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Dear Editor,
It is altogether possible that some day, some irrational mind will "invite attention" of a religious contrivance that Ras Tom Dalgety is not worshiping God in the proper manner, because he is a Rastafarian.
A century and a half-ago Dr. David Livingstone of England invited the attention of the London Missionary Society to the spiritual degradation of Africans on the Zimbabwe River, and after that came the military conquest of Africa. And in today's world, American missionaries and media evangelists are all over the world from Afghanistan to Latin America spreading "the word of God" as an instrument of American foreign policy. Intellectuals of an African mind are not stupid of the roll of those who "invite the attention".
On Saturday, April 20, 2002 you published a letter by Kit Nascimento "inviting the attention" of the Wireless and Telegraphy regulators to the behaviour of talk show host Lorri Alexander whose show on the 16th and 17th April focused on the Miss Guyana Universe pageant which was won by Mia Rahaman and was promoted by Odinga Lumumba.
Secondly, Mr. Nascimento is also "inviting the attention" of the Wireless and Telegraphy regulators to the requirement of Channel 9 TV to broadcast another programme offering a different view or perspective or information to those expressed and encouraged by Mr. Alexander on his broadcast, although the central figure of that discourse Mia Rahaman has already disclosed (nay admitted) that a long time ago she drank and smoked in trying to "find herself" (SN April 18. 2002). Bravo to her and all of us who drank or smoked or even experienced broken "first love" in the process of finding one's self.
Kit Nascimento is one of the "straight hair" media/public relations men in our society who wants to tell the Black media how to behave. His aim is to muzzle the Black media and to perpetuate the tyranny of white media opinions. He prefers the dictatorship of Reuters and Associated Press to African points of view.
It is a healthy thing that we have in our nation a Black media shaping a Guyanese consciousness. Stabroek News headline of 17th April said: "Government will up the ante against lawlessness, Luncheon says PNC/R, some media "terroristic"." Dr. Luncheon who is a Black man is accusing the conscious Black media of being "terroristic". Channel 9 TV, Channel 6 TV talk show hosts Clem David. Basil Bradshaw, Roger Moore, Lorri Alexander, Girl Talk, Prime News, Capital News, and mark my word - the boldest initiative to arrive on the scene: Guyana Observer published by Mark Benschop that came to birth in March 2002. Bravo to Mark Benschop because he is, in my opinion, the most homely of all journalists with the Guyanese people.
The Government's accusation that the PNC/R rank and file was "engaged in gross acts of immoral behaviour", was answered by the leader of the PNC/R Mr Hugh Desmond Hoyte immediately. Mr Hoyte annotated the history of the PPP's terrorism from the 1960's. Mr. Hoyte said that the PPP was guilty of mass murders in pursuit of political goals. This is a fact. I heard this on Capitol News, Prime News, and even on the Evening News. Mr Hoyte blared that the PPP accusers are the terrorists. I dare say that those among us who have read of the tactics of the Nazi propaganda minister Goebels recognized easily the tactic of Roger Luncheon. Dr. Luncheon used the word behaviour as if it was going out of style: reckless behaviour, immoral behaviour, this behaviour, a behavioural pattern, terrorists behaviour. Hi! Watch your behaviour Dr. Luncheon.
It is the power of the Black media that is feared. The emergence of this media precipitated the reactionary reconstruction of the Wireless and Telegraphy Regulations.
Through the Wireless and Telegraphy Regulations Kit Nascimento, and his paymasters are setting about the destruction or muzzling of Black media in Guyana.
By the time you publish this letter, I will send a copy to the Chairman of the Broadcast Advisory Committee Mr. Pat Dial. I will also further a copy of this letter to the Hon. Prime Minister Mr. Samuel A. Hinds. In conclusion I leave with you these words "The Lion of Judah shall break every chain and give us the victory again and again."
Yours faithfully,
Ras Tom Dalgety
Editor's note
These regulations were agreed to by the media committee set up under the dialogue process between President Jagdeo and Mr. Hoyte in an effort to set professional broadcasting standards for all the media, not just the 'Black' media. Does Mr Dalgety not accept that there need to be some standards that govern what is said on television or radio or written in the newspapers? Can people say what they like without checking the facts? Is there any duty of fairness in reporting? Shouldn't the other side be heard?
Black media persons in Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados operate in accordance with professional media standards. So do many in Guyana. Two highly respected black media persons, Mr Dwight Whylie from Jamaica and Mr Harry Mayers from Barbados came here at election time to monitor media coverage of the elections in accordance with a code drafted by Mr Hugh Cholmondeley and Mr Kit Nascimento and approved by most of the media. They expressed alarm at some of the coverage on television.
Is Mr Dalgety in effect suggesting that there should be no rules or special rules for certain stations or personalities?