Negativity-The Curse of Progress.

Guyana President Wants Regional Good News TV - Caribbean Community Online, Inc./Caribcomm

If we continuously focus on the negative we stifle the positive. All too often as a society we are more focused on the negative rather than promote the positive. We shoot ourselves in the foot and stand in the path of progress.

There was a recent article in the Kaieteur News Paper, where the editor defended their decision to publish graphic images of a gruesome accident. Another article from the same newspaper depicted the slaying of a dog. I fully understand the position of accurately reporting events as they occur, but at whose cost? The victims? There is a very graphic nature of events that occur in Guyana where publishing a story for shock value only serves to give more credibility to heinous actions. What happens to the young impressionable minds who come across these bloody front pages? Wow, look at that. That is so “cruel”. They romanticize the word “cruel”. That is disturbing. From the media this negativity rolls into local communities.

Negativity brews at the local level of municipal development. Recently, a local Chamber of Commerce was attacked by a campaigning party official on a social networking site. There is one thing to run a political campaign about what the current administration is doing wrong and then there is cheering for progress. Without all the facts political mudslinging only paints a nasty picture. The facts show a different image altogether. This particular Chamber of Commerce has been the singular driving force of development for a long time. So even in a political season, why try to discredit where credit is due. Celebrate their success and build on it. Not tear it down. Major organizations trickle to individuals.

Over the past several years there is a growing number of individuals and or groups engaging in Charitable work on a grass root level or online. They are all working to assist and ease the burden of poverty to the less fortunate of Guyana. There are individuals or small groups who gather things amongst themselves and help their immediate family or neighborhoods back home. Then there are larger more organized groups who conduct major fund raising events. There are online forums, lead by individuals or groups of people, who raise awareness and invoke conscious discussions as to situations in various parts of Guyana. All of these good hearted people are supposedly working towards the same goal. Would it not be beneficial if they work in harmony and respect each other, rather than mudsling and block each other’s activities?

It would seem that the norm is to take sides of individuals or groups and then attempt to distort the work of others. How can this bring about any progress? Our society is such that a we show the negative of each other in order to achieve our own positive. Does not seem to make sense, does it? Old wounds from a time gone by, past child hood experiences, past school yard disputes, past work disputes, past rum shop arguments, past bottom house disagreements are rearing its ugly head to hinder progress and success in each other’s effort. Why can’t we put the past behind us, stop the negativity and move forward as a strong force to change and success?

This piece of land that our forefathers banded together and fought so hard for is now being torn apart by us. We, with our negativity, are in the path of progress. All of us should put our differences aside and reach across our yards to our neighbors and hold on. Let us band together to raise our children, as the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Let us put our collective minds together to find a way to better educate the youths. Let us reach out with open arms and embrace our brothers and sisters who are too distraught to threat their children with dignity. Let us show compassion and love so the next generation of Guyanese will lift themselves out of this negative state of mind. Of course there are going to be some of us who just will not move. Go away with your negativity and let the ones who are ready to embrace and band together effect change, progress, and success.