PLP opposed independence too

EDITOR, The Tribune.

MY INTEREST was piqued by a Nassau Guardian article pertaining to a Progressive Liberal Party Cabinet minister’s claim in Parliament that the Free National Movement opposed independence.

The PLP minister is correct. However, I wish the minister would have demonstrated the level of bipartisanship that senior PLP statesman George Smith showed when he corrected an untruth about FNM delegates to the Constitutional Conference leaving before an agreement was reached in 1972.

I also wish the minister would’ve mentioned the PLP and Sir Lynden O Pindling not supporting Labour Party Leader Sir Randol Fawkes’ call in the House of Assembly in August 1966 for a select “committee to explore the question of national Independence” from Great Britain. Fawkes’ proposal was approximately four months prior to Majority Rule Day and over six years prior to Independence in 1973. Fawkes, in his memoir The Faith that Moved the Mountain, did mention the petty reaction of PLP co-founder Cyril Stevenson to his independence proposal, in addition to the non-response of Sir Lynden, who was present in Parliament. I sincerely believe that the PLP leadership back then viewed Sir Randol as a threat. This can explain why the PLP top brass elbowed Sir Randol out of the party ahead of the April 1968 snap general election, after the death of Uriah McPhee. The party realised that it no longer needed Fawkes, as it did to secure its first general election win on January 10, 1967.

Regarding Constitution Day on January 7, 1964, I stand to be corrected by the editor, but I also think that the PLP was not thrilled with the idea of internal self-rule under the United Bahamian Party. Whatever

As Sarah Ann McMahan reflects: “Foot washing is messy business; it means getting down on your knees to mingle with the dirt of the human condition, and doing whatever is possible to try to clean it up with our own hands. It means to be intimately, personally involved in life-giving, compassionate ways in the suffering filth of those who must walk without shoes on the bare paths of meaninglessness and pain.” one’s views are regarding Sir Roland Symonette, Sir Stafford Sands and the UBP hierarchy, their achievement of internal self-governance laid the groundwork for independence. UBP sympathizers can easily bring up the issue of The Bahamas achieving its first Constitution in 1964, which was not supported by the then opposition. Given the context of the situation under the UBP, I can understand why Pindling and the PLP were apprehensive about the move to internal self-rule by the UBP. By the same token, I also understand why the FNM opposed independence under the PLP back then, as there were already grave concerns about the leadership showing dictatorial tendencies. Context is very important in discussing why the FNM was apprehensive about independence. our callous indifference to women and children in particular. and guaranteed criminal activity.

Let’s take a cursory look at our situation at the dawning of 50 years of Independence! A very small percent of our population owns and controls over half of the wealth of this nation. The vast majority of our people, those who can find work, live from pay cheque to pay cheque. Nevertheless, we are, because of our gross national product, classified as one of the richest small nations in the region, with an enviable per capita income. However, we cannot even institute a livable wage, just a minimum!?

The inherent inequities in our system can easily permit the strangling hold of poverty, or near poverty, however, to reign supreme in our small nation. It is socially and morally dangerous for any society to permit such differences.

Particularly on Grand Bahama and on New Providence, mothers, who are the sole providers for their children, cannot supply their basic needs. Consequently, their male offsprings get caught up in nefarious activities to supply their needs. The young girls, as young as 11 years, prostitute themselves, in some cases even with the tacit approval of their mothers, in order to provide basic material needs. Many of them cannot attend school in proper uniform were it not for their male suppliers.

Then, of course, no one is ignorant of what takes place upon leaving school. The situation is perpetuated, only now they begin to bear children for these ‘good’ gentlemen. And, thus, the vicious cycle continues. Many of our children lose for they are never given a chance to win. Young girls bear children and young men resort to crime and violence.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama February 22, 2023.

Why can’t we do something about this societal plague? Simple indifference! Why doesn’t our government do something more about this obvious poverty which drives our children to start on a path of crime that leads them to jail and probable death before the tender age of twenty? Lack of money, we hear, and the resulting lack of job and programme opportunities to enhance the quality of life for our young. Remember the small percentage of those who own the majority of wealth in the nation? This same wealth has been accumulated, by and large, through the sweat and blood of the poor, our black brothers and sisters and destitute whites, whose children are now financially impoverished and dispossessed.

Pray tell me the percentage of poor blacks or destitute whites who own a piece of our national real estate? They possess no wealth which is in chaos that could be ordered! I have advocated for years, in fact since 1977, that every Bahamian citizen should own a piece of our country. Thousands possess none and we expect them to feel at home.

Without an equitable system of taxation the government cannot get at privileged and enormous deposits. They sit stagnant (except for the amassing of daily interest), and so the frightening inequities continue. During the recent pandemic and Dorian, how many freed up some of their riches to enable our children to adequately continue their education? And now we see the devastating results!

God destined the earth and all it contains for all men and all peoples so that all created things would be shared fairly by all mankind under the guidance of justice tempered by charity. There is then the universal destination of earthly goods and every man has the right to possess sufficient amount for himself and his family.

Just imagine the social, psychological and even spiritual frustration in the hearts and minds of the thousands of graduates, who entered upon the course of dire uncertainty this coming month of June. Devoid of financial opportunities for further education and with the scarcity of jobs, they can so quickly lose that pristine grace of youthful enthusiasm and motivation as they tread the beat of the unemployed and the dispossessed.

Certainly, these, our children have dreams. But we as a nation have an obligation to assist them in the realization of those dreams. Will July 2023 bring the dawning of and new and glorious Bahamaland with dreams fully realised?

We need to be eternally mindful of the poignant warning given by Marian Edelman when she writes: “Inattention to children by society poses a greater threat to our society, harmony and productivity than any external enemy.” We are presently smack in the midst of this reality with the daily birthing of more and more internal enemies of the state. Yes, our children are the ‘darlings’ of the nation. But they can so easily become the demons unless they are properly nurtured and cared for. Call then ‘darlings’ only when we have done everything in our power to assure that every child in our land becomes an esteemed, proud, loved, cherished and cared-for individual. When we have made certain he/she is securely set on the path of self-esteem, self-worth and productivity, then and only then, claim them as our darlings. It is nothing short of criminal to believe that our responsibility for our children ends at the age of sixteen!

But this is not just the sitting government’s call to action. It is essentially a national call to wage “Holy War” on all those areas in society where the Spirit of Christ is encumbered by the strangling hold of abuse, neglect and abandonment of our children..

Then, some of us, simply out of political expediency are so ignorant and insensitive to suggest that there is no correlation between poverty, unemployment and crime. What crime is more heinous and detestable than that where our young girls and boys prostitute themselves for bare necessities. These silent victims, camouflaged by societal shame, hardly ever have their day in court. Certainly, as a long standing member of the United Nations, we have signed on to a plethora of treaties, declarations, including those related to our serious obligations related to the rights and protections of our children. Very sad to say, however, we are made more famous for our words and promises rather than any necessary and concrete action. We fall so dreadfully short that scathing reports from international bodies continue to be leveled against us, on many human rights fronts, including

There is a simple, direct and immediate way to eradicate poverty from this nation, where more than forty percent now exist below the poverty line. National Insurance, is not a contribution; it is a tax, for it is legally established to be taken out of salaries.

Presently, the destitute poor man or woman pays the same percentage as the super rich and multi-millionaire. This system has to change, keeping it under the NIB, but establish it based upon the income of each individual, where the rich will be taxed on their enormous income, and the poor on their little. There has to be a sliding scale.

If we continue on the present course, poverty, in its most deepest and most abject state, will be the heritage of our future generation unless we as adults in this nation assure everyone of our young men and women meaningful occupation as they exit the halls of our high schools.

Without this assurance, we have failed them miserably and have set the stage for future, certain

Jesus may not have directly proposed the eradication of poverty, stating, in fact, that the poor we will always have with us. But certainly these same poor were the ones dearest to his heart. Thus, by caring for and feeding them, we are in perfect obedience to the will of God that all men, all women deserve to live a dignified, joyful and fulfilling life. And I end with this powerful admonition of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who witnesses daily the scourge of absolute poverty in his country:

“A church that is in solidarity with the poor can never be a wealthy church. It must sell all, in a sense, to follow the Master. It must use its wealth and resources for the sake of the least of Christ’s brethren.” And who is the church? WE ARE THE CHURCH!

Suffer the little children to come to me for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Or will we continue setting them on a path of suffering and want, where no tender and caring hands reach out to them and lead them into the Arms of Jesus?

MAN ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF 10-YEAR-OLD

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 41-YEAR-OLD man was sent to prison yesterday after being accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl earlier this year.

Derrell Forbes, 41, represented by Kelsey Munroe, appeared before Magistrate Shaka Serville. There he faced charges of unlawful sexual intercourse and two counts of indecent assault. It is alleged that on January 19 in New Providence, Forbes had sex with a child. It is further alleged that on the same day the accused indecently assaulted the girl twice.

As these charges are indictable offences, the accused was not required to enter a plea at that time. Forbes was informed that his matter would proceed to

Police Search For Multiple Armed

the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

He was further told that while the magistrate lacked the jurisdiction to grant him bail he had the right to apply for it through the higher court.

Until bail is granted the accused will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Service of Forbes’s VBI is set for June 20.