Sidney Sweeting, DDS
It is impossible to live in any country where there are no complaints about the way the country is being governed, the quality of service at the utility companies, the unpaved roads, the dirty beaches, the malfunctioning traffic lights,etc. We could however, have streets paved with gold, pristine beaches and every traffic light on the island working all the time but the time has come to take the gloves off and let Government get real serious about crime in the country or everything else will be for naught.
It has become common for criminal cases to make it to court and the lawyer acting for the defense requests a postponement which is granted and the people who were called as witnesses are told that they will have to appear on a new date. At the new date another postponement is requested, it is granted and the witnesses are told again that they will have to appear on a new date. If it is postponed a third time the victim has lost patience and drops all charges. The defending lawyers and the defendant know that this is a possibility. So, they have won and the criminal is free to rob again. I have been told of several cases where this has been the scenario in Harbour Island. I am sure that this is very common. This nonsense must stop. Now.
When a man rapes a 6 year old girl (a true case several years ago) and after being convicted of the crime the pervert is sentenced to 7 years – because that was his first offense. The real crime here is Goverment did not see this as criminal negligence on their part – Change the law so that degenerates like him could be removed from society for the rest of their lives. He ruined the life of a 6 year old girl.
A man is sent to jail for 50 years for killing his girl friend. He was recently released because a judge considered that he had served sufficient time. Did the honourable judge consider that the girl is still dead?
It is long past time to remove the revolving door at the prison so that the criminals who are terrorizing us are not back on the streets doing the same thing in a couple of months.
This blog could go on for many pages but I want to make the point that unless Government wakes up to the urgency and realize that the clock is ticking toward the hour when crime will destroy our country if the gloves are not removed in dealing with crime. The time to act is long overdue.
Absolutely right.
Unfortunately the rule of law has been so sufficiently undermined that it is becoming the undoing of the elected and appointed in Civil service.
If the rule of law is no longer regarded with some commonality of understanding and observance by all so governed, what could conceivably be left?
But it is this which we are heading for, where there will be no sanctity for human life or right to property displayed by anyone especially those elected and appointed to safeguard and steward the rule of law.
Being that the majority of citizens are voluntarily ignorant of the rule of law, but want to have an opinion and have it count, we are asking for the worst possible outcome.
Examples abound, both within and without the Bahamas.
Law without justice is anarchy.. The fault is in ourselves for letting the lawyer ruling class destroy the very foundations of common law which puts the common man’s rights first and above all else.. We see the same political self-destruction arising in America where the past two administrations and the current Justice Department have destroyed many of the fundamental rights given to its citizens by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights..
Yes, time is running out for the Bahamas, but the same is true for the once great United States as Obamaism is destroying the very foundation of what once made America great.. Everybody looses under Socialism.. Just ask the Europeans who now must pay the piper.. Get ready American you may be next..
Right on Dr Sweeting. I wish I could deal with this people for a few years. Take a look at Singapore?
It would appear this government is only concerned with two things, how to stay “one up” on the PLP, and how to get votes for the next election.
The people of this beautiful country have no rights anymore, the criminals have taken them from us.
I hope our FNM government wakes up soon, before its too late.
Election day is comming fast and many people are fed up with their lack of results in the issues important to the people.