The Tribune

By Ivoine Ingraham

The Bahamas must be the hypocritical capital of the world. We quickly point out everything someone else does but often struggle to admit our faults. It’s time we become more introspective and acknowledge our missteps. We are the judge, jury, and executioner of those who make a misstep. Our country has found ways to condemn those from other countries but would not admit that we are guilty of the same.

People from one socioeconomic community look for the weaknesses of the other and would dictate how they should behave. The older, more seasoned would want our children to act like we did in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The primitive thinking that you inherited from your grandparents cannot work today. We must hasten that our grandparents raised us from the little they knew without the luxury of being exposed to outside influence but not the luxury of contrasting points of view.

Our forefathers taught us to be respectful and respect marriage’s sanctity. Still, they had full-blown families on other islands and maintained them without shame because there was no way anyone knew. The ignorance of the mothers and wives was what helped.

But the fathers would pitch a bitch if they discovered that anyone in the family deviated off course. Outside children are everywhere, so much so that they bragged who had the most. Having children out of wedlock was a scorn that was irreversible, but all through the family, it was the norm. Men with authority, the local constable, commissioner and even pastors, did the most damage, especially since they were untouchable because of their position. As long as no one knew it, we were satisfied.

To expound on blatant hypocrisy, politically, we have all become so tribalistic that we can see no wrong with the party of our choice. Tribalism in politics refers to the tendency of individuals to align themselves with a particular political party or ideology, often to the point of ignoring or excusing the party’s faults. We turn a blind eye when our party is in, regardless of what horrible mistakes made, but will holler bloody murder if the other side does something similar.

However, being opposed is healthy if the criticism is healthy. But everyone would look at the complainer and see that they are not just disingenuous but downright hypocrites in the highest order.

We know how it all started. The country reformed when the old guard was replaced. The same people helped orchestrate that historical turn of events when the country experienced a change of government for the first time. The people who ruled with an iron fist found themselves on the other side of the coin. History will show that many irregularities happened unchecked up to that point, particularly during the transition from colonial rule to independence.

Since majority rule, the men who were the architects teamed up with the beaten team to challenge the championship team. They took the secrets of the winners, hoping to strengthen the losers to overthrow them.

Hypocrisy occurs when the losing team starts criticizing and complaining about the missteps made. How could they be serious or believable when they masterminded the overthrow of the government for the first time? The opposition’s unashamedness pointed out things the world knew were being done before the dreadful beating.

Before the 1967 election, corruption had already entered Bahamian politics. As far back as 1962, we had already grabbed international attention about certain irregularities, such as vote-buying and intimidation. Since then, the same crew with a reputation for corruption has had the nerve to point fingers. But accusing others all the time is counterproductive, exceedingly, because ‘all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.’

The point is that anyone who can find the nerve to criticize others for doing the same things, especially recently, would come off as a fake and a fraud if they are guilty of the same.

Since we all agree that we want the best for the Bahamas, it’s time to stop pointing fingers and start working together. Let’s unite our efforts to correct the mistakes we’re all guilty of and find sensible solutions, which is an urgent call to action. If we don’t act now, we’ll waste valuable time we can’t afford to lose.

But we shun the glaring fact that monopolies have suffocated our economy because certain businesses have monopolized it, stashing it away from the majority. The stranglehold on shipping, wholesaling, and other advantages has prevented wealth from being distributed proportionately—the carefully orchestrated plan to keep control executed to perfection.

Facing reality, regardless of how hard it is to level the playing field, it is virtually impossible.