Dear Editor,

I take delight in reading your editorials, and especially thank you for Thursday's editorial captioned "Guyana's National Interest" (4.4.2002) and for your concern on how Guyana, our government and people could be made use of for the sake of having good friends or in showing our willingness to befriend others.

Everything or almost everything we know or have were handed down to us by those who brought us out of India or Africa. They invaded our motherland and bribed and inveigled our brothers and leaders into herding us into their ships; then indoctrinated us into their ways while they got cheap labour out of us. In the fifties and sixties, many of us wondered if we were decolonised how long would it last. After all pork eaters could not eat with beef eaters and vice versa. We were used against each other. Our tribal and strata systems could not mesh. Tolerance is the key word today for unity. Narcotics pose a great problem for us since self does not allow consideration for others. We destroy our children and brothers for supposed wealth (quick dollar). Where did it start? Why do we all want to be rich? Money is power. Who taught us to respect money and power? Why don't few call the dirt poor farmer, Sir? After all he feeds the nation! Most of all why can't Guyanese stay home and develop their country?

I see my brothers and sisters who do not own their own homes buying gas stoves and twenty-one inch TVs instead of spreading out to populate the land. Oh people! How was the USA built? How was Canada? Do we have snow and winter and Bengal tigers and elephants and lions to impede progress, do we have hurricanes and volcanoes. The Irish and blacks had to do the menial jobs to build America; but they became overcomers. Guyanese, are we to go the way of the Upper Volta? We need to feed ourselves, plant our own cotton and make our own cooking oil. Oh Guyanese wake up! Respect yourselves. Plant food not herbs. Herbs without proper substance wrecks the body.

Another thing, we train soldiers, get them hyped and bored so they turn on us and try out what they were taught. We create monsters. Put our young men to plant cotton and build roads. We need factories to can fish and all types of produce. In short a wider spectrum of employment.

I pray God send a stalwart who will use adult suffrage to bring unity and progress for One People, One Nation with One Destiny. We Indians and Blacks of Guyana cannot live one without the other. I am part Amerindian, part East Indian, part black. I have Indian and black children. You too have an Indian relative or black cousin. Change your attitude. We have all things in common. Wake up Guyana.

Yours faithfully,

B.E. Major