Though he may have been the wrong messenger, National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest had the right message in criticizing the courts for the seeming ease with which alleged offenders are granted bail.
The criticisms by the PLP that Turnquest’s comments were “cowardly, shameful and baseless” are utter nonsense. His comments were actually quite courageous, in no way shameful, and based in reality. The minister voiced the concerns of many Bahamians who are shocked that someone who has a known criminal record can get bail so easily.
The cowardly and shameful behavior of which the PLP speaks can be laid squarely at the door of the Christie government. Over five whole years they did nothing to substantially improve the criminal justice system like increasing the amount of courts and judges. Shamefully, they did nothing of consequence on the Bail Act.
The only swift thing the PLP did was talk about what should have been done. Had that late-again crew acted rather than talked, over the last five years the justice system would have had additional tools and resources to act more speedily in dealing with alleged offenders and repeat-offenders.
Had the PLP acted more vigorously from 2002 to 2007, our murder and crime rates would quite probably have been lower than they are today. Their failure to act then is haunting us now.
The opposition is not only hypocritical, they are shameful for using the pain and suffering associated with crime for their own selfish political ends; especially since when they had a chance to act they failed miserably.
Maybe somebody else should have said what Tommy Turnquest said. But at least, thank God, somebody had the courage to say it.
By: Concerned Citizen
