Constables Abel, Joseph

It was if a son or nephew had become a victim of the new killers eventually. Over the years, Ronald Abel had become a kind of spiritual relative to me. Perhaps it was because, on my part, I marvelled at his general consistent genteel courtesy, so missing in young males these days.

Yes I knew young Abel since he worked at a certain Middle Street establishment I used to frequent. His innate or acquired politeness, his willingness to please, his quiet ambition to move up academically impressed so many of us. He was one of the reasons some of us supported the business. I understand he had a stint in the Guyana National Service, so I was not surprised when I saw him in the Police Force. (Though I wondered, humorously, if Ronald had the heart to actually arrest anyone.)

Now he is gone, so early in a life full of promise - a young gentleman brutally, deliberately gunned down by the new demons of Buxton. I need not comment further, need I?

Then, just four days be-fore, Constable Deon Joseph was also gunned down in Sophia, outside the inner city of Georgetown. Reports indicate that Joseph was another peacemaker-type of policeman. My heart swelled as I viewed the humble little wooden dwelling he had completed just in December. There is no evidence to suggest that these two young policemen had already become crooked cops guilty of any “bad business”.

They were targeted perhaps only because they represented the force and, possibly, because they did their job in the past. But that is one of the aims of today’s bandits: intimidate and drive fear into the force, so that its members become, indifferent, unresponsive and plain scared. The society then, is left most vulnerable and open to the anarchy wherein law-abiding citizens have no one to turn to for protection, investigation and detection. Must we allow this? Will Constables Abel and Joseph - and all those before them - die in vain?

The press, the village

Though I have a peculiar type of association with the East Coast, Demerara village of Anns Grove, I have always been impressed, if not intrigued, with the lore, history and contributions of the village of Buxton to the development of modern-day (?) Guy-ana. Now the obvious taint will be tough to remove. However, once that community has been cleansed, all types of programmes could restore its pride and status.

But just consider two items in two sections of the print media this same week - From the Stabroek News: “Also at the barricades last week were the Chairman of Region Four Alan Munroe, and the Chairman of the Buxton/ Foulis Neighbourhood Demo-cratic Council, Randolph Blair, who also criticized the barriers and said residents should have been consulted. Neither Mr Munroe nor Mr Blair have been prominently visible in helping to mobilize their constituents to root out the criminal enterprise that has taken hold of Buxton/ Friendship and is spreading its tentacles into neighbouring villages. Perhaps in addition to complaining about the barriers, Mr Munroe should pay more visits to Annandale, Vigilance, Coldingen and other villages, which also fall within his purview as Region Four Chairman, to learn of the great fears that these residents have about the crime being launched from within Buxton/Friendship.”

Then this letter in the Guyana Chronicle: “How convenient can we get! If only a small band of people is bringing disgrace to an entire community, that community has two options: ostracise the band or join the band.

But what has Buxton done? Whenever a robbery is committed and a haul is made, there is celebration on the Buxton embankment road.

Let the Buxtonians deny this. Let them also deny that children were given $1,000 bills to go to school with.

Children are being used in the forefront in Buxton to attack the Police and burn roadways.

Who is marginalizing them? The Indians?

Shouldn’t they be in school? And when they grow up, with no qualification or skill, the marginalisation song will continue to be sung.

What are the leaders in Buxton doing about self-marginalisation?

Keep alive