Copyright stabroeknews
Dear Editor, It is with profound sorrow that we acknowledge the tragic death of a young child, one of our own, at the Mobil Fuel Station – Regent and King Streets, Georgetown in Georgetown. “Preliminary investigations reveal that a foreign-speaking man, believed to be a non-national, entered the station carrying bulky bags, placed one near gas and cooking-gas cylinders, and shortly after an explosion occurred that killed the six-year-old girl and injured others”- Newssource.com This loss cuts deep. As a small nation, our strength has always been in our people, our shared values, and our unity. Yet this event exposes a frightening reality: our open borders and limited resources make us vulnerable if we do not take collective responsibility for security. We must ask: How many more times will we allow our borders to be porous, our systems under-resourced, before we strengthen them? How many more innocent lives will be lost in infrastructure or public places before we act with shared vigilance? How many divisions of race, politics or creed will we permit to distract us, when what unites us should be our protection of the vulnerable and our insistence on safety for all? Today we call on every citizen, every resident, every leader — regardless of background — to stand together: We must sweep aside all racial and political divides. They have no place when our children’s lives are at stake. We must demand accountability and transparency from those entrusted with our borders, our policing and our safety. We must protect our people — every person — and our infrastructure from threats that are not only physical, but moral: the threat of complacency, of ignoring red-flags, of underestimating the cost of freedom without vigilance. We must unite as Guyanese first, defenders of our homeland, stewards of our community, guardians of our children. Let the death of this little girl not be in vain. Let it be the spark that turns sorrow into resolve. Let it be the moment we refuse to be powerless. Let it be the time we remind ourselves: we are stronger together. May we honour her memory by building a safer Guyana — one where our borders are defended, our communities watchful, and every child can grow without fear. Sincerely, Atika Stephens
