Dear Editor,
This open letter is directed to Branville McCartney, leader of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA). McCartney, please don't despair for all the discouraging remarks appearing in the papers about whether or not the DNA stands a chance in winning the election. We think they are just jealous of you, and we think you would be the greatest prime minister we will have ever had. Be brave, stay positive and when that inevitable day comes, God willing, you will win. We are looking for better laws, particularly where it concerns the loss of our land and the rights of women.
When I watch the BREA channel, or see photos of employees at some of these so-called Bahamian real estate agencies, I hardly see a Bahamian. The foreigners join up and collude with these agencies and appraisers to sell most of our land to other foreigners at exorbitant prices. Their actions have caused real estate prices to soar and become prohibitive to the average native born Bahamian. So, not only is the average young Bahamian couple excluded from buying a piece of their heritage, they are also barred from selling it, too.
Pretty soon we will have no land left because the majority of it will be exclusively owned by the foreigner and the elite. We must pass a law and safeguard these lucrative positions of real estate salesmen and brokers for Bahamians only. At least in this way, we will have only ourselves to blame for the high prices not the foreigner. In regards to womens' rights, it seems that the only right we have is the right to vote. Our daughters and grandchildren cannot stay here when they marry a foreign man because the only status they receive might be a work permit (and even that is not guaranteed) or a residency permit without the right to work.
Since 1948, when a young person is caught with a little marijuana, they get branded for life. Those laws should be changed too because it is these same young men who continue to take drugs and begin to commit crimes because they feel ostracized and punished. Their freedom of movement becomes restricted because their right to travel is taken away from them. The police record of these young men should be reviewed because after all, the blind eye of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government
should bear some of the blame for allowing drugs to move freely into our country during the late 1960s or 1970s, as I recall. Your answer was absolutely correct when you were asked in the media about the law regarding rape by a husband. What was "Papa" thinking about when the bill was introduced? What rubbish! Your answer was right on the mark. How can rape ever be proven? When a couple marry, they marry for better or for worse. Sex is part of marriage. If the wife does not want to have sex with her husband, then she needs to either leave the home or divorce him. Sir Roland Symonette was a young man who did much for the people of The Bahamas. You, too, are a young man, and because of your principles and the vision you have projected, we know that you will do well by the people and won't do anything to destroy The Bahamas.
I just know it because of your sincerity and logic when you appear in the media. I believe you are the person to plug the holes in the immigration process, because when I go out in the public today, I see more foreigners than I do Bahamians, especially in the food stores. I can't help but see the drastic change in demographics and the cultural aspect of the people. God bless you, Branville McCartney. We love you, and I want you to know that our household is voting for you. Mary Lou Hicks
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