The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

“IF Bahamians are not prepared to stand up and defend their own Bahamas, then ya don’t deserve to have it ...” -- Pindling. Those words are as true and meaningful today as they were all those many years ago. In a way, they may be even more meaningful today. We cannot deny that real and present dangers are facing this present-day Bahamas -- from both within our borders, and outside our borders. The real and vital question then becomes “Are we truly willing to stand up and defend our Bahamas?” It’s not a rhetorical question or an over-reaction and hysterical response to a minor crisis. We may either simply throw our arms up, get down on our knees and pray, or roll our sleeves up and get to work on the best solution(s) we can come up with.

Our calendars, as well as occasional news items, will tell us that we are in the middle of the hurricane season. Geographically, we are in the middle of the hurricane belt. Recent memories of Hurricane Dorian will also tell us that we are still ill-prepared to deal with another “monster” hurricane. We never were. Still, today, we cannot point to a single “real” hurricane shelter for any community throughout the entire Bahamas. With the effects of global warming mitigating bigger and ‘badder’ weather events developing in the near future, The Bahamas can expect to be in the path of a “perfect storm” any day now.

Consider the elements of such an impending perfect storm; metaphorically and literally. Then, consider ways that Bahamians could stand up and defend their own Bahamas. One obvious element would be the catastrophic onslaught of a category four or five hurricane moving through our archipelago and vanquishing New Providence, as Dorian did with Abaco and Grand Bahama. We know what brief, but heavy rainfall does to the streets of New Providence, so just imagine.....

Another element of an impending “perfect storm” would be the dynamics of addressing the critical needs of our population, with the surges in COVID-19 infections likened to the patterns of high tide/low tide, over a sustained period of time.

Added to these internal national apocalyptic scenarios would be the external threat of hundreds or thousands of illegal Haitian immigrants swarming across our borders. Having a stream of undocumented Haitian migrants coming to or passing through The Bahamas is nothing new. This problem should have been adequately addressed or minimised decades ago. Kicking the can down the road or turning a blind eye and winking at the situation resulted in generations of people born in The Bahamas with an official status limbo. A resolution can, and must be, forthcoming with necessary urgency. That storm within a storm has been brewing for much too long.

A remaining element of that “perfect storm” on our radar is the economic pillars, upon which The Bahamas stand, getting shakier and shakier. We have been borrowing, borrowing, borrowing like the well will never run dry. Maybe so, but what happens if the bucket springs a leak, or its bottom falls out? How long could our Bahamas survive without fuel for its economic engines, i.e. regularly imported essential goods?

Perhaps we can’t stop the winds of that “perfect storm” from blowing our way, but what can we do to brace ourselves in order to suffer the least damages? Can we agree to leave our party colors at home and sit around that big round-table to put our thoughts and suggestions together in arriving at the best strategies/outcomes? Maybe our collective initiatives could be augmented by treaties with our neighbors - to the north and south - to assist in the controls of our borders since the technologies and apparatus do exist to make a big difference in the flow of undocumented immigrants.

As for proper hurricane shelters, through well-organized public/private sector cooperation and self-help efforts, each community can erect formidable structures with appropriate designs to protect Bahamians from violent storms. However the process is arrived at, those Bahamians who are committed to not being vaccinated ought to be allowed to exercise that right along with their responsibility of keeping themselves voluntarily separated from those Bahamians who chose to be vaccinated.

Storm or no-storm, (perfect or imperfect) The Bahamas might well be in a better position with the implementation of National Identity Cards issued to all residents. These cards would be different from the present National Insurance Cards or Passports. These identity cards would have photographs, fingerprints and codes of genetic information. Anyone without such a card would be required to prove their right to be in The Bahamas, otherwise they would be fined, and/or deported, and anyone deported from The Bahamas would not be allowed entry into The Bahamas at any future time.

We are indeed at a very pivotal point in our history and existence as a nation. The handwriting is on the wall. We may read and comprehend it, or continue on as though we are blind, deaf and dumb, dumb, dumb. “If Bahamians are not prepared to stand up and defend their own Bahamas, then ya don’t deserve to have it.”

MICHAEL BROOKS

Andros, Bahamas

September 27, 2021.