As our nation observed the 38th anniversary of our national independence the Englerston community was again shaken when yet another young man’s blood soaked its streets, his life snuffed out by gunfire. He was 25 years of age.
This has become the signature triumph of criminality in our Bahamas. In the aftermath is left his grieving parents and his extended family, a wounded community and a country witnessing in almost helpless fashion, the rapid escalation of violent bloodshed. We must resist any rationalization of this tragedy, or any other, as killings taking place in some narrow realm of “bad people” with a criminal past or who have been in prison etc. Because in our effort to build a decent society we must face our truth and decline any comfort zones.
We must ask ourselves why so many young Bahamian men meet their demise in such similar circumstances by such vicious and violent means? We must ask why we are seeing this proliferation of illegal firearms which enter undetected into this country and are transacted with apparent ease into the hands of so many young people . We must always remember that each murder statistic has an identity. Last night’s victim’s name was Francisco Hanna. His family lived on Key West Street. He was a talented artist. He had a troubled childhood. He was loved.
The people of Englerston demand immediate action through the aggressive implementation of policies and programmes which address the truth of what is happening in their communi ty and in the country at large. They want an end to this horror.
Real National Security Threat – Bahamas Becomes Another Stronghold Of Haiti Unleashed
Never before had a nation been so hoodwinked that the continued seizing of guns on the streets, the blood shed and decline in respect for law been so clear as to where it originated from. Why care about the law when in fact those who are ruling do not see the importance of ensuring that justice is for all. The time for covering up has ended and sadly the reality sets in, the peace of the Bahamas can only return when both governing and opposition parties acknowledge their neglect in securing the nation from what has been in the making a long time ago. As a reading – THE TELEGRAPH UK – Thursday 21 July 2011 -Haiti earthquake: criminal gangs return to rule slums after escaping from prison – Gang members who once ruled Haiti’s largest slum with violence and intimidation have returned to the streets after stealing guns from prison guards at the collapsed National Penitentiary and destroying all records of their crimes. By Lucy Cockcroft – 10:00PM GMT 17 Jan 2010 – More than 3,000 inmates broke free from the prison after the earthquake hit last Tuesday, brandishing assault rifles and mounted on motorcycles, before returning to the Cite Soleil shanty town. It is understood that the criminals, including a hardened killer known only by the street name “Blade”, descended on the rubble of Haiti’s collapsed Justice Ministry and set it on fire to destroy any records of their incarceration or criminal history. Records held at the prison itself had also been incinerated. Ridding the slum of its warlord rulers had been among President Rene Prevail’s most celebrated achievements since taking office in 2006. But they have now flooded back to Cite Soleil, a warren of shacks and open sewers with a poverty-stricken population of 300,000. It’s only natural that they would come back here. This has always been their stronghold,” said a Haitian police officer in the slum. He and other policemen, who asked not to be identified, said the notorious armed gangs had begun making their presence felt. The fear is that large scale violence could break out, hampering the efforts or rescue workers and preventing the spread of vital aid. “They got out of prison and now they’re going around trying to rob people,” said Cite Soleil resident Elgin St. Louis, 34. “Last night they spent the whole night shooting,” she added. Forrestal Champlain, another resident, said: “They’re armed, they have no morals and they could do anything.” Another added: “No one’s in charge except the (gang) bosses.” It is understood the gangs overpowered a number of guards in the confused aftermath of the quake, stole their guns and burned all records held at the prison in a small windowless cell. Two lame guard dogs were found in another cell that had been blocked up by mattresses. Among the escaped prisoners are men so violent that tales of their crimes have become urban legend and feature in popular Haitian rap songs. However, Haiti’s National Police Chief Mario Andresol had a warning for the gangs. He said: “My message to all those armed bandits that are trying to take advantage of this situation is that we will arrest them just as we did in the past.” PRISON MAKES IT EASIER TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO RUN AWAY TO FEEL LIBERATED WHERE THEY ARE WELCOMED AND CAN DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BE UNSEEN AS BAHAMIANS ARE THE ONLY TYPE OF PEOPLE WHO NEVER LIVE UP TO THE CRIMES THEY COMMITT. In the biography of Hubert Alexander Ingraham -Other goals for his second administration are to further divest the island of large hotel and resort holdings, and sell off some of the government-owned public utilities as well. Ingraham has often spoken of his goal to “conduct the affairs of The Bahamas ‘in the sunshine,'” and put in place a system and mindset where the misdeeds of the previous era would not be possible. “What I want to bring about,” Ingraham told Peter C. Newman in Maclean’s, “is to shape a new political culture–to trigger a genuine revolution in … the way Bahamians see themselves. WOULD IT BE OUTNUMBERED, JOBLESS, CRIME RIDDEN AND WITH THE RESULT OF THE 2010 CENSUS UNAWARE THAT THEY CAN ONLY RELY ON BEING SHEEP SLAUGHTERED IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY. SAD THAT IT WOULD BE THAT A NATION CLAIMING TO FEAR AND SERVE GOD NOW HAS GOLIATH CAUSING SUCH FEAR. WAKE UP BAHAMAS SNAP OUT OF THE BLACK MAGIC SPELLS. NOT ALL HAITIANS ARE EVIL OR SEEKERS OF PEACE WITH A TERRITORY ONE HAS A BIRTHRIGHT IN BEING IGNORED. So Mrs.Hanna Martin there is a mixed culture with the plague of murder and the answer is rather simple, leaders snap out of the spellbound of doing nothing while the entire country is going to hell in a handbasket.
Mrs Hanna-Martin is right when she describes murder as a plague. The question is; will the PLP if returned to office seek the kind of advice outside of the police which will at least diminish crime?
Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!
I am impressed with the video clip.
I thought only the FNM knew how to do these stuff.
I must admit it can be a very effective clip.
But on the other hand I don’t know how the PLP would tarnish the Ingraham’s building and development record. I look around and all I can see is new stuff Ingraham is developing.
I think if the PLP happens to win this election, we as Bahamians should declare Mr. Ingraham “Minister of Building and Development” for life.
this government knows crime is out of control and they have no solution but yet they want to run this country for the next five years. the FNM knows the bahamians will reject them at the polls so what they do the unthinkable they given the haitians papers to vote them back in you may say it cant happen well there is about 60-80 thousand haitians here and about 70 -90 thousand people ready to vote if ing-rum can get most of them haitians to vote for him he could return sound sick aye? but it can happen that’s his plan talk about dictator this man is a stumbling block in the bahamian way just leave him to god.
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