The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

On Thursday, January fourth, The Guardian headline read… two more shot dead. Four murders in three days.

Tribune reads “Two murdered in broad daylight”.

Not a good way to start what we were praying to be the beginning of a peaceful year in the Bahamas.

This is frightening and it is time for some self-examination.

Our question is where are all of the killings done and who is killing whom?

If we are to be true to ourselves we would admit that everything that is happening is all characteristics of our environment.

The robbery and killing did not start yesterday. It all started when we turned a blind eye to dope selling in our community. When parents and guardians traded morals and values for extravagant novelties from our unemployed youth who are wearing two hundred dollar Nike sneakers.

Teenagers charged with carrying arms and taking marijuana-laced brownies to school are nothing to be taken lightly. But then again it is a way of life in the hood. My uncles are my heroes.

The addiction to gambling did not start with the webshops. It all started when we played cards under the tamarind tree and shot dice under the lamp poles.

This is what we did while growing up. Let's face it, the webshops are just feeding an insatiable need that is ingrained in us.

Babies having babies are all protégées of the environment.

For the greater part, the person we are has a lot to do with where we grew up. Our behaviour is influenced by the environment we were brought up in.

That doesn't mean everyone who came from a home of domestic violence is destined to become a wife-beater. But there is a probability that one of the children falls into that category.

Most children who grew up in Christian homes because of their upbringing are unlikely to become victims of peer pressure. We did say most.

Nor does it mean there is no way out of the hood. Because The majority of our influential people in society are from the hood.

I know I'm going to get slapped around for saying this, but a lot of the influentials who leave the hood pretend they never lived in the inner city. Can’t say we blame them.

And then again as few as it may be, there are some who make it their number one priority to go back to their roots and give back.

Walter Hanchel, Alfred Stewart, Kirkland Murphy, and Raymond Wells are men of the cloth who strive daily to make a change.

These men, these under Shepherd are products of the hood who have maintained their conviction to God and the church to feed their flock and take care of the orphaned and the widow.

The inner city, which is rife with corruption and crime, can only be defused by greater police presence. We are not talking commando-style, but community policing.

Churches where are you, this battle is in your community at your closed front doors.

More and more the policemen are deemed enemies of the people. That stigma can only be broken by frequent presence and involvement. Even little children are saying they don't like the cops.

Commissioner, you can't have roadblocks once in a while and expect changes. Roadblocks must be consistent. Walkabouts must be consistent.

I said it before and I'm saying it again - this is war. And all hands must be on board. This is not just a battle for the police.

The police have their role to play and we have ours.

Be reminded that we are not fighting flesh and blood, but powers and principalities in dark places. So when we go to war we are armed with our Bibles, our faith, our love, and our tears.

2 Chronicle 7:14

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”.

We must stop the enemy from taking our children away from us.

Breaking News, “Police say a sixteen-year-old female has been shot dead in Nassau Village. The incident pushes the murder count to eight web shops for 2024.”

Mathew 2:18

“In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are no more.”

God save our children.

God bless the Bahamas.

ANTHONY PRATT

Nassau,

January 7, 2024.