Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas
This Christmas it is in the joy of being an Aunt that I reflect on the Christ Child. Whether my sixteen year old niece, Italia or the not quite two year old ruler of the Family, Cynthia - their lives remind me of the need to hold on to the child like qualities present within us all, in particular an imaginative mind which can accept so easily that all things are indeed possible.
Through their laughter, their tears, their fears and even their straight out silliness, I am rewarded daily with immeasurable joy, while simultaneously challenged to do my part to procure a World, their future, filled with even more of God’s blessings than we enjoy right now.
So when I say “Merry Christmas” this year, it is a desire to be used by God to bring about those sacred words in His prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” When I say Merry Christmas this year it is a promise to my nieces and nephews and all the children of my Country, and indeed our World, to do all that I can to give them a chance to not just be nieces and nephews but in a better World, to one day be just as grateful as I am this Christmas to have nieces and nephews – to have lived long enough to catch a glimpse of another generation.
MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL the CHILDREN (young and old)
Of the WORLD!
Through their laughter, their tears, their fears and even their straight out silliness, I am rewarded daily with immeasurable joy, while simultaneously challenged to do my part to procure a World, their future, filled with even more of God’s blessings than we enjoy right now.
So when I say “Merry Christmas” this year, it is a desire to be used by God to bring about those sacred words in His prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” When I say Merry Christmas this year it is a promise to my nieces and nephews and all the children of my Country, and indeed our World, to do all that I can to give them a chance to not just be nieces and nephews but in a better World, to one day be just as grateful as I am this Christmas to have nieces and nephews – to have lived long enough to catch a glimpse of another generation.
MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL the CHILDREN (young and old)
Of the WORLD!
Monday, November 24, 2008
55th Anniversary of the PLP - "Just Ahead ..."
The best times of our lives as Bahamians are just ahead. We are a blink away from thinking that the world is crashing in on us to seeing that all things are bright and fair. We are one deep breath away from that moment in history when a sigh of frustration becomes a national song of inspiration. We are on the last lap of a journey which began so seemingly difficult and impossible that the magnitude of the victories thus far burst even beyond the chests of those who fell into the dust of time along the way.For those who possess those visionary eyes to see and are attentive to ears which truly hear, the message of this time in our history is louder than any obstacle, dilemma or crisis which looms large upon the horizon. It is a message of substance, an evidential argument for a better world, of a hopeful people, of a new day, even as economies threaten to crash and individuals in every nation around the world struggle to hold on to timeless pursuits of peace, prosperity and the ability to dream.
For The Bahamas, it is a Country and a people who though ravaged by natural disasters and economic hardship will go on to great wealth and a loftier existence because circumstance forced us to. There in the Spirit and ability of ordinary Bahamians to readjust and overcome adversity lay the creativity and wherewithal to usher in an even better way of life.
There can be no doubt that shifting possibilities in wealth creation the world over, will lead to the shifting of the energies and mindsets of a people forced by time to now own more of a beautiful Bahamas. Just a blink, a sigh, a lap away there is a restored, energy independent people who can feed ourselves, owners of hotels in this Country and not mere employees to be fired, artists and entrepreneurs with a winning formula to success, greater percentage owners and stakeholders of our economy - an ordinary majority inspired to do extraordinary things.
Similarly, just a heart beat away, though mired in seeming defeat, there is a fifty-five year old Progressive Liberal Party, ready to lead the charge. Still defined by those qualities which gave way to its genesis, your PLP is readying itself to usher in again and again realities which before hand remained impossible. We must never forget that even from the shadows of defeat, the PLP won countless constitutional battles, universal suffrage - the women’s right to vote, and found the formula to stir the Bahamian people to Majority Rule and Independence. No great achievement from that day to this has occurred without the influence and ‘on the ground’ leadership of this noble institution.
Yes, these are perilous times and very many persons are hurting in very many ways. We find ourselves adrift in angry seas. Our over-dependence on foreign oil, foreign food, foreign visitors, and foreign investors has left us vulnerable and in crisis. Petty divisions, apathy, selfishness, violence, and the sinister agenda of special interests may even have further handicapped our efforts as a people.
Yet, the story of The Bahamas and its people is as the story of the PLP, is as the story of the Leader of the PLP, the Rt. Hon., Perry Christie: that the more we get knocked down the higher we rise, the more formidable the odds, the stronger, more courageous, and more defiant we become in the face of them until at last the story reads, we overcame again.
And so, celebration has given way to preparation as the Progressive Liberal Party records its 55th Birthday. It finds itself in another defining moment in Bahamian history, staring down danger, impossibility and unbelief. It is a time when it must unite again to stir within the Bahamian people that special thing which only needs be awakened to RISE to this occasion and find the will again to make it - just ahead.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
2008 befaith Person of the Year
BARACK H. OBAMA
PRESIDENT ELECT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
*photos by Chicago Tribune
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Globalization of Barack Obama
For years, every-time African Americans “claimed” Sir Sidney Poitier, especially his achievement as the first Black man to win an Academy Award, I would experience an unsettling emotion. To this day, it is difficult to define what that emotion was but Sidney Poitier was born to Bahamian parentage and I guess as a fellow Bahamian before personal enlightenment, it was difficult to see him and his success branded and identified with another People.As time has passed, with the continual evolution of the spirit of humanity, globalization is not just a fancy term associated with international trade pacts and more sophisticated manifestations of the mechanisms of capitalism. Globalization can very well become the term used to capture a growing “Movement” of interconnected human rights, freedoms, and victories. More and more life is revealing how in the midst of the many differences of the many different nationalities of people around the world there is something more remarkable about those few things which make us the same. Whether the cry of a hungry child in the poorest or richest nation; or the reaction of third or first world citizens in the face of cataclysmic devastation experienced through the fury of some act of nature; or the common expression of joy and pride in response to a golden victory at the Olympic games, there are basic things that keep we humans – basic and connected.
The election of Barack Obama as the first African American President elect of the United States of America is a phenomenon which is likely to give pronouncement to this global shared “Heart” movement aforementioned. Far more notable than that notable achievement of Sidney Poitier for his performance on the big screen, Obama’s victory is something the entire world wants to share in and identify with. And I don’t think the average African American has really grasped it. Barack Obama is not the typical African American. He does not share in the history of the majority of Blacks in a post slavery, post segregation, post Jim Crow America. He is the son not of a Black American who is more than 400 years removed from Africa by the evil arms of a trans- Atlantic slave trade. Barack Obama is the son of an African.
The symbolism of President Obama then is much greater than that of a typical African American carrying on the baton of a Martin Luther King Jr., or to a lesser extent Jesse Jackson or Jamaican parented, Colin Powell. It is far more complex and enormous. This great man whose very name conjures up images of those regions of Africa burdened with the most telling statistics of poverty and AIDS and tribal warfare and political instability born out of an un-reconciled past, has brought the greatest paradox to the most powerful seat in the World. The son of poor Africa, broken Africa, dying Africa, is President of the United States of America – this son of the weakest in our World is soon to be the most powerful man in the World.
But even in the presence of a strictly American context as Obama is also the son of White America, married to a “daughter of the dust’ of historical Black America, President Obama’s story presents a challenge to all humankind. This young, seemingly insignificant man with limited resources but a compelling message of change stood up against historically entrenched American political bias fueled by corruption and greed and did the impossible. That he found the nerve to do it, forces each of us to also find a giant injustice and attempt to bring it to its knees. That he won, we are all forced now to believe beyond the point of hope, that all things are indeed possible.
This point of positive yet radical discontinuity has no end to the depths of its meaning. Those fueled by a hatred for America must redefine their battle as Obama’s peaceful triumph has renewed the beauty internationally, of democracy and the American experiment. Even Christian Theology, in the twinkling of an eye, has been deepened again as its dimensions return us to an emphasis of what God can do through us as opposed to what God can do for us. The hope of the various religious expressions and even those who cannot imagine the presence of God has turned into the challenge of belief.
Hence when humanity asks itself if we can overcome poverty, AIDS, terrorism or the current global financial crisis; can Third world countries move toward self sufficiency or can a planet in peril find the collective will to restore itself; can predominately Black societies across the World end the cycle of violence, apathy, self hatred and crippling dependence; can we rid our streets of drugs, and restore a sense of peace to our homes, schools and communities; can all children of the World expect and receive basic needs, healthcare and education; can more of us pursue dreams and live purpose driven lives; can all races and creeds harmoniously work toward the betterment of all mankind? … The collective response through action must be a resounding, “YES WE CAN!”
What helped me to accept the African American “claim” to Sir Sidney Poitier was my recognition that these were the people who had accepted the challenge of his success and chose to follow, maybe even exceed his path which before him remained lightly tread but unbeaten. It was America and her Hollywood who had been forever changed by the presence of a Bahamian who took on the identity of an African American and achieved the impossible. And it had been disenfranchised African Americans whose minds and hearts had been more deeply inspired as Sir Sidney tore down boundaries and in that Hollywood context, made all things possible.
So too the legacy of President Barack Obama’s election victory will belong not necessarily to the American people but to all those people who embrace this moment as an opportunity in their own lives to pursue and defeat impossible odds in that Movement toward a fairer, kinder more gentler World. This is our challenge, the possibility of which is no longer a mere hope but a fact!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Zimbabwe - A Warning!
What the World is really watching, as the violent drama continues to unfold in Zimbabwe, is the falling apart of another Predominately Black country which tied too much of its trust, hopes, and aspirations to one man. We leave the rhetoric of foreign relations to those authorized to address matters on that level. But what cannot be ignored by the ordinary, on the level that makes us all human is that Zimbabwe as it is today did not happen over night.
The World may have awakened one morning to the sad dilemma of a Country once gleaming with potential and prosperity, turned to seeming mayhem and ruin, all coming to head over a closely contested General Election. But the truth is that this 2008 Zimbabwe has been crumbling for years. And such is the potential fate of all other developing predominately Black countries – indeed, even The Bahamas.
No doubt, the genesis of its fall perhaps began with the venomous firing of a few civil servants, laughed off yet reinforced by strict followers of a bitter man drunk with the power of leadership. And with that set the tone of a kind of politics which only leads to the demise of the whole. It is that kind of political culture which puts in practice, the thuggish philosophies of tribalism, which on the surface makes sense to so many. Simply, that the supporters of those in power benefit over and above the supporters of those in opposition, while the financial backers who secured the victory enjoy the real spoils.
And so one day the people of Zimbabwe became separate and unequal. They were no longer human first, or all children of God, nor were they equal citizens of their Country which holds such a rich and inspiring past. No - slowly they became either supporters of Robert Mugabe or the enemy. And with that they sacrificed the whole.
It seems inevitably, that so many of us are choosing to be FNM or PLP over and above being Bahamian, as well. No one is demonstrating this more than the leadership of the Governing Free National Movement. It was the first act of a newly elected Hubert Ingraham in May of last year who made it clear that you were either for him or against him and therefore, punishable.
And it is not just those instances where we can show supporters of the Free National Movement benefiting from contracts, jobs, and favors while supporters of the Progressive Liberal Party are being victimized, threatened and fired. But the greatest indication of perilous risk emanates from policies designed to benefit the financial backers of the FNM’s 2007 victory at the expense of the cultural sanctity and economic viability of the ordinary majority. Does it sound familiar?
To be fair, there are a great many PLP supporters and a few of its leaders who, just as the majority of FNM’s, accept this style of politics as good politics and view any attempt at changing this as weakness. This after all, they suggest, was the down-fall of Perry Christie who sought to reverse this negative trend and bring restoration to our political culture by being a Prime Minister for all Bahamians. “He should have taken care of more PLP’s and fired those FNM’s” is the cry of even some of those hoping to one day lead. Although this tactic may win elections it is wrong, and in the long run, destructive. We all eventually lose! Zimbabwe’s turbulent state is living proof.
It should be our hope that the World wakes up one day bombarded by the news that The Bahamas defied the odds and emerged among the first predominately Black countries to be labeled, “Developed!” This should be the shocking wave of reports throughout the global media houses for weeks with at least one writer noting that this achievement did not happen overnight. Yea, but that inspired by the call of a focused PLP, the historic champions of the Bahamian people, we made a collective decision to denounce the divisive agenda of an FNM Government held hostage by special interests, that we put aside our partisan tribalism for the greater good, and chose to be Bahamians “united in love and service!”
The time to choose between the two realities is NOW!
The World may have awakened one morning to the sad dilemma of a Country once gleaming with potential and prosperity, turned to seeming mayhem and ruin, all coming to head over a closely contested General Election. But the truth is that this 2008 Zimbabwe has been crumbling for years. And such is the potential fate of all other developing predominately Black countries – indeed, even The Bahamas.
No doubt, the genesis of its fall perhaps began with the venomous firing of a few civil servants, laughed off yet reinforced by strict followers of a bitter man drunk with the power of leadership. And with that set the tone of a kind of politics which only leads to the demise of the whole. It is that kind of political culture which puts in practice, the thuggish philosophies of tribalism, which on the surface makes sense to so many. Simply, that the supporters of those in power benefit over and above the supporters of those in opposition, while the financial backers who secured the victory enjoy the real spoils.
And so one day the people of Zimbabwe became separate and unequal. They were no longer human first, or all children of God, nor were they equal citizens of their Country which holds such a rich and inspiring past. No - slowly they became either supporters of Robert Mugabe or the enemy. And with that they sacrificed the whole.
It seems inevitably, that so many of us are choosing to be FNM or PLP over and above being Bahamian, as well. No one is demonstrating this more than the leadership of the Governing Free National Movement. It was the first act of a newly elected Hubert Ingraham in May of last year who made it clear that you were either for him or against him and therefore, punishable.
And it is not just those instances where we can show supporters of the Free National Movement benefiting from contracts, jobs, and favors while supporters of the Progressive Liberal Party are being victimized, threatened and fired. But the greatest indication of perilous risk emanates from policies designed to benefit the financial backers of the FNM’s 2007 victory at the expense of the cultural sanctity and economic viability of the ordinary majority. Does it sound familiar?
To be fair, there are a great many PLP supporters and a few of its leaders who, just as the majority of FNM’s, accept this style of politics as good politics and view any attempt at changing this as weakness. This after all, they suggest, was the down-fall of Perry Christie who sought to reverse this negative trend and bring restoration to our political culture by being a Prime Minister for all Bahamians. “He should have taken care of more PLP’s and fired those FNM’s” is the cry of even some of those hoping to one day lead. Although this tactic may win elections it is wrong, and in the long run, destructive. We all eventually lose! Zimbabwe’s turbulent state is living proof.
It should be our hope that the World wakes up one day bombarded by the news that The Bahamas defied the odds and emerged among the first predominately Black countries to be labeled, “Developed!” This should be the shocking wave of reports throughout the global media houses for weeks with at least one writer noting that this achievement did not happen overnight. Yea, but that inspired by the call of a focused PLP, the historic champions of the Bahamian people, we made a collective decision to denounce the divisive agenda of an FNM Government held hostage by special interests, that we put aside our partisan tribalism for the greater good, and chose to be Bahamians “united in love and service!”
The time to choose between the two realities is NOW!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Rest Peacefully Uncle Wesley
LEVI WESLEY MILLER Sr. was born on the 27th day of November 1917 in Miller’s Long Island, The Bahamas to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Priscilla Miller. He was one of six children born of this union. He was also brother to three half sisters.
At about the age of maturity for a man, 18 years or so, “Wesley” as he was preferably called, left his less developed home, Long Island, for the more progressive City of Nassau, New Providence. Like many of the sons and daughters of the “Out Islands “ of The Bahamas, Wesley found the courage to launch out and make a better living and a life where there were greater opportunities. Who would have known that this single step would have eventually led him to a First World Country, where he would in his lifetime be blessed with a first class, long and prosperous life.
It was through gardening for a wealthy American family who were second home owners in The Bahamas that Wesley found himself eventually resident in the United States of America in 1948. From his very young years he had already demonstrated that he was unafraid of change and that he was always inspired to embrace the chance to do more, and see more, and through hard work, achieve more. With a failed marriage, and other disappointments behind him, West Palm Beach, Florida became his new hope of dreams and aspirations. Wesley Miller went on through humble and honest work to see the United States of America as a Chauffer for the likes of the founders of Campbell Soup, the Colliers who own Collier’s County, and the Grossman’s, originators of the Renuzit company.
Love found Levi Wesley Miller in 1963 when he was introduced by a mutual friend, Willa-Mae Mackey, to the very beautiful and industrious Delphene Hall, who had recently left West End, Grand Bahama for a new life in Florida. It was a tale of love at first sight. A few months later in September 1963, they married and truly became a formidable team. Their union bore two sons, Levi Jr. and David, and in time grandchildren and great grandchildren. It also bore many investments in real property and banking, allowing the two of humble origin and the limitations of their time, through innovation and determination to build a lasting legacy, and to retire on a canal in Palm Beach County.
The two committed themselves to a lifetime of love as described in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Wesley was above all known for his hospitality to all who passed his way. He never denied anyone a smile, a meal, a song or the reminder of God’s word which he had hid in his heart. God’s Love was the law which ruled his life – it was an unwavering love for the stranger, his neighbors, his family, his friends, and most especially, his darling “Del.”
To describe him as an over-comer and over-achiever is an understatement. Throughout his journey, he was always challenged by life threatening illnesses. Losing a leg to cancer and the early research of cancer, Wesley also survived two major heart-attacks which amounted to six by-pass surgeries. Yet he always found the strength and resolve to press on. Notwithstanding his many health scares, Levi Wesley Miller’s life was 90 years full.
On February 19th however, Wesley was hospitalized once again for what appeared a mild heart attack. Soon after he took an unforeseen turn for the worst and fell into a deep sleep for some ten days. Then on the leap day, the 29th of February, in this leap year, at 12:10 in the afternoon, he took his final breath and made a final leap to the next phase of life, to the ultimate land of the ultimate hope, dream, and aspiration - to spend forever with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We love him and will surely miss him but God truly loves him best.
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE!
At about the age of maturity for a man, 18 years or so, “Wesley” as he was preferably called, left his less developed home, Long Island, for the more progressive City of Nassau, New Providence. Like many of the sons and daughters of the “Out Islands “ of The Bahamas, Wesley found the courage to launch out and make a better living and a life where there were greater opportunities. Who would have known that this single step would have eventually led him to a First World Country, where he would in his lifetime be blessed with a first class, long and prosperous life.
It was through gardening for a wealthy American family who were second home owners in The Bahamas that Wesley found himself eventually resident in the United States of America in 1948. From his very young years he had already demonstrated that he was unafraid of change and that he was always inspired to embrace the chance to do more, and see more, and through hard work, achieve more. With a failed marriage, and other disappointments behind him, West Palm Beach, Florida became his new hope of dreams and aspirations. Wesley Miller went on through humble and honest work to see the United States of America as a Chauffer for the likes of the founders of Campbell Soup, the Colliers who own Collier’s County, and the Grossman’s, originators of the Renuzit company.
Love found Levi Wesley Miller in 1963 when he was introduced by a mutual friend, Willa-Mae Mackey, to the very beautiful and industrious Delphene Hall, who had recently left West End, Grand Bahama for a new life in Florida. It was a tale of love at first sight. A few months later in September 1963, they married and truly became a formidable team. Their union bore two sons, Levi Jr. and David, and in time grandchildren and great grandchildren. It also bore many investments in real property and banking, allowing the two of humble origin and the limitations of their time, through innovation and determination to build a lasting legacy, and to retire on a canal in Palm Beach County.
The two committed themselves to a lifetime of love as described in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Wesley was above all known for his hospitality to all who passed his way. He never denied anyone a smile, a meal, a song or the reminder of God’s word which he had hid in his heart. God’s Love was the law which ruled his life – it was an unwavering love for the stranger, his neighbors, his family, his friends, and most especially, his darling “Del.”
To describe him as an over-comer and over-achiever is an understatement. Throughout his journey, he was always challenged by life threatening illnesses. Losing a leg to cancer and the early research of cancer, Wesley also survived two major heart-attacks which amounted to six by-pass surgeries. Yet he always found the strength and resolve to press on. Notwithstanding his many health scares, Levi Wesley Miller’s life was 90 years full.
On February 19th however, Wesley was hospitalized once again for what appeared a mild heart attack. Soon after he took an unforeseen turn for the worst and fell into a deep sleep for some ten days. Then on the leap day, the 29th of February, in this leap year, at 12:10 in the afternoon, he took his final breath and made a final leap to the next phase of life, to the ultimate land of the ultimate hope, dream, and aspiration - to spend forever with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We love him and will surely miss him but God truly loves him best.
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE!
In Hopes They Receive Bail ...
Last year, I felt compelled to, in a literary way, lend my voice to a very necessary anti violence effort. I did so by writing the editor of the Freeport News weekly, often time demonstrating through our political differences, that people can opt to disagree, peacefully. My commitment to an anti-violence campaign was unflinching however, lyc – etv, Love Your Country, End The Violence, was something I had hoped would have resonated with at least a hand full of persons, thereby ensuring that my efforts were not in vain. A few Grand Bahamians assured me that they had heeded the call, and some of them in their own quiet way committed themselves to their own anti violence initiatives. I say this to reiterate that I do not condone violence!
Grace however, is an essential component of anti-violence. Grace is perhaps the foundation of anti-violence – it says – “I will not rightfully or unrightfully retaliate, even in the face of a wrong perpetrated against me.” I go further to include early in this letter, my support for Law and Order. Rules and the enforcement of rules secure the stability of societies – this is not a function of some higher wisdom, it is common sense!
The 2007 Bimini riots should not have happened but they did. At the heart of the matter, we must never forget is that a life was lost. So as not to pre-judge what is still under investigation, I note that a life was taken by a police officer under a heavy cloud of suspicion. That officer has been suspended from active duty but while being investigated is not behind any bars while authorities await the process of justice which will determine his fate. But his is a fate tied to the loss of life – life which cannot be replaced, which no amount of money can restore, rebuild, or return to the family and community of those who suffered the loss.
Temporary insanity or rage associated with provocation or perceived injustice is something very real. This heightened emotional response may not be a very successful defense before our courts but in this instant, at a time when our social fabric is being threatened by crime and violence, perhaps as a people we should come to lend our minds to the idea behind why people sometimes riot. An ordinarily peaceful people do not just wake up one day and decide to wreak havoc on their own community. Their temporary insanity, their temporary loss of control is often time fueled by a sense of injustice. And so South Central Los Angeles burned, shops were looted, and order was lost in response to the unfair beating of Rodney King, at the hands of corrupt police officers. And so too did Bimini. And although they try to cover it up, the Government building on another Island purportedly also went up in flames in response to abuse of power by those hired to protect us, just a few weeks ago.
Three men have been arraigned for their alleged role in the riots of Bimini – the supporting evidence must heavily be grounded in hearsay. Yes buildings were destroyed and the chaos instigated was simply unacceptable. But these three men are not responsible for loss of life. Government property can be restored, rebuilt or replaced. Yet these men have been denied bail. Forget the idea of grace or even some far fetched notion of temporary loss of sanity or good judgment, as a defense. Where is the fair-play in all of this? How can a police officer connected with the loss of life which triggered the rioitous response, await his fate free, and under the tenet of “innocent until proven guilty” while three men who have no cause to ever be that senseless or violent again, find themselves already punished under the harsh conditions of Her Majesty’s prison, having been denied bail?
Come on Bahamas! In order and decency and in the absence of violence, I challenge some of our leaders to question this resulting perceived injustice. Persons must be held accountable and should even be made examples of for their roles in violent acts against society - absolutely. But the system must be seen to be fair or at least trick us into believing it to be so. As for the matter at hand, we run the risk of being more suspicious of authority where there is no equal treatment of civilians. I mean no disrespect to the Magistrate who ruled, clearly the ruling has been influenced by the politics of the day but these men should not have been denied bail, and as a people, we should not allow this travesty without some peaceful opposition.
Grace however, is an essential component of anti-violence. Grace is perhaps the foundation of anti-violence – it says – “I will not rightfully or unrightfully retaliate, even in the face of a wrong perpetrated against me.” I go further to include early in this letter, my support for Law and Order. Rules and the enforcement of rules secure the stability of societies – this is not a function of some higher wisdom, it is common sense!
The 2007 Bimini riots should not have happened but they did. At the heart of the matter, we must never forget is that a life was lost. So as not to pre-judge what is still under investigation, I note that a life was taken by a police officer under a heavy cloud of suspicion. That officer has been suspended from active duty but while being investigated is not behind any bars while authorities await the process of justice which will determine his fate. But his is a fate tied to the loss of life – life which cannot be replaced, which no amount of money can restore, rebuild, or return to the family and community of those who suffered the loss.
Temporary insanity or rage associated with provocation or perceived injustice is something very real. This heightened emotional response may not be a very successful defense before our courts but in this instant, at a time when our social fabric is being threatened by crime and violence, perhaps as a people we should come to lend our minds to the idea behind why people sometimes riot. An ordinarily peaceful people do not just wake up one day and decide to wreak havoc on their own community. Their temporary insanity, their temporary loss of control is often time fueled by a sense of injustice. And so South Central Los Angeles burned, shops were looted, and order was lost in response to the unfair beating of Rodney King, at the hands of corrupt police officers. And so too did Bimini. And although they try to cover it up, the Government building on another Island purportedly also went up in flames in response to abuse of power by those hired to protect us, just a few weeks ago.
Three men have been arraigned for their alleged role in the riots of Bimini – the supporting evidence must heavily be grounded in hearsay. Yes buildings were destroyed and the chaos instigated was simply unacceptable. But these three men are not responsible for loss of life. Government property can be restored, rebuilt or replaced. Yet these men have been denied bail. Forget the idea of grace or even some far fetched notion of temporary loss of sanity or good judgment, as a defense. Where is the fair-play in all of this? How can a police officer connected with the loss of life which triggered the rioitous response, await his fate free, and under the tenet of “innocent until proven guilty” while three men who have no cause to ever be that senseless or violent again, find themselves already punished under the harsh conditions of Her Majesty’s prison, having been denied bail?
Come on Bahamas! In order and decency and in the absence of violence, I challenge some of our leaders to question this resulting perceived injustice. Persons must be held accountable and should even be made examples of for their roles in violent acts against society - absolutely. But the system must be seen to be fair or at least trick us into believing it to be so. As for the matter at hand, we run the risk of being more suspicious of authority where there is no equal treatment of civilians. I mean no disrespect to the Magistrate who ruled, clearly the ruling has been influenced by the politics of the day but these men should not have been denied bail, and as a people, we should not allow this travesty without some peaceful opposition.
Monday, January 7, 2008
2007 befaith Person of the Year
ANNA M. HALL
Her most telling example of love and dedication however has been to her family. She was dutifully married to her husband, the late Moses Hall, former PLP Member of Parliament for West End, a relationship that had lasted almost thirty years. And this relationship bore fruit with four children, Kevin and Peter, born in England, and Damien and Faith born in an Independent Bahamas. A next generation also springs forth as she is grandmother to five, Italia, Dahria, Peter Jr., Kevin Jr., and Cynthia.
In March of 1960, Anna Miller began her nursing program in England. She was afforded this great opportunity because of her demonstration of excellence in her academic pursuits up to that date. As no surprise, this same level of excellence was carried into her nursing studies and in 1963 she came first in all of England in that year’s graduating class of State Registered Nurses. Being the first Black non English woman to achieve this, it is recounted that there was no prize awarded that year, as had been the usual practice. Not discouraged, Miss Miller furthered her studies and in 1965 became a State Certified Midwife.
Having married a Bahamian who had not yet completed his studies in Law in England, Mrs. Anna Hall advanced her career in England and served as a Nursing Sister in England before returning to The Bahamas with her husband. Additional studies in the field of nursing include, a Certificate in tropical Diseases from London University, and later on, a Certificate in Community Health, and a Certificate in Advanced Nursing Administration from the University of the West Indies.
“Nurse Hall” as she affectionately was called by the people of West End, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas, began her work for the Government of The Bahamas’, Ministry of Health in 1972. For fourteen years, in the quaint fishing village of West End, she dutifully was on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no vacations or weekends off. This no doubt led to her achieving the record of delivering or assisting in the deliveries of the most children in the Country, having delivered almost 2200 babies to date. There was a break from Midwifery in 1987, when she was transferred to the Island’s main hospital to work in an Administrative capacity. She retired from the Rand Hospital in 2000 as Senior Nursing Officer. During her career she also served as Treasurer for the Grand Bahama branch of the Nurses’ Association for many years.
Post retirement has given her the opportunity to return to her first love in nursing, midwifery. She is a private Midwife and midwifery consultant and the irony of time is now allowing her to in many instances, deliver the children of the children she delivered years before, particularly those from West End. Nurse Hall is also available for other private nursing duties. This mother of four, grandmother of 5, widow of twelve years, avid Church of God of Prophecy member, co-founder of the West End Conch Pearls, marathon walker, graceful woman, has found fulfillment in her life’s work. She has been the first touch to many newborn babies, she has cared for the sick and the dying, she has done her part as Jesus admonished for God’s last and least.
Having married a Bahamian who had not yet completed his studies in Law in England, Mrs. Anna Hall advanced her career in England and served as a Nursing Sister in England before returning to The Bahamas with her husband. Additional studies in the field of nursing include, a Certificate in tropical Diseases from London University, and later on, a Certificate in Community Health, and a Certificate in Advanced Nursing Administration from the University of the West Indies.
“Nurse Hall” as she affectionately was called by the people of West End, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas, began her work for the Government of The Bahamas’, Ministry of Health in 1972. For fourteen years, in the quaint fishing village of West End, she dutifully was on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no vacations or weekends off. This no doubt led to her achieving the record of delivering or assisting in the deliveries of the most children in the Country, having delivered almost 2200 babies to date. There was a break from Midwifery in 1987, when she was transferred to the Island’s main hospital to work in an Administrative capacity. She retired from the Rand Hospital in 2000 as Senior Nursing Officer. During her career she also served as Treasurer for the Grand Bahama branch of the Nurses’ Association for many years.
Post retirement has given her the opportunity to return to her first love in nursing, midwifery. She is a private Midwife and midwifery consultant and the irony of time is now allowing her to in many instances, deliver the children of the children she delivered years before, particularly those from West End. Nurse Hall is also available for other private nursing duties. This mother of four, grandmother of 5, widow of twelve years, avid Church of God of Prophecy member, co-founder of the West End Conch Pearls, marathon walker, graceful woman, has found fulfillment in her life’s work. She has been the first touch to many newborn babies, she has cared for the sick and the dying, she has done her part as Jesus admonished for God’s last and least.
Her most telling example of love and dedication however has been to her family. She was dutifully married to her husband, the late Moses Hall, former PLP Member of Parliament for West End, a relationship that had lasted almost thirty years. And this relationship bore fruit with four children, Kevin and Peter, born in England, and Damien and Faith born in an Independent Bahamas. A next generation also springs forth as she is grandmother to five, Italia, Dahria, Peter Jr., Kevin Jr., and Cynthia.
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