WeblogBahamas.com

Megan's Law in The Bahamas? Perhaps the time has come...

Kent Manno

The year was 1994, seven-year-old Megan Kanka was brutally raped and murdered by a repeat sex offender. The New Jersey General Assembly stepped in and passed a package of seven bills known as Megan's Law. The bills required sex offenders to register in a database tracked by the state with community notification of sex offenders moving into their neighborhood. Sex offenders were put on notice, commit a second assault and you were in jail for life.

In the United States, individual states make the determination on what information will be made available to the public. The information is often placed on public websites, but can also be published in newspapers and pamplets.

While I do not have the stats for The Bahamas, here are some interesting statisitics from the U.S.

Crime...Enough is Enough!

Kent Manno

I have been following the recent Marco Archer story from afar for the last few days. This morning the Bahamas Press has announced, and then it was confirmed via ZNS this evening, that Marco has been found dead. As the father of two, my heart goes out to the family of this innocent little boy. This would be the worst nightmare for any parent. We are not supposed to outlive our children. I can't help but ask myself, why? What did he do to warrant death at such a young age which robbed him of an active and productive life.

Someone on Twitter put it right, "Parents, you need to take every step to ensure the safety of your child(ren). This ain' "the island" your grandparents talked about."

How true...

I certainly want to publicly offer my condolences to the family.

I would call on Prime Minister Ingraham to not wait until next Monday to make a statement to the nation on crime. The time to act is now... and we must act swiftly and prudently. Let's not wait to hear another tragedy like Marco Archer.

Sunday Rambling: Bahamian-American Teachers Institute

Kent H. Manno

About 10 years ago, I participated in a Canadian-American Teachers Institute sponsored by the University of Maine. The purpose of this institute was to help American teachers incorporate Canadian history and culture into their curriculum. Stick with me for a second, if I can beg your indulgence.

As you may or may not know, the history curriculum in most high schools in the United States have taken on more of a global focus. As a history teacher for the past 30 years, I have resisted the move away from the traditional "western" focus. I felt that we needed to  give our students a good foundation in our western tradition which they could build on later with non-western studies.

This year our history department is pushing forward with this  goal....adding more global content. My contribution, among many, will be to add quite a bit of information on Caribbean Basin history to our Age of Exploration chapter. And yes, I am going to add quite a bit on The Bahamas! As a matter of fact, my students will be reading "The Fledgling" by Chester Thompson. (Mr. Thompson called me the other day and informed me that he knows my mother and my uncle...small world.)

Ok, to my original point which would be a collaborative effort. Similar to my experience with the Canadian-American Institute, why not have a Bahamian-American Teachers Institute. Perhaps  we could get several high school teachers and COB professors involved in this effort. Teachers from the United States could exchange ideas on curriculum and how to integrate Caribbean and Bahamian history into their curriculum. Teachers could  also experience some true culture and not the "cruise ship" portrayal of The Bahamas.

Ultimately, it will be the students, our future leaders that will benefit from such an exchange.

History 's Corner: The Spirit of a Bahamian Entrepreneur

Kent Manno

When someone says the word entrepreneur, who do you think of?... Henry Ford, Bill Gates, or possibly Thomas Edison. As a society,  we have been blessed with hundreds if not thousands of entrepreneurs throughout history.  Entrepreneurs inspire others to be the best that they can be by incorporating passion and positivity in their leadership roles.

Who better exemplifies the word “passion” than Richard Branson. His passion for life and for starting companies is unmatched. As a matter of fact, his parent company the Virgin Group has grown to encompass more than 200 companies. There is no arguing that his passion is contagious.

The dot-com success Amazon, the brainchild of Jeff Bezos, was sparked by the power of positive thinking. Could Amazon.com have grown from that small dot-com to one of the largest companies in the world without the positive outlook of Jeff Bezos? I think not.

But let me get back on track here, and get to our own Bahamian that exemplifies the spirit of entrepreneurship even before the word may have been adequately defined.

Our Bahamian entrepreneur was born in 1886 and helped to build a long-lasting connection between the agriculture industry and tourism. Along with some other Fox Hill ladies, our Bahamian entrepreneur began selling her sisal goods to tourists. She was the first one to setup a straw stall in 1936. Over the next few decades, as the tourism industry grew, so did the straw market. Bahamian straw and sisal work would make its way to other islands in the Caribbean and into the homes of many tourists.

Perhaps you have already guessed who this early Bahamian entrepreneur was….Eunice Albertha Brown (1886-1967).  She may not be as famous as Richard Branson, but her impact on the Bahamian straw market was just as great.

Today, some of the women of the straw market keep the spirit of Albertha Brown alive and well.

Crime...Who's at Fault? Education or Government?

Kent Manno

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela

A recent commentary in the Nassau Guardian faults  the education system for the increase in crime in The Bahamas. In addition, there is some alarming information detailing the drop in the number of males graduating. As with any issue, there are some inherent  problems that need to be pointed out.

Before independence, literacy was not used as the main focus for developing a Bahamian identity. Rather, the oral tradition remained deeply rooted in society. Yet even though literacy may not have been used, The Bahamas was still able to create a sense of national unity. However, at the time of independence, the government did not see the need to promote a large scale literacy campaign. Perhaps we are now reaping the impact with the increase in crime.

Communication certainly creates some issues when attempting to organize and manage a unified educational system. Communicating with some of the family islands can be a challenge. Print media, often delivered by mail boat, is often late and out of date. Perhaps access to the Internet can help solve this problem.

Lastly, for those who make their living by seafaring or agriculture, obtaining a level of literacy is both expensive and irrelevant. Their major focus is on the skills that were handed down to them via the oral tradition. In many respects, this is very similar to the lives of the peasants in France prior to the French Revolution.

Clearly, if The Bahamas wants to have a literate population that can survive and be positive contributors to the new global world( and of course to The Bahamas), the education system needs some tweaking. It would also seem that young men need some educated role models to stand up and promote the benefits of having an education.

This will not be an easy task and may take years to implement. There might even be some who will protest the cost as it will add to their tax bill. I would only hope that before protesting people examine the benefit to the nation. Is it not something that any government or society would want to have as a legacy?

Lesson from Hurricane Irene - We Need Better Coverage by ZNS

Kent H. Manno

While Irene was churning and hitting The Bahamas hard,  it was clear that news from all the islands was scarce at  best. For some, there was no word at all. I found it difficult to obtain information on areas where I have family. To make matters worse, ZNS radio and television had a huge discrepancy in coverage. Is this acceptable in the technologically  advanced world we live in? I believe the answer is a resounding, NO. ZNS is in existence to serve the people on a daily basis and especially in times of crisis. At least this is the premise I believe the station was guided by under the direction of the late Mr. Rusty Bethel.

The emergency crisis plan of ZNS needs to be reevaluated as soon as possible. Perhaps a suggestion is in order... 24/7 coverage during a crisis with reporters stationed at key points in the islands. In this way, not only can the citizens stay informed...but they can keep up to date about the conditions where their loved ones reside.

Clearly, the ZNS budget might be the culprit here. If  that is the case, the government needs to adjust the  ZNS budget so it can reach this level of service needed in the world we live in and deserved by the people of The Bahamas.

Kent Manno

Kent Manno is a native Floridian now living in Budd Lake, New Jersey with roots in Nassau and Cherokee Sound, Abaco (son of Elaine Albury).

After graduating Washington & Jefferson College in 1982, he joined the faculty of Delbarton School in Morristown, NJ. Kent is currently the school Librarian, Director of Transportation, and Director of the summer sports camps. He also teaches 10th grade European History. His former positions included Chair of the History Department and several coaching responsibilities.

Visit his course web site here...

An avid reader and computer enthusiast, he is currently researching Bahamian history and the genealogy of his family in Nassau and Cherokee Sound.

Click here… for blogs by Kent Manno.