The logo in the image, designed for the British anti slavery movement by Josiah Wedgewood, asks, "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?"
The same question is pertinent in the current "discussion" about Cuban refugees at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre. Are Cubans not men and our brothers?
I wonder what reaction the country would get from the Minister of Foreign Affairs had Bahamians alleged similar treatment at the hands of a detention centre in the United States?
Question (Q): Would he be asking the United States to explain themselves and show concern for his fellow men?
Answer (A): You bet! And rightly so.
Q: Would he expect American's to close ranks behind the alleged beatings of Bahamians?
A: Definitely not! And he shouldn't.
Q: Would he protest their detention?
A: Of course! And would be correct to do so.
Q: Would he point to Human Rights Treaties to hold America accountable?
A: Absolutely! One can almost guarantee it.
Q: Would the Minister condone the alleged treatment for Bahamians in Fox Hill Prison?
A: Hmm…. One would think he would expose it and deal with those responsible for any human and civil rights abuses.
Just as the many black, white and in between people fought against the injustices of slavery and the holocaust and the slavery of all races throughout history, none of us should want to hide the injustices of the representatives of our government. We are better than that.
By condemning people as unpatriotic for raising concerns about alleged human and civil rights abuses by those in our government with the vested authority to protect us, we seem to be forgetting that it's the alleged beatings that are causing us the trouble in the first place. And if one believes it is wrong to treat another human being in the fashion alleged, does it matter who exposes it? Let's stop it going forward, whether it's at the detention centre or the prison. Some of us complained about the same thing in 2009.
Right and wrong cannot change because a different party is elected to govern.
So I repeat the question, are Cubans not men and our brothers?
