Edward Hutcheson

What are we going to do with the “foreigners” in our country? Many of them have been here since Noah built the Ark. Many of them pay hefty fees to have second homes here. Many of them support local causes that some Bahamians do not give a hoot about and they are very liberal with their social participation; especially in the arts and culture. The price of their “belonging” has often caused me to scratch my head; I do not know if I would pay it, in a land that is not really my home. However, I find solace in their activities;that some persons, other than Bahamians are aware of what this country has to offer and our prepared to put their money, time, and lives into it.

When politicians speak about foreigners, I get wary. Foreigners seem to be the good and bad in everything politicians have to say. We have foreign investors, foreign political advisors, foreign wives, foreign sweethearts, foreign banks and bankers, foreign businessmen, foreign teachers, foreign maids, foreign technicians, foreign doctors, foreign engineers,  etc.; this list can become exhaustive. We have even had a few political candidates who have had to prove that they were not, foreigners. Many of the major investments in this country are foreign owned and all of the political campaigns receive “contributions” from these foreign sources. A question to consider; If a Bahamian person or group makes a financial contribution to a political party  and we know that the particular person or group is known not have the interest of the Bahamas at heart, can we consider that contribution foreign?

One political party has accused the other of being more concerned about foreigners than they are about Bahamians, and the issue of foreign interests taking precedence over local has always been a “go to” topic in political campaigning. In the past couple of weeks we have seen a raising of the ante as one party leader has revealed that his law firm represents an oil exploration company that would like to drill for oil in the Bahamas. This would be a good time for that leader to reveal the foreign interests that he has claimed the other party is representing. Sadly, this may come down to who is able to shout the longest and the hardest, if the voters do not remain astute observers.

The following words from Charles Spurgeon more than 150 years ago, has an eerie ring, “We have to bear the sneer of the world—that is small; its flatteries, its soft words, its oily speeches, its fawning, its hypocrisy are far worse. Our danger is that we might grow rich and become proud; we might give ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world and lose our faith. Or if wealth does not test us, worldly care is quite as mischievous. If we cannot be torn in pieces by the roaring lion, we may be hugged to death by the bear.” In another part he goes on,” We must stay awake now, for we are crossing enchanted ground and are most likely to fall asleep to our own ruin”, and there is a further enjoining, “ Many in these days of easy-believism are likely to prove to be tares, and not wheat; hypocrites with attractive masks on their faces.”

We are being asked to believe. We would like to believe, but the cards must be placed on the table. Give us reason and not politicized rhetoric that changes with every Facebook posting. Give us a reason, give us a valid reason as we walk this enchanted trail of flatteries, soft words, oily speeches, fawning’s and hypocrisies. We are not called to judge politically, our judgement must be on a plane that cuts through the intents of those who are intent on deceiving us on our way to the ballot box.

April 26, 2012