Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 23, 2013 Letters
DEAR EDITOR,
KN readers must have had the largest laugh since this newspaper began when they picked up the Monday, July 21 edition of this paper and read Mark Benschop questioning my mental stability. I repeat, of all people, Mark Benschop writing on the mental instability of another citizen.
On that day, I was having lunch with Dr. David Hinds when one of Guyana’s most known citizens came up to our table and uttered these words, “I had always warned you about what a madman that fellow was.” Then shortly after, one of Guyana’s most promising young intellectuals came up to the table and offered his bit on the state of Benschop’s mind. Maybe Benschop can check the veracity of this with the respected Dr. David Hinds
People have always asked me where Benschop works and where he gets his income from. I never knew but I know now. He is a psychoanalyst. He can tell who is mad and who is not. I am curious to know how Benschop feels about his own sanity. But then again every human is entitled to flatter himself.
The sociology text book says that the mind becomes indecent if it is not occupied with honest employment. The sociologist tells us that work keeps a mind healthy. But then again Benschop would know all about minds because he can tell readers who is mad and who is not. Maybe after this letter I will contact the prominent gentleman that spoke to me and David Hinds to ask further opinions of why he thinks Benschop was always mentally unstable.
Every time I write about the Thomas Carroll book, Benschop replies and personally attacks Freddie Kissoon. Not one paragraph in defence of Mr. Casavis, the author, is present. But we know why. He cannot pen one line of intellectual analysis of Casavis’s book.
In contrast, Dave Martins wrote a review of the book. Not one word was mentioned of me. Martins looks at the punctuation weaknesses of Casavis, his peculiar writing style and the positive contents of the book. What Benschop does is try to pass cuss-down for analysis by attacking Freddie Kissoon. And he thinks readers are fools not to see through him. But then again, the mind of the self-flatterer thinks like that. Poor Casavis! He is never going to get a positive evaluation from his friend who sells his book because his friend cannot reach such heights.
Benschop is not the first and will not be the last to call me mad. Such asininities have never affected people’s attitudes to me and I doubt Benschop is capable of influencing anyone in this regard.
Let’s quote Benschop now about who wants to be a star. He wrote; “He (Freddie Kissoon) always want to be the star of the movie.” Now let us do a comparative analysis and look at Benschop and Kissoon, and who is more in a rush to become a star. Here we go:
1. I am not the leader of a party running for the Mayorship of Georgetown. Benschop has formed his entity, The Independent Party, and has publicly announced his candidacy for the Mayor of Georgetown and his large Tundra (me, I have a half dead Rav4 so I don’t drive a star boy wagon) and his car is plastered with “Vote Mark Benschop for Mayor.” Now this has to be an attempt at stardom rather than a political campaign. Really, Mark Benschop for Mayor! Guyanese must know the difference between a kaka belly fish and a tilapia, as Benschop puts it, when they go out to vote.
2. I have joined the poor and powerless in this country in countless picket exercises and I have always worn working class clothes. I don’t go in the picket line with designer pin stripe suit and tie. No newspaper has photographed me with such clothes. The only reason why a clown would do so is because they are looking for stardom. Check the papers for the clothes Mr. Benschop wears in a tropical country when he pickets. It is called, seeking stardom. In fact it is downright stupidity.
3. I am never on the cocktail circuit with my suit and tie. I don’t go to those things because I am not looking for stardom and do not have a Facebook account with claims of having thousands of friends to interact with. If I wanted to be a star I might have followed Benschop in this regard.
4. I don’t have a web page with my photo plastered all over it like Mr. Benschop and every week the photo of the week is me handing out gifts to children and old people. Maybe after this letter, readers can go to Benschop’s site and see who is more interested in being a star.
More on the comparison when I read Benschop’s response to this letter. But I prefer an intellectual exchange. And the reason why I do is because Benschop is right. Something happened in my childhood that affected me. I grew up in poverty and wanted to educate myself so I could speak and write as an educated person, which is what the world expects of us. Some people can’t do that, so they seek to pass off cuss-down, kaka belly antics as intelligent analysis.
I think education makes us better humans.
Frederick Kissoon
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
Apr 19, 2024
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