Now that the Minnis Administration has begun the much needed “surgery” that every one called for we are experiencing a collective groan from anyone who is wants to make a noise; even Sir Baltron Bethel has something to say. I am not taken back this “chorus of responses”, it is to be expected, but I am amused that for the second time in the last six months we are seeing agreement in a different section of the public domain, but these “noises” are not coming from the people who we thought were hurting. In a sense, we are beginning to see why persons on both sides of the political aisle colluded and schemed to block the ascension of the present Prime Minister; he means the present political, economic, religious status quo, no good, no good at all. He wants to take another shot at “levelling the playing field”. After 50 years one would have thought that we were well on the way to having the national issues addressed, but as I listened to a talk show hosted by Carlton Smith about the problems in the inner-city, I heard the same back and forth that I have been hearing for decades, but it was coming out of the mouth of persons who were not old enough to vote in 1967. They were making references to programs and people that are helpful, but you know that uneasiness you experience when a couple times a year personalities come to speak on the park, or presents are given out to the “poor” during Christmas, visits are made to old folks homes, policemen do a walkabout, politicians make promises, everyone wants to help the “poor people” … .but then everyone goes back home. . .no one really sets up a work to stay and work on the problems they pontificate about. Except the Church people.
Zhivago Laing was struggling the other day, trying to make sense of what was going on in that milieu that he loves to be in and I remember something my son told me that simplified what Mr.Laing was trying to get across. He wanted to know why we were not seeing much change in our national growth rate. My young philosopher told me, ”Dad, if you want to know the purpose of anything, just check the result”. So the word I gave to Mr. Laing was, “Who is benefiting from the current state of affairs?” And that is what all of this noise is about. Too many of us think it is enough to talk, to kick the proverbial cans down the road and hope that people will be satisfied and forget what this national discussion is all about. This responsibility we took on in 1973, as a “Christian Nation”; and still failing to embrace, as outside interests take our land and profit from our abundant natural resources.
There is a lot of noise in the market about the proposed salary increases for Members of Parliament, who have been making $28,000 per annum, for a couple of decades now. Okay. However, not much has been said about those M.P’s who have made $28,000 a year but their bank balances reflects a different reality. While we run our mouths, the money is going somewhere. If we are serious about what we want to see and put these elected officials to work that base salary is not going to make it, but, there was no mention of Cabinet Ministers getting an increase and I remember that the committee that addressed this issue was chaired by the late Dr.Bernard Nottage; seems like it takes the Doctors in the land to deal with the touchy subjects.
Is there a moral context for all that is going on? I would say that certain things should be in place if there are particular expectations, and it is not enough for us to get on out hobby horses and say that this is not the time for this matter of M.P’s salaries to be addressed. When would we address it? The Prime Minister has made a decision, and it is not the worse decision in the world. There is a context that we can understand; if we want to, and the performance of the previous administration may be reason enough for this administration to do the heavy lifting in early the program.
I wanted to close but two words word came up. Morality and context. The recent remarks by the President of the Bahamas Christian Council leaves much to be desired from those who have been given a responsibility to articulate what is going on in the Nation, but choose to be very isolated and insular in the commentary. Bishop Fernander, says that the people rejected the proposals being put forward by this administration on Children born to Bahamian parents who are outside the country, married or single. If I remember the context of that rejection, it surrounded the confusion created by the wording of Bill #4 which would made the word “Sex” an attribute, thereby expanding its legal definition. Taking it beyond the Gender classification. The first three proposals could have passed on their own, but when the then Prime Minister begins mouthing word for word what then Vice President Joseph Biden was saying about what he wanted to see through out the entire Caribbean, regarding Gender Equality, there was cause to pause. It causes nothing to effect through law, what is needed, if the detractors see it different they can change the law at a later date, if they ever get back into Office.I still remember how riled up the former Prime Minister got when the then leader of the Opposition told citizens to “vote their conscience”. It seems for some that conscience is a dirty word when political agendas are front and center.
Additionally, Bishop Fernander along with Father I. Ranfurly Brown, seem to have a proclivity towards being “politically correct” in a manner that supports whatever they are comfortable with politically and that is their right, but as “men of the cloth” they bring a very jaundiced view to the “discussion” when the less learned among us are looking for clarity that goes beyond the every day banter; they should be able to “Give us a word”. Both have waffled on key issues of late. Father Brown on legalized gambling and Bishop Fernander on both gambling and the citizenship issue.
It seems that issues of morality are best left up to Doctors, Lawyers and Politicians who want to be honest.
Sincerely,
Edward Hutcheson
November 7, 2017
