Dear Editor,
What is Bahamian culture?
Is it our behavior? Is it our mindset? Is it our cavalier and selfish attitudes? Is it the cleanliness of our neighborhoods, downtown and roadways? Is it the landfill (dump) burning? Is it treating each other the way we ourselves want to be treated? Is it the serious crime that's wreaking havoc in our Bahamian communities?
Is it the failure of the Bahamian educational system? Is it fun family gatherings at home and at the beach where we discuss lighthearted and important matters? Is it shooting marbles? Is it spinning tops? Is it playing jacks or hopscotch? Is it flying kites? Is it going to fish fry? Is it playing ring play?
Is it throwing trash out of the car's window as we drive along the Bahamian streets? Is it sloop sailing and the regattas? Is it the homecoming festivals held throughout our Bahamas? Is it the heritage festivals? Is it playing rounders or socking in the streets? Is it our thinking? Is it placing a Bahamian flag in front of our homes and offices, or on our vehicles? Is it our food and drink?
Is it the way we speak? Is it our music and musicians? Is it rake and scrape, Junkanoo, reggae, soca and jazz? Is it our Junkanoo? Is it our dance? Is it our art and artists? Is it the art shows at the National Art Gallery? Is it the plays held at the Dundas? Is it our architecture? Is it our clothing? Is it the colors of our houses and buildings? Is it our sun, sand and sea?
Do the politicians and the "political elite" know what is Bahamian culture? Do the Junkanoo leaders know? Do the pastors and priests know? Do the lawyers, accountants and police know?
Do the ambitions of Bahamian politicians take precedence over what the people want?
Do Bahamian politicians believe that they are somehow "better" than the people who voted for them?
Are Bahamians to step up for the good of our country and children? Or are we to go off quietly into the night taking care of the routine and simple things of this life?
Let's not muddy the water anymore relative to what is Bahamian culture. Let's all as Bahamians know and add weight to Bahamian culture - and know what it isn't.

- Gregory W. Strachan

Dear Editor,

When I heard the news about the punishment that was handed down to the two police officers who were caught on video drinking on the job, I was absolutely outraged. This was literally a smack on the wrist.
Anybody whose head is not buried in the sand knows that this has been a problem for a long time now. The commissioner had the opportunity to send a clear message that this kind of behavior would not be tolerated. The precedent has now been set. How could he fire any officer in the future for this same infraction? They would have a good case to argue that they are not being treated fairly.
Police should be held to the highest standard and letting these officers off so easily has lowered the bar.
Has the moral fabric of our society decayed so badly that these sorts of behaviors are dismissed as no big deal? All right-thinking citizens should be outraged at this.
With all due respect, I think the commissioner dropped the ball on this one.

- Outraged Citizen

Dear Editor,

On our return trip from visiting our neem farm in Paraguay, Nick and I had the pleasure of visiting with friends in San Jose, Costa Rica, a country with more than five million people.
What was most impressive to us was the hospitality of the people. We traveled within the city and to several rural areas visiting family farms and large commercial coffee plantations. Employees were well informed and genuinely displayed a sense of ownership in the business where they worked. They showed excellent service with a sense of pride and gratitude for us visiting their country.
Apart from their crazy road systems that gives the feeling of going around in circles like bumper cars, everywhere was relatively clean and orderly. We never felt threatened and were always greeted with smiling faces. From the local markets where the local community shopped and ate to family-operated businesses, service was always offered with a gracious attitude. Most impressive was a spirit of entrepreneurship everywhere.
At the airport we were met with hospitality on arrival, and on departure the airport offered the best of gift selections from the smallest item to the most expensive creations all from local production. It was very hard not to overspend right up to the last minute.
By contrast, coming from a country where tourism is our number one industry, we could learn so many lessons from the Costa Ricans. Immigration needs to be more welcoming with smiling faces and a gracious attitude. Service needs to transmit a feeling of gratitude not servitude. Public spaces need to be treated as a reflection of our respect for ourselves and our environment; more focus on general upkeep and maintenance; better landscaping; museums and points of interest on all islands focusing on our history.
Shopping needs to incorporate more local production. There is a need for an institute to encourage and develop more artisan talent; Junkanoo souvenirs as a national gift theme celebrating our national festival.
Public service operators need better education about our country and statistics that most visitors will be curious about. Education in schools needs to include a program on hospitality and social studies, including current events.
Maybe by taking an attitude of gratitude and engaging the general public this focus could have a positive trickle-down effect at the family and community level. We need to get back to being the people who made us a number one tourist destination in the first place. The Bahamas was known first for its hospitality then for its sea, sun and sandy beaches.
While the government is trying to do its part in cleaning up its ministries that work for us, the churches and civic organizations and citizens need to get active working in unison to achieve a common goal of healthier living in The Bahamas with respect for ourselves, our neighbors and our environment.
By generally being kinder, more compassionate and more civic minded, we can return to the Tru Tru Bahamian of yesterday.

- Nick and Daphne Miaoulis

Dear Editor,

The Bahamas, like many nations in the Western Hemisphere, is under the rubric of Christianity due to the ubiquitous presence of the church. Like the United States of America, most Bahamians say that they trust in the God of Judeo-Christianity. This country, like our neighbors to the north, defines itself as Judeo-Christian, despite the spectre of multiculturalism and other religious and secular world-views. Notwithstanding the sheer dominance of evangelical and mainline churches, it is deeply troubling that children are being systematically abused in this country at an alarming rate.
These are the kids God has entrusted to us in order to nurture and care for. The Tribune stated that there were a staggering 856 cases of child abuse reported to Social Services in 2016. Out of that tally, there were 478 cases of neglect, 180 incidents of child abuse, 130 cases of sexual abuse and 33 incidents of incest. Undoubtedly, there were many other incidents which had gone unreported for whatever reason. In 2014, there were 597 cases of child abuse reported, while in 2013, 487 cases were reported, according to The Tribune. A close scrutiny of these disturbing figures would reveal an upward trend in child abuse, with an acute increase in 2016 from the 2014 and 2013 figures. It is alarming that in the three years cited, 1,940 incidents of child abuse were recorded in this small country. As a purportedly Christian nation, The Bahamas is a walking contradiction, when you look at the aforementioned child abuse figures. For a country which prides itself in being Christian, The Bahamas is very hard on children. Jesus told His disciples that they must not prevent children from coming to Him, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 19:14). The church must work in tandem with the powers-that-be to curb child abuse. Pastors should use their pulpits to educate their parishioners on how to properly raise and nurture children based on a biblical world-view. Bahamians must be taught the importance of not ruthlessly taking away the innocence of their kids. When abused, these kids typically end up harboring deep psychological and emotional scars that society pays for in the long run. If a child who is abused cannot confide in a parent for whatever reason, they should be encouraged to report the matter to a pastor, teacher, guidance counselor or the police. This social monstrosity must be dealt with ASAP.

- Kevin Evans