Dear Editor,
Over the past few days, I had confirmed that one of our prestigious newspapers, Stabroek News, would in a few weeks’ time, close. I recall in 1986 when, with courage and a sense of duty to this nation, Stabroek News was launched. At the helm were two distinguished Guyanese super patriots, Doreen and the late David de Caires. Whatever the reason is, a government committed to the essence of democracy, press freedom, and the right of citizens to be exposed to all sides of a story, could have intervened and find some way to ensure that independent media such as Stabroek News be kept alive.
Kept alive to respond to the challenges of democracy, decency, and so as to bequeath this and succeeding generations an environment that will make meaningful our boast of being the fastest growing economy in the world. Economic growth is meaningless unless it’s buttressed by a viable fourth estate, that is, a truly independent media. A people and a government should ensure that a truly independent media is supported and facilitated to allow it to soar to great heights.
As an avid reader of the independent press, I still believe it is never too late to avoid going over the edge, to be destroyed. True patriots can use this moment to speak up and not be guilty of the curse of saying nothing because it is comfortable. As we recall the philosophical underpinnings of the work by Samuel Koranteng-Pipim, who titled his book “Not for sale; Integrity in a Culture of Silence”. Future generations must judge us kindly and honourably because we stood up like men and not mice.