely event that I should arrogate to myself the title of Social Commentator, I would be very cautious about engaging Ms. Ramsaroop in a literary exchange.

Incidentally Mr. Kissoon, the calypso about the Trinidadian Stella was sung by Lord Nelson and not the Mighty Duke.

Lloyd Marshall