Jerome Pinder

Letter to The Tribune Editor dated the 3rd November, 2009:

Well it is happening right before our eyes.  Only several months ago I asked the question: What would the Government do, if crime began to have a direct effect on our Tourism Industry?  Since this letter was published, we have had the robbery of 11 tourist as a national headline and now crime has had a direct effect on a leading resort in the Bahamas.  It is obviously not good enough for these thugs to destroy Nassau and cause this island to be crippled with crime and the fear of crime, are they now going to set out and destroy Paradise Island?  Can you imagine visitors returning home from a five star resort only to tell family and friends they were dodging pullets!!  If this was an isolated incident, I could somewhat understand.  But this is not isolated, this is how out of control crime is in this country and the lack of respect that these thugs have for law and order.  This type of incident is going to happen again if the Government continues to keep their heads in the sand.  I might add that I completely support the decision of Atlantis to place a ban/restriction on teens.  At all cost, they should have the right to protect their guest, who are also our guest in this Country.  But watch out, it won't be long before somebody places a spin on this and blames Atlantis for discriminating against locals.

Following this incident, today's paper reports a rumor that the Honorable Minister of National Security may make a challenge for leadership of the FNM.  If things were not so grim in this Country, I would have enjoyed a good laugh over this report.  The Minister cannot be seriously considering this.  As the man at the leadership of National Security in this Country he should be considering his resignation, as opposed to running for higher office.  However, if he does wish to make a run for PM once again, he should get crime under control as a start.  And, if he does not have the backing of his Cabinet Colleagues to do what it takes to deal with the criminal element in society, then he should stand up and resign and say why.  We would at least respect him for removing himself from a Cabinet unable to tackle this problem.

Somebody told me the other day that the only way Government would take the necessary steps to deal with the legal system, is for everybody to come together and shut the town down.  Meaning, no businesses would open, no schools, no civil service, no commerce, and no income for the Government.  They thought it would take a complete standstill for the Government to act.  I am not even sure of this, but perhaps a complete standstill of this Country would cause the Government to listen at the people, as opposed to the UN, Amnesty International, and every other left wing, radical organization.  And please don't blame the Privy Council again, an Act of Parliament is still an Act of Parliament.

Now to top all of this off, we have to spend the next three days listening to the FNM blow smoke up in the air about the great things they have done.  This is after we still try and catch our breath from all the smoke we inhaled from the PLP Convention.  It will be interesting to see what the FNM have to say about Crime at their Convention and how they intend to deal with the legal system.  It appears the Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy only has the ability to meet once.

Stay tuned, the smoke will be rising.