A small group showed up in Rawson Square to protest the remarks of Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller in the House of Assembly during the mid-year budget debate on abusing an ex-girlfriend. Miller initially said he was serious about the comments. After a backlash, he said his words were in jest and he apologized.
Members of the Opposition, the Bahamas Crisis Centre and other concerned Bahamians have rightly condemned Miller for what he said. Beating women is not funny. Making a joke about beating a woman is not funny.
Bahamas Crisis Centre Director Dr. Sandra Dean-Patterson said on March 7 that Miller's remarks perpetuate and encourage violence against women.
"So to hear leaders and respected parliamentarians joke about behavior such as this only serves to reinforce perpetrators in their belief that they have a right to beat women and it feeds into the misogynic attitude that many people have that objectifies and sexualizes women," said Dean-Patterson at a press conference at the Crisis Centre.
With all the messages condemning Miller being expressed via social media, calls on talk radio and letters to newspapers, it was disappointing that so few people turned out to demonstrate in Rawson Square. Only about 20 people took part in the protest.
Such a small turnout lets our public officials off the hook when they transgress. Nothing scares leaders more than feet on the streets. A large demonstration would have imprinted even more into the minds of our politicians that violence against women is no joke.
Bahamians should not be of the view that the only time to turn out and express views happens every five years on Election Day. While voting is important, democracy is about continuous self-governance. In the case of this demonstration, just the sight of several hundred men and women in Rawson Square would have gotten the attention of the governing side. But, that moment was missed with the Rawson Square demonstration.
Bahamians are losing their activist spirit. Even with a smaller population, people turned out in much larger numbers in the 1960s and 1970s to demonstrate against the wrongs of the day. These days, it is hard to get our people motivated to take socially-minded action for a progressive cause.
Terneille Burrows, one of the protestors against Miller's remarks, noted the importance of standing with those who have been or are being abused.
"To the victims of domestic violence, molestation, sexual abuse, you can come forward. Do not be afraid. There are people who will stand with you," she said.
"And to people who have perpetrated on others and preyed on others, and acted in ways that they should not have... it is not funny and we will not take it any longer."
Miller's words are common in misogynistic circles. Men brag about the pain they inflict on physically weaker people to reinforce their power and control. To break this culture, those who oppose it must confront it.
While it is fine to write letters and put up posts on Facebook, sometimes your presence is required to bring home the point. Those who stand against domestic violence and against the remarks for Leslie Miller should have shown up in greater numbers to support this cause.

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