EDITOR, The Tribune.
The bulldozers are being fuelled up. Mothers are packing up only the priority children items. The kids play as they have always done, as the kids have played for the last four decades. Nothing will change for these children, until the bulldozers are within earshot. Then they will run alongside their mothers, looking back back to get one last glimpse of the only thing they have ever known as home.
The government for the people, of the people, has decided a particular type of human is to be disregarded, cast aside, in favour of the preferred humans. And this is where it becomes a sucker’s game. It is a sucker’s game to participate in favoring one “kind” of human over another, simply because the winds will change and the “type” of human you are may be the next cherry to be picked and discarded.
The government’s function, any government, is to serve the people and protect the people. To play favorites, to pick winners and losers, that is the role of the people, yes, the humans of the land. Tribalism, heritage, ethnic composition, how that is dealt with is between the humans of the land.
The age old adage of “Don’t tread on me” is being shouted by humans at the government.
It comes down to this - let people live their lives. As long as their behaviors are not harming others, there is no place for the government’s involvement.
The inhumane brutality of what the government plans to do in a mere couple days to a village, a town, a community, is taking us humans so far back that the barbarians of the gilded age would pause and shake their heads in disapproval.
In the late 1930s when Nazi Germany was in full bulldozer mode, it was pristine art clad homes of wealthy Jews they were raiding and seizing. Here, with the targeting of the Shanty towns, the government is being disgusting - picking on and destroying the communities, the homes, the lives, of the… to be generous, the have-nots. For demolition machinery to churn forward and over people’s homes, while backed by armed government soldiers should be something that all Bahamians are not only opposed to, but will not let occur.
The time has come to pick sides, and it is an easy choice. Either be a decent human and not allow this assault to occur or turn a blind eye and hope that your ‘not preferred human’ card doesn’t get pulled too soon.
While you are eating breakfast tomorrow look out the nearest window and imagine seeing the destruction army marching towards your home, with there being nothing you can do. Do something now, while you can.
MICHAEL SMITH
Nassau,
July 30, 2018.
Comments
Porcupine 5 years, 8 months ago
Mr Smith,
You are expecting a miracle. Today, and for the last 60 years, Israel has been bulldozing the homes of Palestinians, against international law and common decency. That Bahamians will finally seize the right bible and act according to the laws of decency is to ask a bit much. Haitians are other people. The have nots have been convinced by the rich to target the foreign have nots for taking the scraps from the table that the elite have left for the rest of us. They take our jobs, our "free" healthcare, our free education. For god's sake that is our birthright. Though we did nothing to deserve it is not the point. That Haitians should seek a better life is certainly not in our bible. Or, that they should come here legally is about as christian as one can get. We, despite cogent arguments, seek to keep for ourselves what god has placed here for all of mankind. Our level of discourse here is about as low as it gets. Soon, there will be calls for hanging those who refuse to leave the shanty towns. Just wait. Thanks for speaking out on things that most of us would rather not hear.
joeblow 5 years, 8 months ago
Truly mind jarring to read the drivel in this letter! To conflate the blatant anti-semitism of Nazi Germany to people breaking the laws of this land to build and live in sub standard, unauthorized dwellings in a country of laws is sickening, divisive and ignorant and seeks to create an emotive response to a rational and legal decision by government.
I wonder who we would appoint to determine whether or not another persons actions causes harm to me or others. Like a shanty town reducing the resale value of homes in the area! Maybe that's why we have the law!!! But maybe the author is right it may be better to have laws and standards and not enforce them or at least, try to encourage compliance with them. Come to think of it, maybe that's exactly why this country is in the state it is in !
DDK 5 years, 8 months ago
"The time has come to pick sides, and it is an easy choice." For Bahamians, the side is The Bahamas. If you prefer another side, jump on a plane or a boat and relocate.
themessenger 5 years, 8 months ago
Porcupine, I am in full agreement with you but you will not over come the hatred Bahamians have for Haitians. We make such a fuss about racism all the time, look at the storm in the teacup over Sir Roland for the suggestion that a "white" person could be awarded National Honors, but black Bahamians don't see their hatred of Haitians as racism. Could some one please enlighten me as to the difference between anti antisemitism and anti Haitianism, just as the Nazi capitalized on Jewish slave labour Bahamians have exploited and marginalized the Haitians, even those here legally, for decades.When God was doling out ignorance he emptied the barrel in this country but forgot to add a little charity or even a drop of the milk of human kindness.
joeblow 5 years, 8 months ago
Simple, Bahamians don't hate Haitians just because they are Haitians or because they are a prosperous thriving group while Bahamians are suffering (as it was in pre WW2 Germany), its not that Bahamians even hate Haitians at all, they are just tired of our porous borders and the vast amount of our resources being used, to our detriment ,to prop up a large migrant group who have no respect for our laws or our people. A group of people who express no gratitude for the quality of lives they have been able to live on the backs of Bahamian taxpayers. People who disrespect our flag and people. People who overwhelm or schools, clinics and hospitals, exhausting medication and other essential services. In fact there isn't enough space here to detail all the issues, but Bahamians are just tired. Woman with a jonser child doesn't call the police because she hates her child, but because she is tired of him stealing her TV's and radios to support his habit!
Porcupine 5 years, 8 months ago
We have allowed this system to perpetuate. It wasn't the Haitians who wrote the laws, and then failed to enforce them. The percentage of taxpayer money going to Haitians probably pales in comparison to the serious money stolen by Bahamians from Bahamians. And many of those were voted into office. It's slackness in this country, not the Haitians, that's the problem.
CatIslandBoy 5 years, 8 months ago
This Letter-Writer done lost his "cotton-pickin" mind. I have never seen so much garbage morphed into a single letter. Tal and Birdie could not top this one!
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