Kingsley DeFreitas puts away his pen

Editor: I have made the decision to stop writing articles to submit to the newspaper; this would be my first and last submission for 2017 and the future. I have made this decision because my opinions expressed in my letters are getting me in too many problems with persons. I gain more enemies and lose friends. I sometimes fear for my safety, as I’ve been threatened on numerous occasions. Our country is extremely divided as a result of politics and it is very frightening that when one expresses one’s opinion that person needs to be careful of what they say and where they go. I’m speaking from experience, I have no problem with one questioning my opinion, but the physical and verbal abuse is frightening.

I’m thanking SEARCHLIGHT for granting me the opportunity and privilege over the years to express my opinion. Madam Editor, at times, I take some time off to think and reflect on the state of the country.

My mind wonders to Mr Glen Jackson, who was the best friend I ever had. I am very sure that he would have been very disappointed in talk shows and how they are degenerating today. Am I holding persons who host these talk shows responsible for the division that is occurring today? Yes! Today, if one listens to the Shake Up programme, which is being hosted on WE FM and one questions any policy about the ULP, they get blasted. That was never Glen’s position on persons who had opposing views.

It has been about 12 years since he left us, and I made a promise to always remember him once I’m alive. I heard Mr Keith Joseph saying a while back that no one remembers Glen. Let me remind Mr Joseph that newspapers always keep Glen’s memory alive, not like the ULP who brushed him aside. “Oh what a shame.”

Let me take this opportunity to remember Mr EG Lynch whom Glen helped to create through a radio talk show, resulting in him becoming what he was. I always will remember how Glen came and revolutionized radio talk show and nurtured Mr Lynch. They were never perfect, but most of the time they held quality discussions; not like what passes for radio talk shows today. It’s time for both political parties to take their radio shows more seriously, so we can obtain facts and not fiction; forget about the sideshows that are being offered and that’s one of the reasons why the NDP is still in Opposition.

Glen’s creativity is still with us through his Shake Up programme, but one has to wonder about the content of the show and the fact that he would have been so disappointed because of the lack of information being given. It was never his idea to make his programme so political; yes, he was the Prime Minister’s press secretary, but he knew how to separate his role, not like Hans King, who is currently the press secretary and thinks he always has to defend Dr Gonsalves. Madam Editor, Mr Glen Jackson was extremely good at what he did and we shall all remember him and we should stop treating him like “out of sight, out of mind.” I will forever keep his memory alive; anyways, I gone!

Kingsley deFreitas