As a concerned citizen, husband, father and friend, I write to ask the government five questions:
• When there is a shortage of nurses at PMH, what does the government do?
• When there is a shortage of teachers in the government schools, what does the government do?
• When there is a shortage of construction workers in the country, what does the government do?
• When there is a need for major road work, what does the government do?
• When we need to dredge the harbour, build docks and infrastructure, what does the government do?
In case you don’t know the, answer to all of the above, and it is the same, “They bring in foreign recruits and/or expertise.”
So I ask one more question. When we are under seige by the criminals and we do not have the expertise, the will, the manpower, the guts or testicular fortitude to deal with it, what should the government do?
For God’s sake, bring in foreign recruits, police and/or expertise!
PLP, FNM, DNA, Vanguard, People’s Party, whatever the case, this is not rocket science. Obviously, not to get political, but successive governments have either not yet learnt this or have failed to put their pride aside and do what is in the best interests of their employers, “dat’s us, we Bahamians.” When is enough, enough? Can some one stand up and be counted? Can you so-called life-time, career politicians, for once in your life, stand up and be counted?
What has prompted me to write this article is the fact that I just sat down with a paper and pen and started making a list of individuals that I know personally whom in the last year (that’s 12 months); whose either car has been stolen, house broken into, held up at gunpoint, abducted, and the list goes on and in just five minutes, I am already up to 32.
These are not just “incidents that I heard through the grapevine, these are individuals whom I work with, eat with, go to church, with, family members, personal friends, neighbours, etc, etc.
Most of them I have on speed dial on my phone. No need for introductions. I am just one citizen, so can you imagine how long the “Country’s List” is?.
Politician, wake up! And you Pastors, Bishops, so-called “Community Leaders”; there’s another time and place when I will be dealing with you lazy, sit back and do nothing individuals. Keep, an eye out! More to come on this.
I am sick and tired of hearing our “do nothing” politicians say, “we have a highly trained and equipped police force.”
When is it going to sink into their heads that our police force is overwhelmed by the level of crime and we need some help, expertise and integrity installed back in the force.
Yes, we may have some police that are highly trained, but most of them are sitting behind desks. We do have our share of “good police,” but we also have some corrupt police that do not have a clue about law enforcement.
I have a friend who works at the emergency room at one of the two major hospitals, in discussing the level of crime and how it has gotten out of control, here is his quote to me, “Rudy, you have no ides of the level of shootings, stabbings, knife wounds, rape, etc, etc, that come into this emergency room on a daily basis. The police do not report a quarter of it, and if they did, you would probably pack up and leave.”
MPs, now it’s time for your question: Is this what we hired you to do? Is this how you’ve let our great country go into degradation? Please, please, get off your lazy, comfortable backsides and do something. You were placed in a position to care for your country. You were elected and placed as stewards of our Bahama Land. It is time to take the bull by its horns. And if you can’t step aside and let someone else do it. It’s an old saying, either —- or get off the pot!
Rudy Carroll
Nassau, Bahamas
November, 2011
