Dear Editor,
Since 1967 to 2013, The Bahamas has had three prime ministers who were the chief representatives of the people. And as the nation is about to celebrate its 40 years of independence, I can't help but ask myself: Where has 40 years of governance taken us and are we better off now versus 40 years ago? Since 1973, crime has increase exponentially and is currently out of control, with murders over 100 every year. The United States government has seen it necessary to warn its citizens of the danger of coming to The Bahamas, this once peaceful country.
While Bahamians live in fear for their lives and property, the government's only solution has been an amnesty period for criminals to turn in their guns. What? A carpenter turn in his hammer? Are we serious? Wow, what Harvard scholar came up with that idea? Surely that couldn't have failed? Did it? Yet armed robberies and other gun offenses have only increased. I guess the next idea is to allow criminals to kill out each other until there are none left, ultimately reducing the murder rate and to some extend crime.
Illegal immigration is out of control to the point that prime ministers past and present, including Cabinet ministers and ministers responsible for immigration, have lacked and continue to lack ideas on how to solve this vexing problem. Yet, they have ambitions greater than their abilities. Governments have allowed illegal immigrants to squat on our land, find gainful employment and exploit Bahamian resources to no end. As the Latino Diaspora changed the face and culture of South Florida, similarly would be the fate of The Bahamas as a result of our governments' failed immigration policies.
Our educational system is a disaster. School violence is out of control to the point that our junior and senior high schools have members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force stationed on their campuses while our national grade point average is a D. Yet, ministers of education continue to receive huge salaries. Wow, only in my country. The country is in a poor financial state and in debt to the tune of more than $4 billion while Standard and Poor's ratings service has lowered The Bahamas' credit rating, saying that the nation's fiscal position has deteriorated due to increased spending and a declined revenue base.
At the same time while Bahamians are losing jobs, homes and unemployment continues to grow, without the least bit of shame as the nation's citizenry struggles to make ends meet, wealthy members of Parliament debated on an increase to their salaries when they can't even keep the streets clean or control the stray dog population and keep poor pedestrians from being attacked as they go about their business. God help us all. Over the past 40 years our agriculture industry is all but wiped out.
Our animal husbandry industry has both feet in the grave but due to the breath of God it has not died; while our fisheries are being heavily poached by foreigners. We can't even feed ourselves. Do we even have a minister of agriculture? Our natural resources, including or aragonite worth billions of dollars, are being mined in The Bahamas, yet the country and its people are suffering. If oil is found in The Bahamas this too would be foreign owned. Foreigners own the best of our land, beachfront properties and our cays while natives are corralled like animals into the center of the island.
As foreigners bask on private beaches with their dogs, the natives are forced to pile up like penned-up crabs on a handful of beaches. Under the noses of three prime ministers, numerous Cabinet ministers, an entire Parliament of elected members and other government and law enforcement officials, gambling has been allowed to grow in this country for more than 40 years to the point that in 2013 a small group of men established a massive illegal gambling enterprise, seemingly with government and law enforcement approval. My God, who is in charge of the country?
Norman's Cay was one island, but this has happened almost throughout the entire nation and the excuse was "we are creating jobs". So did Carlos Lehder but that does not excuse an illegal activity. Who is watching the gate? So what was the government solution: Let's put an illegal enterprise to a referendum. Do you want to tax and regulate this illegal activity and enslave our citizenry to a gambling vice? In this 40th year of independence what are we celebrating? It can only be the age of our independence and not the success of our country.
Nonetheless, we have become accustomed to, without shame, celebrating failure. We call ourselves FNM or PLP and make excuses for our members of Parliament in spite of subpar representation and their shameless conduct in our House of Assembly. Moreover, every year we rent the stretch limousine buy the expensive dresses and shoes. We hire the hair stylist, makeup artist and photographer all for our D students on prom night. Yeah, our baby is graduating and with her D grade! She is almost qualified to compete with the Haitians, Jamaicans, Dominicans and Filipinos for a maid job.
I don't have time to speak about Grand Bahama and the Family Islands - the abuse, waste and maintenance of government facilities and resources, for which no one is held or seems to be responsible for. So let's celebrate 40 years of questionable governance as our country is given away to the rich foreigner, illegal immigrants and their children. And hopefully in the next 40 years, due to our failed immigration policy, our future Bahamian prime minister, Jon Pierre, Sanchez Martinez or Lee Wong and his Cabinet ministers, would show us how a country should be run; because if the past 40 years of governance is any example of leadership, then even a caveman can do it.
- N.P. Davis
Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian
