The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

As insidious as that Berlin Conference was, the establishment of clear and well defined boundaries then cannot be dismissed as simply an atrocity of history. Boundaries, in their physical or virtual state, are essential for good peace and order related to everything, from international affairs to personal interactions. To ignore or simply dismiss this fact - because some artificial boundaries separated peoples/cultures, which ought to have stayed together - would be equivalent to throwing the proverbial baby out with the dirty bath water.

In The Bahamas today, as elsewhere, boundaries are becoming more and more important. In fact, the lack of clear boundaries can be cited as the roots of the chaos and calamities which beset the victims of all manner of injustices here. Even when there are laws (local and international) which ought to be upheld related to clear and firm boundaries, we find repeated, reckless disregard for such boundaries. What then becomes the point of having, say, fences which are trampled upon with impunity?

Do you recall the incident when “the world’s fastest human”, Usain Bolt, was disqualified in 2011 for a false start in the 100 meters race? That might not be the best case for boundaries violation, but it does illustrate that “the rules are the rules”... for everyone. Perhaps, had he accidentally stepped out of this lane, only a few paces from the finish line, it would be a more graphic example of boundaries violation. But, even so, some might have said “he was gonna win, anyway!” No matter, all boundaries ought to be respected at all times.

Can you imagine foreign fishing or military vessels wandering into the territorial waters of the US? Can you imagine such vessels wandering into the territorial waters of The Bahamas? Well, in that latter case, you don’t have to wonder about such wanderings. Any number of our fishermen can attest to that continual vexing problem. But, apart from the disregard and disrespect by some for our clear boundaries, on those vast expanses of water, wanton violations can be seen all over these 700 islands, rocks and cays. To me, the common notion seems to be “if you can get away with it, just do it!”

Setting boundaries is one thing. Seriously enforcing them is quite another thing. Any honest, objective Bahamian would agree that we have plenty of good laws. Some of us may even argue that we need even more laws, or should straighten out the bends in a few existing laws. Whatever. What seems abundantly clear - from all the craziness going on around here today - is that those boundaries which are in place for the order and safety of The Bahamas are presently not effective.

Some years ago, some youngsters with whom I was engaged in discussion taught me a lesson about effective boundaries. These pre-teens and teenagers were all clearly in agreement about the “for instance” I presented. If one driveway to a parking area had “DO NOT ENTER”, for instance, and another driveway had a “ENTER” sign, would some drivers still enter the wrong place? Their answers were unanimous. “Yes, of course!” When it was stipulated that sharp, metal spikes were placed on the ground (pointing outward at the exit path), and similar ones (pointing inward at the entrance), all agreed that no driver would use the wrong driveway.

To know better and to do better are not always aligned. Operating in our own best interest tends to be more readily complied with, when it comes to boundaries. Artificial, good or bad, societal, cultural, and even personal boundaries are very important to keep things in their proper place. We may agree or disagree about what exactly is a proper place, but that would be an argument for another day. Today, however, we should all be able to agree that the rigorous upholding of established boundaries in The Bahamas would go a long way in rescuing us from the pit of destruction we seem to be falling deeper and deeper into, with each disturbing “news” report these days.

MB

New Providence

January 21, 2024