On Monday evening, PLP leader Perry Christie addressed the nation with another of his long-winded speeches filled with the usual political rhetoric and empty promises.
As usual, Mr Christie’s diatribe was nothing but meaningless bluster.
The Opposition leader talked about crime, which he correctly identified as a major crisis facing the Bahamas, pointing out that there were a record number of murders last month.
Mr Christie wants to blame the FNM government for the crime crisis, but is that really fair?
Many of the murders that have occurred this year were committed by murderers who were released on bail because Mr Christie’s government failed to execute them, or move their court cases along in a timely manner.
While he brags about his “swift justice” initiative, the PLP government failed to bring to conclusion a number of murder cases that have recently resulted in judges setting the accused free due to the amount of time they languished in prison.
While Christie claims he is all for capital punishment, his government failed to execute the many prisoners on death row, and this was prior to the Privy Council sticking their nose into the situation, making it nearly impossible for the current government to carry out the law.
“Every murder leaves behind a shattered family, and a heartsick community, terrified they will never escape the cycle of violence,” Mr Christie told Bahamians.
“Let’s take a moment to consider how we got here today,” he suggested.
“There is no doubt that many negative trends have converged: we are suffering from the deterioration of families, from too many children growing up without their fathers, and from a move away from core Bahamian values.”
He’s right. However, at no time in history did this move from “core Bahamian values” happen faster than during Lynden Pindling’s drug fueled PLP reign and Mr Christie’s own lackluster tenure as Prime Minister. Most of the criminals who are committing crimes now, started their criminal careers during Mr Christie’s time as Prime Minister. They are hardened criminals and drug dealing gangsters who rose to power during Christie’s single term.
“What does this tell you,” Mr Christie asks.
“It tells you an important reason for the escalation of crime in The Bahamas is poor governance,” he says.
He’s right again! But the poor governance occurred on Mr Christie’s own watch. The FNM is merely reaping the rotten harvest that Mr Christie and his criminal cabinet sowed.
“The FNM decided to end pioneering, award-winning anti-crime programs put in place by my government – programs like Urban Renewal, Swift Justice, Witness Protection, and School Policing, – all have either been inadequately funded or destroyed outright because they were PLP programs,” Christie told the nation.
But that is hogwash.
Urban Renewal was an election ploy where Mr Christie hired a bunch of two-bit crooks in return for their promise to vote PLP in the next election. The program was disbanded after several of the neighborhood cops were arrested for crimes in the very neighborhoods they were supposed to be policing.
“Swift Justice” was nothing more than a marketing slogan. At no time during the program did the justice system become more efficient. In fact, the decline of the justice system happened faster under Christie’s rule than at any time in the history of The Bahamas.
The disintegration of the justice system helped fuel the crime increase we are experiencing now, as many of the criminals from Christie’s era are being released back onto the streets after never really paying their debt to society.
The other programs Mr Christie highlights were costly, mismanaged and equally dysfunctional.
Mr Christie said, “Did you know that since the FNM ended the PLP Witness Protection Initiative, more than nineteen witnesses have been executed?”
Yes, they were executed by crooks who were recently released from prison because Mr Christie’s Swift Justice program was so slow. The murderers never went to trial and now judges are releasing them after they spent five years in prison without seeing the glare of a courtroom.
Christie said the death penalty is, “on our books and the PLP is pledged to carry out the law.” Yet not one murderer was executed during Christie’s reign of incompetence and, again, this was before the Privy Council issued their ruling against the mandatory death penalty.
“It’s time to put Bahamians first,” Mr Christie said. But why didn’t he put Bahamians first when he had the chance. Instead, he put himself and his selfish, greedy cabinet ministers first.
“I have recruited an extraordinary new generation of PLP candidates, and together, in consultation with experts, with clergy, and with community activists, we have put together a powerful set of ideas and solutions, drawing on the collective wisdom of Bahamians, combined with tough measures that have a proven track record of success.”
More hogwash! This is a repeat of the sales pitch Christie gave prior to his being elected last time. It turned out to be nothing but typical political rhetoric.
Again, Mr Christie lays out a vague plan of action which sounds good before an election, but just like last time, he has no intention of delivering.
It is difficult to see how anyone would believe Mr Christie’s blathering, or consider voting for him at all. Well, except that the country is full of ignorant or naive D+ young people, who are now coming of voting age.
How scary is that?
