The Story of a Sinking Steamer in the Demerara River ---
In the middle of the Demerara River (Guyana's third largest river), somewhere near its mouth, a steamer is slowly sinking. It started sinking a while ago and is now starting to get to a critical point. The people on board are in desperation as they hope for a miracle. Standing on the river's east bank, just near Stabroek Market, are two individuals along with their followers who possess the power to save the sinking steamer and the people on board. One group is dressed in red, and the other group is dressed in green. As the steamer is going down with its screaming passengers, an argument ensues between the two groups standing on the river bank. The leader of the red group is vehemently insisting that he and his group were cheated out of the mandate to save the steamer. Meanwhile the steamer is rapidly sinking and the screams on board getting louder. The leader of the green group and his supporters respond that it was the red group's fault that the steamer was sinking in the first place. Interestingly, in plain sight for the two groups on the river bank to see was a huge rescue craft that had a banner which read, "Work together. Take me out to the steamer." But the two groups are two busy arguing to notice. Meanwhile, the steamer continues to sink, and the argument on the river bank continues.
On the sinking steamer itself there is an interesting development. Instead of working together and mobilizing together to save the steamer, the doomed passengers are themselves engaged in an argument with each other. In plain sight, but because they are too busy arguing to notice, was a safety-lever labeled, "Work together. Pull me". But of course, they are two busy arguing to notice. Co-incidentally, the passengers had split into two groups similar to the two groups on the east bank, with one group wearing red and the other group green. As the argument is unfolding, the elderly, the children, and the poor and homeless from both groups are wailing inconsolably, sorely distressed on account of the impending doom. Oblivious to the cries of these unfortunates, the adults in the red group are vociferously arguing that they didn't want the green-clad leader on the shore to save them since he was not the rightful leader, while those in the green group counters that it was the other group's fault that the steamer was sinking. And so the argument continues, and meanwhile, the steamer is rapidly sinking.
Please, let us put aside all our disappointments, all our suspicions, all our resentments, all our ethnicities, all our differences. We have more in common than we have differences. There are more that bind us than separate us. Let us all come together. Let us all work together to save our lovely native land.
