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Poverty: Twelve Years into the Third Millenium

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:00:35 EDT

The poor you will always have with you…….Mark 14:3

Poverty is defined by Webster’s as “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.” In our context, then, who are the poor? Looking at the wide world perspective, we may more easily recognize the poor as those who are lacking in the minimal necessities such as water, food, clothing, basic health services, housing or a decent place to call home. Absolute poverty takes on a gruesome description as given by Robert Macnamara: “ A condition of life so characterized by malnutrition, illiteracy, disease, high infant mortality and low life expectancy as to be beneath any reasonable definition of human decency.”

National Service: To Be or Not to Be

Sun, 08 May 2011 09:13:22 EDT

From time to time, the question arises as to the legitimacy of a national youth service as was proposed by the late Sir Lynden Pindling. And once again the editorial in Saturday, May 7 edition of the Freeport News asks the question. I say unequivocally: “Yes!” But in what context was this idea proposed?

Long before the idea arose for a national service programme, I had instituted community service hours as a requisite for matriculation from Grand Bahama Catholic High School. Presently, every high school in the nation has taken the clue, and now requires this service as part of their high school program. We have now even made it an integral component of our apprenticeship training program at the Grand Bahama Shipyard. Whether in school or in the workplace, we have a nation to build...

Human Rights and Police Brutality

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:34:37 EDT

The Grand Bahama Human Rights Association is extremely concerned about the recent spate of reported alleged cases of brutality wrecked upon individuals while in police custody. We have thus far not intervened in this matter due to the assurance by both heads of the police force in New Providence and on Grand Bahama that these reports will be thoroughly investigated.

Both Mr. Quin McCartney and Mr. Ellison Greenslade are honorable and enlightened leaders and we are confident that they will deal with these matters expeditiously. They are sworn to uphold the safety and dignity of all citizens of this country and without regard to the status of anyone; ordinary persons or enforcers of the law, officers are bound by law and oath to scrupulously safeguard the rights of all...

Invasion of Foreign Species

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:12:34 EDT

As hundreds of thousands of containers pour into our country, so do a myriad of pests, insects, snakes and lizards make their entry across our borders. The invasion of non-native lizards has become so prevalent, that it’s beginning to wipe out our charming and indigenous curly tail lizard. They consistently devour the eggs and young of the curly tail and thus we see an extensive diminishing of this native specie.

But this is not the only observed negative and worrisome behavior of these creatures. They are laying claim to our homes as well with a furious aggression; they have no regard for the sanctity of our dwellings and unceremoniously enter through even impossible ways. Once inside, and devoid of any potty training habits, they proceed to defecate any place and every where, on table tops, walls, curtains, windows, floors, etc., etc. Their feces leave an unsightly mess which has to be attended to on a daily basis. They seem to be immune to the ordinary household pest controls and gleefully carry out their playful, fighting and mating habits with total impunity...

HAITI: A Cataclysmic Catastrophe or a Global Jolt?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:52:41 EDT

Over the period of a few shorts years, humanity has witnessed and experienced a number of massive and catastrophic events: ‘911’ and the destruction of world’s symbol of financial control; ‘the Tsunami’ and consequential loss of thousands of lives and now the greatest of the three, “Haiti.’

Following ‘911’, the global meltdown occurred indicating the necessity for yet further normalization and equalization within the world economy. However, following that event too much energy and time were spent on retribution. ‘The Tsunami’ elicited a greater heart and mind response to the plight of a significant sector of humanity; and now the saga continues with ‘Haiti.’ Will this island in the sea then become the catalyze to finally awaken humanity and draw focus on the need for greater equity for all peoples on a global scale?