BB-2-ccc-1
Dear Gang of Four,
VIST BYMINISTER CARMICJEAL [Guyann Northwest Regional Minister Fitz Uriel Alexander Carmichael]:
Today Cde Carmichael paid a brief visit to the project.Although the Minister was very kind and most courteous, the subject of his visit when viewed in light of information we have heard in the past several daysonlyserves to augment our apprehesion. We believe in being straightforward, and we do wish others would take the same approach.
[unreadable text] Allow meto briefly outline the background:
Three rumors have receached our ears in recent weeks:
1) Two Ministers of government have told us that a third Miniter is Saying we “get special privilege” from the GDF. Five days after this rumor reaches our ears, we are billed for emergeancy flights.
@ [2]) You may fbe familliary with a recent very difficult birth of twins [Monyelle and Marchelle Jones] on the Project. Indeed, we have informed concerned persons of the rather sensitive background of the children. Allegedly this same Miniier [Minister] is intimating that these twins do not, in fact, exist, and has raised an issue about our using amateur radio to consukt with doctors all over the world. [Handwriting: “This member has said we have offered [illegible word] that he wanted to terminate our use of amateur radio which is valuable to us.”] [Handwriting in margin: “(not Minister Carmichael)”]
3) Three people have asked rather odd questions about Cde Chaukin [Eugene Chaikin], the co-ordinator of our citrus production.Each of these persons wanted to know if he were still on the Project. [Crossed out: “the insinuation seemed to be that he might not even be alive!]
[Handwriting: “4 Someone representing himself as from Ministry of Dev[elopment] came to see our front gate, asking about U.S. dollars”] With the above in mind, Cde Carmichael’s questions today aroused some suspicion. He asked:
1) How much we were paying for GDF flights? (In fairness, let me stress that he said he wanted to check to see if wewere being over charged, [Handwriting: “ & only after Cde Jones pursue the issue.”]
2) He asked to see the twins and wanted to knoew if “there was communicatio[n] with overseas” about the birth.
3) He asked if Cde Chaikin was on the project.
[Handwriting: “5 we have received telephone call from [illegible word] saying they were from the opposition + claiming that “the government” asked us to meet with them.”]
He stated atthe outset that he had two things he wanted to talk about. In other words, the above were the object of his visit and were not simply part of a casual, informal conversation. In light of the above-mentioned rumors, we simply cannot believe his questions were coincidental, although he handled himself like a diplomat and was very thoughtful. Indeed, while he was here he saw a very gravely ill child from the neighborhood who will need [Handwriting: “immediate”] treatmebt in G-town. [Handwriting: “by a brain surgeon”] Cde Carmichael suggested the baby saty under the supervision of the medical staff (the mother asked for this too) until arrangements could be made for its transportation into the capital.The Minister said he would check into GDF, and I’m sure he will. We do understand the fuel shortage and expense entailed in GDF flights, however, we cannot afford to pay for such flights at this time. We are very concerned about this child, and will be sending both the baby and its mother into Mathews Ridge in the Minsiters car on Friday, if it is not too late. At that time Cde Chaikin will meet the Ministers landrover, so as to dissuade any ridiculous rumors. [Crossed out: “(I cannot imagine how these things get started as Cde Chaikin was just recently at the PNC conference in Port Kaituma and spoke with many officials there.)”; Handwriting: “INSERT #1 He was at the PNC conf where any official could have asked him whatever questions he wished.]
Perhaps it is too much to expect people to be direct and starightforward. It would seem that such an approach would be easiest — unless, of course the intention is not to clarify a situation but to cloud it. From what
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BB-2-ccc-2
[Handwriting:
“ 90 Wed
105 Tues.
200 Fri.
} giving out tickets & papers”]
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BB-2-ccc-3
[Handwritten note in margin: “government officials, friendly to [illegible word] said]
we have heard and from the nature of the questions today, it appears that the intention of one Minster of government is to achieve the latter.
We recognize that to some our approach to both life and death is an enigma. We have even heard that we ahve been called “offbeat” [crossed out and “Sharon” written] or “mad.” No doubt such a misinterpretation stems from a lack of comprhension about our attitude towrds living and , especially dying. We do not fear death. Rather, we would be proud to die for what we believe — proud to have our deaths be meaningful. Cuffy set limits on the usurption of his freedom, and finally gave his life. Vietnamese monks burned themselves for a just social cause — not out of some perverse “weird” sense of martyrdom, but because they felt the cause they were dying for was far more significant than their individual existence.
Such an attitude towrds death does not hamper one’s ability to live life to its most productive reaches. On the contrary just because we have always been willing to give our lives in a moments notice for principle (indeed, several whilte [crossed out: “civil rights leaders”] said [illegible handwritten insertion] actually feared our courage to satnd up for Black peoples rights so vociferously. After all, we were the only church that stood beside Angela Davis, and our efforts were directly responsible for the release of activist Billy Joe Smith.) we are able to take each day and fill it with love and the joy of living. Please do noot underestimate prepared to die as we are, you can count on their loyalty. Some have an unreasoned prejudice against [text crossed out] immigrants. We have come a great distance to help build Guyana, and, as you well know often the “convert” to a “religion” can be more zealous a believer than one born to the faith. The Soviets have told us that was the case with people who came to their country to work on co-op farms just after the Revolution. [Handwriting: “(We are not idealogues, but in terms of U.S. relations we’ve been asked to have friendly rapport w/ the USSR)” and “INSERT #2” [referencing note at bottom of page]
[Text crossed out: “Insert: We would venture that the different points mentioned in this letter point to some kind of”]
INSERT [Handwriting: “#1”]: Just the other day, without any explanation, the cane chopper/ and grater/ pitter that Gregory Gaskin (who had conatacted Dr. Fernandes) had initially told us we could borrow for six months was picked up and returened to the Ridge. We have had it two months. [Handwriting: “In a which which would have benefitted all of Guyana”] It was not being used before, and we are using it. When we contacted Collin Edwards (who is taking Dr. Fernandes Place) he said we could keep it, after checking with the Livestock people at Arakaka, who own the machinery. Nevertheless, a truck came by and picked up the [crossed out: “machinery.”; illegible substitute word] We are not unreasonable people, we would have gladly worked out some arrangment –but we were not asked about it directly.
[Handwriting: “Insert #2 we are very much in need of a boat, and have been negotiating on a vessel. We brought this to the governments attention and we have learned from one of your members that there is nothing to bar our U S. denomination from purchasing it. The boat is registered to Trinidad and we were initially led to believe the current owner is Trinidadian However, now we have heard there may be some question about the current owners citizenship. We hope the matter” ]
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BB-2-ccc-4
[Handwriting, crossed out: “As badly as we need this boat + we need desperately — there is nothing to bar our U.S. church den[omination] from using it + we might [illegible word] to yr. Govt attention through one of your members.”]
[Handwriting, continued from BB-2-ccc-3, “may be speedily resolved. Although we are very much in need of this boat, we (“would not hope” crossed out) trust that (“we” crossed out) no one would be offering to put us in the (unwittingly) position of not following government guidelines.”]