A letter to BP

Dear BP,

As a veteran of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, it bothers me to see the types of commentary such as the one you have going on now!

Defence Force marines are not usually in the spotlight like the Police but we have a very stressful, demanding and difficult job! We are often away from home and many times our lives are in danger.

The young man who killed himself is my squad mate and also a veteran of 17 years who served his country tirelessly up to the time of his death! Not buried yet and has found himself as a topic of discussion!

Our organization, like any other, has some bad apples in it but as a whole it contributes to this country in ways unimaginable to the average Bahamian! It is sad to see politicians and influential people such as yourself only mention us when we fuck up!

What about the marines and police officers who have lost their lives serving and protecting this ungrateful nation? Where is their honour? I mean no disrespect to you but it bothers me to see ordinary citizens ridicule our organization when they don’t have the backbone if only for a day to do the things we do as a career every single day!

This is the only nation in the world that does not respect its armed forces! What a disgrace!

Signed,

L/m Andres Burrows

BP: Editorial note – We respect and appreciate the fact that service above self is a testing vocation, however the letter writer cannot deny the fact that those “bad apples” – who have yet to feel the weight of any law – is corrupting the organization and is a threat to the national security of this nation. Anyone who could sell sex for water, trade in their uniforms to an enemy for money and leak a classified document have poisoned the trust we as citizens have reposed in that individual. Heads must roll in these developments at the RBDF and it is clear the kinds of punishment delivered on Police for their infractions are not being met by rogue Defence Force Officers who have committed breeches in the system.