Tribune launches an attack against young people at COB

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kyrxiii1<<< A file photo of a demonstration by young students at the College of the Bahamas.

The Tribune Editorial [Thursday 19th Nov. 2009] launches an attack on the students at COB and lambastes the PLP calling its propaganda as a “BIG LIE”. Bahamas Press publishes the editorial in full today to allow readers the opportunity to see how the BIAS WUTLESS MEDIA of the FNM now launches an attack on young people along with its usual antics against the PLP.

Tribune Editorial
Published On:Wednesday, November 18, 2009

AFTER HEARING the many complaints from College of the Bahamas students about the lack of campus security, it was indeed a surprise that so few attended when their union arranged a meeting for them to meet with college security.

Following a string of robberies on campus, which students blamed on lax security, COB students’ union hosted an on campus safety forum, inviting all students to attend and report their complaints to the persons responsible for their safety.5_blog-post

Security director Wellington Francis and campus investigator Ricardo Miller were among those waiting to answer students’ claims that campus security had not worked hard enough to make them aware of the crimes being committed on campus. According to the students, the lack of communication has put them at great risk.

The security officials replied that they report all criminal activity on campus to the Office of Communications, which has the authority to inform students. It was then a student’s responsibility to check their notice boards and keep abreast of college activities, which include crimes.

The most surprising thing to come out of the meeting was that so few students attended — surprising in view of their loud complaints — and the fact that many students admitted to rarely checking the college’s bulletin boards, the online forums set up by the college, or their student e-mails.

If in fact they are not informed they have only themselves to blame. It is the College’s responsibility to provide security and make certain that the campus is as safe as possible, but there comes a point when students have to be equally responsible for their own safety. And that is by being informed. And the only way to be informed is to participate fully in the life of the college, know what’s happening on campus and daily check all areas of information that the College provides.

How can they become responsible citizens, if they do not know how to be responsible students? This is an important lesson to learn and where better to learn it than on COB’s campus.

* * * *
The Big Lie

In a letter to the Editor, yet to be published, the writer wonders “if a government that focuses excessively on answering its critics is not a government that has allowed those critics to get into its head.”

He, of course, was referring to the political sniping back-and-forth between the PLP’s newly appointed chairman and Government.

We are of two minds on this score. Hitler believed in the big lie, which his propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels later turned into the dripping water theory. Goebbels maintained that if the water (the big lie) dripped often enough it would certainly make a deep impression on the stone onto which it was dripping. In other words if the lie were repeated often enough — and no one refuted it — because of its enormity people would believe it.

Many years ago when The Tribune and its owners were the PLP’s chief targets, outlandish and deliberate lies were told. We took the arrogant attitude that we should consider the source from whence they came and ignore them — in other words they, and the persons spreading them, were beneath the dignity of reply. However, over the years because we ignored the lies, we were often shocked to hear them repeated as gospel truth by a younger generation.

Were we wrong in not nipping the rumour off at its source and thus running the risk of wallowing in the same gutter as our detractors? Even after so many years, and so many lies later, we have not made up our mind on the matter.

The FNM is now faced with the same question. The issue being taken up by Mr Bradley Roberts, PLP chairman, seems equally petty in view of the major challenges facing our nation.

Mr Roberts — as does the leadership of the PLP — wants to blame crime on the FNM’s remodelling of their Urban Renewal programme, which was launched by then prime minister Perry Christie in his Farm Road constituency during his administration. They claim that the FNM’s version of Urban Renewal is not as effective in reducing crime as was the PLP’s.

However, police statistics do not support these claims. For example, the PLP were in power from 2002 to 2007. In 2001 (FNM) there were 43 murders. In 2002 (PLP) there were 52 murders; 2003 – 50; 2004 – 44; 2005 – 52 and 2006 – 61.

Armed robberies in 2001 (FNM) were 532. In the year 2002 (PLP) they were 765; 2003- 763; 2004 – 663; 2005 – 782; 2006 – 548.

The only dip shown were in rape cases. In 2001 (FNM) there were 111 rape cases; 2002 (PLP) – 140; 2003 – 114; 2004 – 89; 2005- 82 and 2006 — 72.

On the other hand housebreaking climbed steadily. In 2001(FNM) housebreaking figures were 1,803; 2002 (PLP) – 2137; 2003- 2581; 2004 – 2019; 2005 – 2255 and 2006 – 2628.

The crime figures are nothing to be proud of under either administration. However, they do not support Mr Robert’s and the PLP’s claim that the Urban Renewal Programme was the great force that reduced crime during the PLP years.

All parties would be wise — if in fact they are interested in the welfare of the Bahamian people — to stop finger pointing and get on with the job of finding solutions for this country’s many problems.

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21 COMMENTS

  3. @media
    WOW Media, have we now resorted to talking about people’s ma, Boi let’s not go there, I assure you I will not be diplomatic in my responses! A word to the wise is sufficient!!

    Now I know that I am SPEAKING THE TRUTH BECAUSE THE TRUTH HURTS LIKE HELL!! It is obvious that you are highly embarrassed that I could see right through you flimsy fabrications and have called you out. .

    You are mad because I have proven that once again, you do not publish the truth!! I read this site with a grain of salt and some black pepper!

    LOL!!! You are doing all this fabrication just to get hits on the internet, now that is what I call desperate! SINNING YOU SOUL FOR HITS ON A WEBSITE!

    JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  5. @ronica7
    Well by damn, twice! Like Bradley Roberta always say, “They love to give half-truths”. They FNM stated that the murder rate, was highest in 2007 ? But, let dare someone like “futurevoice” to research the stats, which he will find indicates that the highest percentage of the murders in 2007, came “AFTER” the month of MAY! Betcha, he won’t report that! Neither will yhe FNM – they are FULL of half-truths in their reporting! But the “New” voting political public are sorting ALL the truth !

  6. Thats right media, double standard. Can you imagine if the plp was in power and the commisioner had said that …well by damm!

  7. Ronica, you talking? Man look at this, the outgoing Commissioner of Police said he isn’t releasing the crime stats in certain categories because there too BAD. How could be accept what the FNM paper seek to say about the crime record under the PLP, when they refuse to apply pressure on this WUTLESS COP for not releasing full information on CRIME stats of 2008?

    You see how …. they are? I almost use that word RONICA!

    Bahamas Press/Editor

  8. @MEDIA
    Please don’t fret..because such a time IS…coming when the “real” Youth of this country (those who are watching, listening and concluding)will voice their opinions about our current Leadership – especially, that of “Papa”! They are going to get their say…they WILL “voice” on that day. And Oh, what a day that will BE !!!!!

  9. When will the Tribune ask for 2007- 2008 crime report. The murder rate stood at 84. But many murders was stymied by the police, as unclassified. The most murders has always occurred on the fnm’s watch.

  10. @Larry
    Don’t stray from the point Larry. The Tribune has criticized the students for failing to attend. Did they explore by what mechanism the college circulated the information about the meeting? NO Did the TOILET PAPER publish an announcement of the meeting? No! So why cuss the children when ya don’t know who was invited to attend.

    Again another arm of ‘Papa Doc’ used to WIP YOUNG PEOPLE! WE CRY SHAME ON THEM!

    Bahamas Press/Editor

  11. @futurevoice
    Go deal with that Canadian missing man story Futurevoice, we notice you ran off here after our response.

    Talking but MATILDA, Das ya MAH ech?

    Bahamas Press/Editor

  12. “That’s a lie, the Tribune did report on the robberies and rape which occurred there. If you want to dispute me, bet me $500 dollars publicly and I will post the links.”

    MATHILDA MATHILDA! Media you at it again??? Man it ain lunch time yet!!

  13. Now as it goes for criticizing COB students for not showing up in larger numbers at that meeting, that’s the opinion of the editorial. I agree, that the reason for low attendance might have been that some students were preparing for exams, whereas some others probably just didn’t care. Everyone knows, many young people, particularly of that age, complain a lot about things, but don’t make a concerted effort to really some things. This is not all, of course, not even most, but definitely many and its not exclusive to COB for that matter as well.

    • Let us clear up what we was to say. YES, the TOILET PAPER did print it but when? LONG AFTER THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED and the protest by the students was evident. How could an entire class be held up at gunpoint and it is not reported until students let it be known. NOT EVEN THE COLLEGE MADE IT KNOWN TO THE STUDENT OR THE PUBLICS.

      What kind a Mikey Mouse place is that? Why did the Tribune wait for the College to report the incident?

      Bahamas Press/Editor

  15. media :
    @Bahamasyouth
    Bahamasyouth I don’t want you to get the message here. Children were getting robbed, beatup, their cars stolen and a class was held up at gunpoint. Where was the Tribune to report these events? They said NOT a word, but now the College tell them they had a meeting, all of a sudden they cussing the children. NOW WE KNOW HOW FAR ‘PAPA DOC’ hands reach. Right into the pen of the WUTLESS DUTTY Tribune!
    Bahamas Press/Editor
    [Reply]

    That’s a lie, the Tribune did report on the robberies and rape which occurred there. If you want to dispute me, bet me $500 dollars publicly and I will post the links.

  16. The point is criminal activities is being committed on campus, so what COB saying about beefing up their security measures? It is obvious that the ones they have in place are not working. While I agree, the students should be concerned about there surroundings and what is going on campus, I don’t see where blaming them is going to help with the crime problems that they are facing. That’s the problem we face as a country we waste too much time blaming this one and the next one, instead of looking for solutions.

  17. Could the poor attendance have anything to do with the fact that the students are busy preparing for and sitting exams?

  18. Since the TRIBUNE published the crime statistics for the entire PLP governing period-2002-2006,it is only fair that the Tribune also published the same crime statistic for the FNM from 1993-2001.Once this is done readers will be able to see which government was more effective in fighting crime.The Tribune MUST REMEMBER that it was the FNM who BLAMED the PLP for DRUG SMUGGLING,RAPE, AND OTHER CRIMES DURING THE 1980S,INDEED THE FNM SAID DRUG SMUGGLING,RAPES AND MURDERS WILL BE A THING OF THE PAST ONCE THE PLP IS VOTED OUT OF OFFICE.After reading this article i can tell you that it is the Tribune that is engaged in the BIG LIE.Example more murders occured during the 1993-2001 period than during the 1967-1991 period of the PLP.

  19. @Bahamasyouth
    Bahamasyouth I don’t want you to get the message here. Children were getting robbed, beatup, their cars stolen and a class was held up at gunpoint. Where was the Tribune to report these events? They said NOT a word, but now the College tell them they had a meeting, all of a sudden they cussing the children. NOW WE KNOW HOW FAR ‘PAPA DOC’ hands reach. Right into the pen of the WUTLESS DUTTY Tribune!

    Bahamas Press/Editor

  20. The reason why there were a bad turn out amongst COB students is because of BAD PUBLIC RELATIONS and also there are a vast amount of students who CARE-LESS about the state of the college.

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