Dear Editor,
 
I read with keen interest a letter that was published in the February 22 edition of The Nassau Guardian.  It was written by Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Member of Parliament for Fox Hill Fred Mitchell.  Mitchell was responding to a column that was published recently by the daily which had called for him to apologize to Free National Movement (FNM) Senator Dion Foulkes over some comments he (Mitchell) had made after his name was caught up in an alleged scandal in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 2002 and 2007.
Let me state from the outset that I do not necessarily agree with what the FNM senator did.  Mitchell has a right to defend his name, but he went about it in the wrong way.  I think the wrongest thing for anyone to do is to respond to an opponent when furious.  When you are livid, you tend to make the wrong decision because you are not thinking clearly.  I think this particular case should be handed over to the police.  Foulkes had tabled a document in the Senate about an alleged visa racket that went on while Mitchell served as minister of foreign affairs.  Mitchell obviously feels as if he has been unfairly treated by the FNM and The Nassau Guardian.
In fact, I think he has even filed a lawsuit against a government official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who is at the center of this controversy.   Mitchell took aim at not only Foulkes in his letter, but also at Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette and Lynn Holowesko, president of the Senate.  I am a bit curious as to why Mitchell is so livid with The Nassau Guardian, though.  I read the editorial in the February 22 edition of The Freeport News, and I was left wondering what's the big deal.  While I can understand his frustration with the daily for not taking the official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to task for spilling her guts to U.S. officials, I cannot understand why Mitchell has decided to pick a fight with the newspaper.
I am beginning to suspect that PLP supporters believe that The Nassau Guardian and The Tribune are rooting for the FNM.  For some strange reason, the PLP and the two media giants seem to have a frosty relationship.  Mitchell always seems to have an issue with the two dailies.  FNM parliamentarians like Zhivargo Laing, Carl Bethel, Neko Grant and even Ingraham are perennially attacked by the writers of two popular PLP Internet dailies.  Yet, I don't recall any of them dignifying any of the dailies with a response.  I think Mitchell knows exactly what I am talking about.
In all honesty, I have never seen a politician in this country this angry.  I believe the PLP MP is treading on dangerous soil by attacking Ingraham and his parliamentary colleagues.  At the end of his letter, Mitchell states that in this forum he cannot say what he would like to say to them (that is, The Nassau Guardian).  I shudder to think what he meant by those closing words.  The Fox Hill MP also spoke about a blood libel by the FNM senator and there being enmity between himself and Foulkes' house.  The fact that he would mention the house of Foulkes is very chilling.  Is that a threat?  If so, what exactly does Mitchell intend to do with the FNM senator's family?  At a time when the city of Nassau is inundated with bloodshed, Mitchell's words could not have been more inappropriate and irresponsible.  Also, it sets a very bad example to the criminal elements who are reeking havoc in the capital.
The editor of The Nassau Guardian rightly took exception to Mitchell's choice of words.  I too had read Mitchell's comments, and I thought that he had gone way too far.  In fact, I was astonished.  I don't see why Mitchell is attempting to defend the indefensible.  The editor has called on Opposition Leader Perry Christie to warn the Fox Hill MP about the offensive words he has uttered about Foulkes in the press.  But I think the editor is wasting his time.  Contrary to what Mitchell said in his scathing letter, don't hold your breath editor.  Christie won't tell him to retract those words.  Besides, the opposition leader has recently complained about his MPs and candidates being unfairly targeted by the governing party.  If anything, Christie might be sympathetic to his party colleague.
In the final analysis, I believe Mitchell must leave The Nassau Guardian alone.  If he thinks he can defeat the daily, then he's got another thing coming.  The oldest newspaper in The Bahamas has dealt with the United Bahamian Party (UBP) and the administration of the legendary Sir Lynden O. Pindling.  The Nassau Guardian has seen politicians come and go.  And Mitchell will be no exception.  The editor was right to question his choice of words.  He should apologize to not only Foulkes, but to this entire country.
 
- Kevin Evans

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