On Friday, December 21, 2008 I had to visit the RBC Credit Card Centre down town Nassau, and Mr. Bumpy Watkins came in.

Knowing his unwavering support for the Castro regime I remarked that it would not be long before the Cuban people might get an opportunity to know democracy.

He immediately burst into a tirade that democracy is the worst form of government and Castro is the best leader in the world! To reinforce his point, he advised that not one person goes to bed hungry in Cuba.

Of course having visited Cuba I know this is not the case and told him so.

He then proceeds to blast that he owns a house in Cuba and he should know.

Here again, I asked how he could own property and the Cuban people could not?

This was when the ‘conversation’ really got interesting. He decides to shout that I am spouting George Bush rhetoric.

In trying to keep the conversation on track, I advised that he was trying to divert attention from the real issue and he should show me his title deeds.

His retort to that was his wife had them and besides, some people need to be told what to do and Castro was doing just that. Then in an attempt to avoid the discussion, he then said that he grew up under my kind and I wasn’t going to tell him what he should believe.

To this I responded that it was okay for him to have opportunities but that was not acceptable for the Cuban people. Curious indeed. Then in the politest tone possible I explained that he had something backwards. I actually grew up under him, and reminded him of his days as a Police inspector when he visited schools to inform students about responsibility etc.

In fact it wasn’t long after that ‘Bumpy’ was chairman of the UBP. Talk about me running the country. Go figure.

I further indicated that I knew black and white would be brought into the conversation. You see, when one does not have a logical response as in Bumpy’s case with this discussion, he resorts to race baiting. But all I was asking for was to see his Cuban land papers and I told him I found it curious that he could own property there when Cuba’s foreign Minister advised me in a meeting a few years ago that foreigners could not own property. And in fact it is well known that Cubans are not allowed to own property. It all belongs to the state.

At this point my business was done and I left old Bumpy talking at the top of his voice with the staff laughing at, not with him.

I must admit, while I saw the humour in the situation I was saddened that someone like Mr. Watkins who has obviously done well in a democratic environment, would want the Cuban people to continue to suffer under Castro and his horrible economic policies.

It leaves me cold.