Bahamians must resist the temptation to become beneficiaries of the proceeds from crime and must be prepared to consistently snitch on criminals!
Dear Editor,
As Bahamians, in their grief, call for more aggressive Government action on violent crimes, especially murder, I also know one thing: the evidence before us strongly suggests that the Opposition has as much interest and intent in abolishing the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as they had in repealing Value Added Tax.
After flooding this country with their fake crocodile tears for the suffering of the poor, they raised VAT by sixty percent, increasing the suffering of the poor – and without remorse or apology. This same Opposition is at it again – dishonestly exploiting the public anger, grief and outrage at the recent spate of murders of innocent females by proposing hanging as deterrent or solution to the crime of murder.
Pigs will fly and hell will freeze over before the FNM abolishes the Privy Council. Politicians and those who aspire to lead must be intellectually honest and level with the people they aspire to serve. Gaslighting an angry and enraged population for narrow and personal political gain is beyond disrespectful – it shows disdain for a people looking for answers.
Bahamians must must develop a culture of intolerance toward domestic abuse and violence and criminality in general. Totally. We must resist the temptation to become beneficiaries of the proceeds from crime. We must consistently snitch on criminals – methodically purging them from among us rather than offering them aid, comfort and refuge from justice while becoming accessories to and beneficiaries of the proceeds of crime.
In the midst of public outrage and anger, it sounds good to say “hang ’em high”, but in the real world, and using “real talks”, it ain’t gonna happen. The Government of the Bahamas is not going to abolish the Privy Council and decide that the Caribbean Court of Justice is where you put me. The country’s international commitment to human rights makes capital punishment more unlikely.
We saw this reality played out when the proverbial rubber met the road in the Joseph and Boyce murder trial in Barbados and locally with the murder trial of Forrester Bowe and others. The policy position of the human rights high commission and the ruling by the Privy Council loomed large and carried much sway in informing both domestic and international laws.
This expressed view may not be particularly popular, but it’s sober, honest, real and trustworthy.
Signed,
A. Bethel
