An open letter to the FNM: Don't abandon the people of Bimini

Wed, May 21st 2014, 09:19 AM

Dear Editor,
Poor Bimini. Poor Bahamas.
That is all that comes to mind as I witness one of the rarest and most precious gems of our national birthright being systematically destroyed, torn apart before our very eyes.
Bimini is the cradle of our fisheries, the source of the whole country's abundant marine wealth upon which tens of thousands of our people still rely for their livelihood and sustenance.
Where is the Free National Movement as thousands of years of natural history are wiped from the face of the earth? Where is the voice of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition? So far there is only silence.
FNM, the people of Bimini need you. I don't refer to the so-called 'leaders' of that community, who no doubt have their own reasons for selling the people a false vision of the future.
The locals, the average Biminites, have been 'shocked and awed' by the political might of the central government and the financial might of a colossal foreign conglomerate. They are overwhelmed, intimidated, voiceless, and in the true sense of the concept, utterly leaderless.
Meanwhile, fatal damage is being inflicted upon the bountiful environment that has fed local families for generations; has attracted thousands of awe-struck visitors who spend millions a year to partake of Bimini's natural wonders; and has afforded many Biminites the opportunity to earn a good living.
How many will soon have to exchange the freedom of the open water for the tyranny of the punch-clock, the bonefisherman's pole for the janitor's mop?
It is the end of a culture, a history, a way of life.
This is to say nothing of the complete breakdown of due process that led up to this disaster. Form elevated over substance, the rule of law trampled underfoot, local opinion disregarded, local rights tossed aside.
I despair of living in a country thus governed.
The FNM I once supported was dedicated to respect and upholding of the rule of law.
The FNM stood for principal; stood for what was right; stood strong, independent and alone if necessary in the face of wrong or in the face of majority abuse; it stood for individual rights; for local rights.
Was all of that for nothing? Did the FNM spend three terms in power for nothing? Did the FNM struggle to win elections and pass laws for nothing?
Mark my words: this fight is not simply about what the local leaders are intimidated into accepting for Bimini.
At the end of the day, the fight is not so much about Bimini as it is about how the Bahamas is governed. It is about respect for our laws; it is about respecting local rights; it is about respecting due process; it is about respecting our heritage, culture and the wonderful diversity that exists in various Family Islands; it is about protecting what is left of The Bahamas as opposed to giving it away wholesale for pennies.
It is about governing civilly and not savagely!
This PLP government doesn't seem to have any respect for the spirit of our laws. There have been no permits issued in accordance with the Protection of the Physical Landscape Act; the warnings in the developer's own Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) have been ignored.
The destruction of Bimini is but the exposed tip of the iceberg. It is a symbol of the breakdown of a country.
I suggest that the FNM should stand for more than quiet resignation to this abuse, meek acceptance of the complete collapse of good governance, which the party worked so hard to create.
If the FNM does nothing here, it will be a complete betrayal of the confidence of its voters and supporters, who have struggled so hard, for so many years, to keep at bay those who have a very different way of doing things.
This is a watershed moment for the FNM, when the country will see what the party really stands for.
I beg the FNM to see the bigger picture here, to use Bimini as the flag you fly when charging your opponents.
Start a national movement in defense of priceless local culture and in opposition to the generic sameness of the mega-resort and anchor project; a movement in defense of civilized governance and the rule of law.
I believe in due process, local rights, respect for Family Island cultures, respect for the environment, proportionate development and sustainable development.
I am willing to fight to my last breath to try and create the kind of Bahamas that my children and future generations can live in.
Please put your vision of a better Bahamas over the fear of the leaders of Bimini and stand for what is right.
- Fred Smith

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