The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

AS our neighbours to the north casted ballots in the US Presidential Election, some Bahamians living in the United States were anxious about the results.

Astra Armbrister-Rolle, consul general at the Bahamas Consulate General in Atlanta, Georgia, told The Tribune on Tuesday that her office has advised Bahamians to avoid areas of discord on Election Day.

“Bahamians in the Southeast United States are aware and engaged in the political discourse of the day,” she said. “We advised our citizens to avoid areas where political rallies or protest activity may occur. We recommend monitoring local media to stay up to date with developments and following any instructions issued by the local authorities, including curfews.”

US President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden went head-to-head on Tuesday, with some US outlets reporting the results of the election might not be known right away.

Susan Smith, a healthcare manager living in New York, hopes Donald Trump will not be reelected. She reminisced on previous elections.

“I clearly remember my very first vote and the enthusiasm that came with it. Ever since, I’ve cast a ballot every four years,” Ms Smith said. “The enthusiasm fades a bit over time, yet my vote for President Obama and Hillary Clinton gave me that sense of excitement I felt as an 18-year-old voter. This year my mind continues to flashback to the evening of Election Day in 2016, as the Electoral College handed the majority of the country a devastating blow.

“As a Bahamian-American who grew up in Brooklyn, NY, there was never a question in my mind of who Donald Trump was and what he represented. His discriminatory practices in hiring and renting properties, posting full page ads in all of NYC’s major newspapers regarding the Central Park 5, not paying contractors who worked tirelessly on his properties and believe me, I could go on and on.”

Ms Smith said despite the warnings given, countless people turned a blind eye to suit their desire to cast a protest vote in objection to President Obama and to “satisfy their racist sensibilities” however, she said, she finds those who voted for President Trump based on their faith most baffling and filled with hypocrisy.

Clearly not a fan of President Trump, Ms Smith said, “Four years ago, I knew his presidency would be bad, but never imagined how horrifying it could be. Four more years of Donald Trump, a man who cares more about crowd size, Twitter, conspiracy theories and pandering to white supremacists than managing a country through numerous crises and uniting a sorely shattered nation, doesn’t deserve another hour, yet alone another four years. Cancellation of this reality show presidency is long overdue.

“I voted and this vote was more important than any vote I’ve made in my lifetime. Hopefully, many share my sentiment and decided to cast a vote for the healing of a very broken nation.”

Bahamian, Nadia Fountain is anxious about the racial tension in the US.

“As a Bahamian of African descent living in the Atlanta area, I feel anxiety around the elections because of racial tension,” Ms Fountain said. “It’s an uncertainty of what comes next, regardless of who wins with prospects of violence and riots and cities boarding up all over the country.

“It’s incredibly unsettling, particularly coming from a place where we’ve never experienced the potential of violence or instability around elections or fear for personal safety like this. I’m, personally, hopeful that there is a smooth transition of power regardless of who wins. We are taking steps to be prepared for all eventualities.”