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We all know that ethnocentricity in one form or another exists throughout the world. But considering we know for a fact that young children do not recognize or care about racial, religious, color, or gender differences, what causes discrimination? Even adults can co-exist amicably with people of other races and of different beliefs. Is discrimination then the symptom of another problem?

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I believe that discrimination in Guyana is not about race but as you suggested, another problem. That problem is that Guyana is Guyana is more evenly split along party favor lines than race ones. The political system is set up for a winner takes all outcome always leaving about half of the population grossly denied and deprived. This can only be fixed if Guyana finds the ability to reform the political system allowing political representation to every citizen, every day.

Last Thursday evening, I went to a viewing for one of my bike buddies from the 80's. He was separated from his wife and while I have met his wife on several occasions and she knew that I knew him, we never talked about him. In fact, I only met him once about two decades ago at his auto repair shop. Now he was gone at 51 years old. I had no plans to say anything at the viewing as I am not part of their inner circle. However, she asked me if my nick name was .... and I told her no. I told her that that was a different person who was also part of our bike group. However, her questions got me thinking to those days some three decades ago. As I continue to think about them, I decided that I had something interesting to add so I approached the podium and spoke of him which gave them a perspective that it seems they didn't have.

I think that is how it is with everyone. On any regular day, we do not see the race, religion or political party of each other. However, there are certain triggers that causes us to be separate from each other. I try not to see the two parties by their predominant racial component. I constantly refer to the PPP and PNC as parties fully cognizant that both parties while being predominantly of one of the two larger races of Guyana have people of the other race in key roles of that party. The other thread speaks of the "Indian" party undermining an Indian, Balram Sing Rai in favor of an Afro Guyanese, Brindley Benn. We also see many Indian in key roles in the "Afro" party even to the level of Vice-President. That is why it is dangerous to speak of these parties in racial terms especially since on any regular day, Blacks and Indians as well as the members of the other races pass each other on the road and doesn't fail to wish them all a good morning. I think that people bring up the race card as a deflection because it is an easy card to pull. Politics is always a dirty game so anyone expecting politicians to behave like the Pope is going to be sadly disappointed.

FM

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