When Gladstone (Moon) McPhee intimated to
me a few days ago that he was being unceremoniously dismissed as Assistant
Director of Sports, I told him that in no way, shape or form would I believe such an atrocity until I saw
it in writing. It is, therefore, almost
impossible for me now, having heard the dictum,
to pen the words necessary to express my total surprise, disgust and
disappointment at such a reprehensible and evil act. Whoever the persons may be who concocted such
a despicable course of action should hide themselves in shame.
This disdainful decision
could only be based upon puerile banana
republic political gimmickry. I refuse to even label it as political
victimization, for no one could ever victimize Gladstone Moon McPhee. He, as so powerfully and truthfully emulated
by Oswald Brown, in his Friday morning commentary in the
Freeport News,
stands so tall above any political figures in this country, they could never in a thousand years match the
stature of this noble citizen.
Therefore, their action simply reverberates back to them and will haunt
them for the rest of their political life and beyond.
Bar none, there is no
individual in this country with greater passion, sense of dedication and
absolute self-sacrificing spirit to measure even half way to Moon’s insatiable
desire in working for the benefit of the young in this nation, and specifically
on Grand Bahama. His renowned reputation in the world of sports has reached
international levels and has facilitated for a multitude of young Bahamians
places in the highest echelons in the field of athletics.
For the thirty-three years that I’ve been
on Grand Bahama, Moon has been my best
and closest friend. He and I have had
some of the most heated political arguments in which any two individuals could
ever engage; sometimes he infuriated me to an unbelievable extent, and I’m sure
I did the same to him. But in all of
this, our friendship grew stronger and stronger. The more I got to know Moon,
at the school I administered for twenty years, and elsewhere in his myriad of
activities in support of our youth, the greater my respect and esteem grew for
him.
This is a bitter, much too
bitter pill for this nation, and especially the Grand Bahama community to
swallow. It’s a dose for long-term depression.
And according to the communication to Moon, he is being requested to
demit office as of this Monday, November 2.
I, therefore, beg our Prime Minister to rescind this unfortunate and
grim decision and thus restore the respect and honor due this sports icon,
noble citizen and compassionate human being.
When Gladstone (Moon) McPhee intimated to
me a few days ago that he was being unceremoniously dismissed as Assistant
Director of Sports, I told him that in no way, shape or form would I believe such an atrocity until I saw
it in writing. It is, therefore, almost
impossible for me now, having heard the dictum,
to pen the words necessary to express my total surprise, disgust and
disappointment at such a reprehensible and evil act. Whoever the persons may be who concocted such
a despicable course of action should hide themselves in shame. 