Diplomat calls fellow Bahamians jackasses

As of Wednesday, January 20, 2016

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Chairman Michael Pintard said diplomat Oswald Brown should apologise to taxpayers after characterising some Bahamians as a “cabal of jealous jackasses” as he defended businessman Franklyn Wilson from criticism over what qualified him for a Queen’s Honour.

Mr Pintard told The Tribune yesterday that Mr Brown should specifically point out which comments levelled at Mr Wilson were egregious enough to warrant the level of “disrespect” in his Facebook post.

The senator said when someone in Mr Brown’s position takes issue with the very people who are paying his salary, there is an appropriate manner to voice his concerns.

This newspaper contacted Mr Pintard after Mr Brown’s social media rant was shared several times on Facebook, sparking intense discussion over its level of appropriateness. Some users also called for Mr Brown to be stripped of his position.

On Sunday in a Facebook post, Mr Brown, the press/cultural and information manager at the Bahamas Embassy in Washington, DC, tongue-lashed those Bahamians who did not support Mr Wilson’s knighthood, saying he had accomplished much in the business world.

“Given my position as an appointed Bahamian diplomat,” he wrote, “let me apologise for using ‘undiplomatic language’ in referring to you as jackasses, but that’s exactly what you are: a cabal of jealous jackasses, who have developed the ‘black crab in a barrel’ mentality into an art form.

“You should all be proud of the fact that a black brother, who grew up through Ross Corner, located in what today is one of the most dangerous criminal areas Over-The-Hill, used the good education that his parents, who worked in the Straw Market, sacrificed so much to see that he obtained, is today one of the wealthiest businessmen in the Bahamas.”

He continued: “He did not attain this status by chance, but rather because he had a fantastic idea after the Progressive Liberal Party won the January 10, 1967 general election to encourage a group of his friends to contribute to a business venture called the Sunshine Group.

“My one regret is that an invitation was not extended to me, but I was far too busy in those days being a black power advocate whose primary objective was to dislodge the evil and racist United Bahamian Party from political power in the Bahamas ‘by any means necessary.’ I don’t think it is by accident that all of those who stayed the course with Frankie as his idea mushroomed into a phenomenal financial success are now all black millionaires.

“So let me suggest as diplomatically as I can that all of you ‘black crabs’ crawl back in your barrels and commiserate among yourself.”

Mr Pintard said once a person is considered a diplomat, one is duty bound to behave and speak in a manner befitting of the office.

“Given the level of patronage that has been associated with politics in general and specifically the dealings of the Progressive Liberal Party, it would not be surprising that Bahamians would raise questions of the suitability of one or more of the persons that the PLP would put forward for any number of appointments.

“I also believe that once you hold a particular position you are duty bound to behave and speak in a manner befitting of the office that you hold on behalf of the Bahamian people. So when you take issue rightly or wrongly with the very people who are paying your salary there is an appropriate manner in which you take issue with your employers. And to characterise them in the manner that I read is certainly inappropriate.”

He added: “Now if there were particular remarks levelled against Wilson or any persons that would have caused outrage it would have been useful to know what those remarks are to show how they would cause a diplomat to break protocol and utter undiplomatic comments.

“In fact a more useful exercise would have been to enumerate Mr Wilson’s accomplishments in order to make the case that those who disagreed might be reminded of the number of accomplishments he has made.

“In the absence of knowing what motivated him to make the comments at a minimum he should offer an outright apology and his substantive minister should use this occasion to publicly remind those persons who serve in similar positions of what is appropriate decorum and speech and to similarly apologise for the way in which Bahamians were characterised.”

sheeprunner12 8 years, 3 months ago

Why is Pintard expecting any better of these old SLOP-style racist PLPs??????? That is their MO.

jackbnimble 8 years, 3 months ago

Lol. He probably couldn't think of any.

My2cents 8 years, 3 months ago

I wonder why Pintard choses to address rhetoric over real issues...again!?

GrassRoot 8 years, 3 months ago

Time for Xanax for Mr. Diplomat. I am not surprised that the Bahamas is off on the wrong foot with the U.S. with a stellar diplomatic team like that in Washington.

banker 8 years, 3 months ago

Oswald Brown should be recalled. He is obviously not fit to represent the Bahamian people. Why does he think his job is to spread untruths and ignorance? I don't know why he set aside a special time to lift his skirts in public and show his stupidity, ignorance and partisanship. He is unfit for any office. His language shows that he is no diplomat, and due to cranial capacity can never be a real one. The smell of someone's rear end is still on his nose.

proudloudandfnm 8 years, 3 months ago

He's just a sad little man.

TalRussell 8 years, 3 months ago

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GrassRoot 8 years, 3 months ago

can we add Fweddy to the list too?

Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 3 months ago

Notwithstanding the incredibly rapid and dramatic drop in gasoline prices throughout the USA that started in the early part of last year, our corrupt Christie-led PLP government has permitted Franky Wilson's FOCOL and Shell companies to keep the gasoline prices they charge Bahamian consumers at the gas station pump much higher for much longer than should have been (and still is) allowed. The price gouging of Bahamians by Franky's FOCOL and Shell companies resulted in FOCOL reporting a record profit of more than $20 million ($20,000,000) in its most recent annual financial statements. In his published Chairman's Report to FOCOL's shareholders, greedy Franky aka Snake tried to attribute his embarrassment of riches to all sorts of nonsense things. Of course our corrupt Christie-led PLP government continues to enjoy huge windfall gasoline tax profits on the outrageously high gasoline prices being charged by Shell, and Shell's competitors have also benefitted by piggy-backing on FOCOL and Shell's egregious price gouging tactics. One has to wonder just how much of the unjust riches reaped by Snake from Bahamians at the gas pump will work its way back to the PLP in the form of overly generous election campaign contributions! As for Oswald Brown, well it pretty much accepted publicly that he is nothing more than a Snake hired spokesman.

DEDDIE 8 years, 3 months ago

Everything Mr. Oswald writes is calculated. He always writes with a political angle. He wrote this about his present boss Mr. Mitchell in 2009,"I have no idea what that is supposed to mean, but it is still my opinion that Mitchell is a shameless self-promoter who has allowed his monumental ego to obfuscate the fact that not everything he says is news worthy". The full article can be read at this link. http://www.weblogbahamas.com/blog_bah...">http://www.weblogbahamas.com/blog_bah...

Publius 8 years, 3 months ago

Why is Pintard so ignorant? What difference does it make what pissed this degenerate off? His behavior is worthy of termination and is not befitting the office, period. Did Pintard or someone close to him make a statement about Wilson's knighthood? Because it seems this is what is behind his asking Brown to state which commentary specifically pissed him off, as though that has anything to do with anything at all. And why is he asking Brown to list all the things he loves about Wilson so as to "make a case"? That has got to be one of the stupidest, fruity pebbles questions and responses that could be given to something like this. No one can make a case for a recommendation to the Queen that can only be made by the Prime Minister. And it would not be appropriate for Brown, in his position, to do so in any event - yet Pintard is calling on him to do something he is not supposed to be doing. These politicians have got to be getting paid somewhere for remaining so dedicated to the business of dumbing-down the populace.

birdiestrachan 8 years, 3 months ago

Much ado about nothing. Does Pintard remember when his papa said he was ashamed of the Bahamian people. They are just picking on every little thing, because they have no vision as to how to move this country forward.

banker 8 years, 3 months ago

Oh birdie, you are just as much a stranger to the truth as the rest of the PLP. HAI did in fact say that he was ashamed of Bahamians for voting to "NO" to giving women equal constitutional rights, at the behest of a very dirty PLP campaign. It was a shameful act by the PLP and those sheeple like you who voted as zombies. I dunno, maybe you Bahamian women like yourself and Tal like being unequal partners to the party that denigrates you while you both extol their virtues. How do you take the PLP money, spout their Kool Aid and still maintain your dignity? Your self esteem must be for sale.

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