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Columns : Letters to The Editor Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM


Open Letter to Forrester J. Carroll
By Coalition to End Gender-based Violence & Discrimination
Apr 17, 2014 - 1:41:51 AM

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Dear Mr. Carroll,

It was with great disappointment that we read your comment on a Facebook page (see attachment below) that hosted Protect Women & Children - a public event to provide education on gender-based violence and discrimination and an open forum for questions, discussions, and recommendations to remedy the issues we face in The Bahamas.

Your comment proved the need for this event, and the on-going conversation on these issues. You stated, "But women need to show that they wish to be protected as well."

Mr. Carroll, you might have noticed by now that this statement is ludicrous. How must women show that they wish to be protected? What, exactly, do you wish for the women of this nation to do in order to earn your attention and care? It seems you have already emptied your pockets and have not a single penny to give with regard to this pervasive issue. Do the emergency room visits, sick days, pounds of concealer, and calls and visits to the Ministry of Social Services, The Crisis Centre, and other organisations not amount to a cry for help in your discriminating eyes? Please tell the victims of gender-based violence exactly what they must do to prove to you - apparently the judge and jury - that they want, need, and deserve protection. Please also inform every victim in this country of the reason the need for protection must be proven. Is everyone not deserving of protection?

You stated, "They cannot expose themselves to danger knowingly, leave themselves open to be abused, and then expect people to be constantly watching over them..."

How is it that women knowingly expose themselves to danger? How do women leave themselves open to be abused? Please inform the women of this nation of the specific actions that are considered exposure to danger and abuse. We are not able to come up with a single action to qualify your wild statement.

We do not believe anyone seeks to be abused. We take great exception to your victim-blaming and strongly suggest you seek education on issues of this nature as you have proven yourself to be severely lacking in both knowledge and understanding. The shocking numbers we see with regard to domestic violence and violence against women are not a sign of negligence on behalf of the victim. They point to the failure of perpetrators to abide by the law. They point to the failure of the law and law enforcement to protect. They point to the failure of bystanders to intervene.

You seem to be implying that women should change the way they live their lives and restrict their movements and interactions in a way that could only be described as imprisonment. You are seeking to change the behaviour of the wrong people, Mr. Carroll. Victims do not need your harshness. Perpetrators need to seek the help they require and, if it is so difficult to abide by the law, they need to be the ones to avoid places and situations that are triggering. Focus your "solutions" on the correct group.

You stated, "...all of us MUST use all our common sense to guard our own safety first." Mr. Carroll, it has become apparent that most people do not have common sense. Even you seem to be lacking, and that only legitimises the Coalition and its work. We think it should be "common sense" to remedy the issues of gender-based violence by recognising the perpetrators as criminals and rehabilitating them. We believe it is "common sense" to support victims by recognising that their situations are not of their own making, ensuring resources are made available to them, and empowering them to tell their stories without fear, guilt, or shame. We believe it is "common sense" to teach our children to communicate effectively, resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner, value all human life, and have the courage, sensitivity, and sensibility to speak out against what is wrong and be a voice for the silenced. We believe it takes "common sense" to realise we are not all equally capable of protecting ourselves for various reasons. Have you ever heard of marginalization? Male privilege? Rape culture? Emotional abuse? Financial abuse?

Clearly, Mr. Carroll, we cannot depend on common sense. It simply is not common enough. People like you litter this country with blissful ignorance, spewing hateful messages, failing to see beyond your own privilege. People like you are somehow chosen to represent this country either by equally ignorant, misogynistic people, or people who simply are not capable of making decisions in the best interest of this country and its future.

Before you speak to the issue of gender-based violence and discrimination, or any other issue of national importance, I encourage you to do your research. Speak with experts in the field. Consider your own position of privilege and the blind bias it affords you. The next time you would like to place blame, remind yourself that people do not choose to be victims, but perpetrators to choose to make them victims. Think about cause and effect. Think about all the little details that escape your narrow mind as you seek to free yourself of guilt and responsibility. Honour the people who are willing to work toward a safer, happier country where men and women can live and work together in peace and harmony. Whether you join us or not, our efforts will continue and the sensitisation, education, and empowerment of Bahamian people will result in less negative responses to positive action.


Coalition to End Gender-based Violence & Discrimination
[Bahamas Against Sexual Violence & Child Abuse (BASV&CA); Hollaback! Bahamas; Bahamas Women's Watch; Families of All Murder Victims (F.O.A.M.) and Bahamas Urban Youth Development Center (BUYDC)]



Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his/her private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of TheBahamasWeekly.com



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