The House of Assembly, the Fig Tree, Bishop Humes & Derrick Atkins

by Craig Butler

Members in the House of Assembly needed to be cognizant of the fact that the proceedings are being broadcast on radio and television so it is important for them to display proper decorum and provide a healthy example for our youth.

With the problems that the nation is presently facing in respect of crime it is imperative that those in leadership positions do all that they can to stem this flow. Accordingly, the recent fracas between Speaker Alvin Smith and the PLP Member for Golden Gates, Shane Gibson, should have never happened.

I don’t know why the Speaker would want to drag the House backward by ban the latest technology - specifically the use of laptop computers - although I too have heard the rumors. Even so, I don’t think that it makes any sense but rather impedes the progress of the House. However, the Speaker can certainly make these pronouncements, which ought to be followed.

It has been postulated that the reason for banning their usage is that it was a privilege abused by some members and that during his time in opposition the Speaker would have observed the same. It is said that rather than participate in the proceedings of the House many members used the time to surf the net, play games, read email and even visit pornographic sites.

The people did not send the 41 members there to view pornography or play games - they can do that on their own time. When in the House it is expected that they do the peoples business.

If that was the reason for the ban it was a noble one but even so, it infringes on those that take their responsibilities seriously and deprives them of a useful tool.

I’m sure in retrospect Shane Gibson wishes he had acted differently, as his later apology suggests. However, when these gentlemen find it hard to control their emotions how can they then turn around and advise others on how to behave in a civilized society?

The Fig Tree at the Supreme Court.

When we wandered into Bank Lane on business or otherwise one of the great sites was always the giant ficus tree that stood in the middle of the circle in front of the main Supreme Court building. From its stature it was probably close to a hundred years old. Over time it has been utilized as a meeting place, an area to smoke, have lunch or just to rest. I don’t know when the concrete steps were put in place but they have been there as long as I can remember.

I am greatly saddened that it was decided by as yet unknown persons to cut down such a beautiful tree. As an attorney I have to spend much time in the precincts of the Supreme Court and that tree provided at least for me one constant in an ever-changing world.

I don’t know exactly when it was chopped down but I am surprised that there was no outcry as it was happening. It is disturbing that so many stood by when this occurred and said nothing. As I look upon the stump that is left it is clear that the teeth of the chainsaw won the day easily. Those that witnessed this massacre must have assumed that the persons doing so were instructed, which I am sure they were, but the real question is by whom and why?

This tree has gone the same way those beautiful casuarinas did that once adorned West bay Street. Don’t we get it in the Bahamas? Nature is to be preserved. Years of God’s handiwork has been uprooted for no seemingly good reason. But then there is a scaffold in place at the rear of the senate Building. Could it be that the tree was cut to accommodate some sort of renovation?

I now fear for the safety of the cotton tree to the west of the Public Library. I guess that it too is also an eyesore to someone with authority. I can only hope that before something like this happens again the government department responsible would issue an alert so that the public will have the opportunity to speak out.

Bahamian Embassy in Cuba.

In the run-up to the election Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham made statements concerning the embassy in Cuba. I was under the impression that the same would be downgraded as soon as the FNM attained power.

It’s amazing about elections, as they get politicians to say things that they either don’t mean or that don’t make any sense. This is one of those examples, as Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs Brent Symonette told a symposium hosted by the Chamber of Commerce recently that the Bahamas has allocated $300,000 for the operations of the Bahamian Embassy in Cuba and we intend to continue that representation in Cuba.

Moral of the story? During election time take sense from nonsense.

Christian Council.

The chairman of the PLP has blasted the president of the Christian Council for what he has said can be taken as partisan remarks.

Bishop Humes has attributed the present crime wave to the fact that the PLP have been unable to accept their election defeat of May 2. Who really knows if that is the case or not? It’s probably not that important anyway. What is important is the fact that the Bishop has an opinion and a right to voice that opinion.

I don’t think the comments were made with a view to being partisan but rather to address the root cause of the violence in our society. The PLP would have been better served by stating its strong disagreement with the views put forward by Bishop Humes, but respects his right to have them.

Derrick Atkins.

Here is a young Bahamian man that is doing his country proud. He has posted the second fastest time in the world this year in the 100m and is making a name for himself on the world stage. We all have great expectations that in the forthcoming World Track & Field Championships he will be a medalist.

It appears however that The BAAA and The BOA wanted him to compete in the Pan Am Games presently being held in Brazil. Atkins has indicated that he is injured and despite the fact that he ran a 10.02 in placing second recently he feels that but for the injury he could have gone faster, if not won the race.

The veracity of his injury is being doubted by Mike Sands and Sir Arlington Butler based on the times he has been able to post. Whether he is injured or not. It's time for these organizations to realize that athletes have a short career and injuries can sideline them for indefinite periods of time.

Athletics is no longer amateur, or about the thrill of victory. It is now a business - these athletes are paid for their appearances and compete for money. In essence this is Atkins' career. It should always be an honour to represent your country, but is the Pan Am Games significant enough to risk aggravating an injury?

Our country is being represented well by those that are in attendance and it is clear that we are making significant strides especially in the pool. However, don’t punish Mr. Atkins for his failure to attend. Allow him the honour of winning a medal at the World Championships and be satisfied with that.

Comments

[anonymous]

Sorry to hear about the tree. I had no idea. Haven't been downtown all year.

I wish they would cut down all these ugly, coconut-less palm trees they have all over the place and plant a variety of local trees. Especially trees that may bear fruit.

[drew Roberts]

Fruit Trees?

Come now, you must know of the behind the scenes deal making between the snack food companies and the ministry of edumacation that resulted in fruit trees being removed from school yards.

You can't have school children eating dangerous fruits during school hours. They are much better served eating highly nutritious snack foods.

Not to mention the dangers to uniform and limb from climbing the thorny fruit trees.

~;-)

Sorry, couldn't resist. Why do bearing fruit trees on government school yards get cut down again?

Anyone want to try and push this fruit tree issue?

Should the government consider putting in a fruit tree lot in areas where they put in basketball courts and playgrounds? Should fruit trees be planted in and around these existing places?

Anyone care to work on a list of suggested trees?

Could we plant such that we have some fruit pretty much year round?

all the best,

drew

[Rhapsody]

One minor point with regard to the casaurinas formerly along West Bay Street and elsewhere. Casaurinas are not native to the Bahamas and were actually brought in from Australia. They have had a loosely similar effect to local flora as blackberry bushes in Hawaii by coming to dominate the landscape preventing many local plants from flourishing. While I agree with the sentiment of preserving nature, I believe that local plants should be used to replace casaurinas and other widespread foreign plants rather than wholesale uprooting with nothing left behind. Local plants are becoming ever rarer in the more commercial and touristic areas of the city, which is unfortunate.

[larry smith]

That is correct, and should have been observed before. The Casuarina is an invasive species that not only suppresses indigenous plant life but promotes beach erosion too. There was no opposition from environmentalists when those trees were removed. It's a pity we can't remove them from the entire country.

[no fix for crime]

The Bahamas, like all countries in the world are facing higher rates of crime. The government will never put a cap on crime, and in the distant future, there will be crimes possibly commenced against tourist as well. The reason this phenomenon will not be resolved, is because it has to do with money & power. The poor in every country have it rough, but being that there are less opportunities in the Bahamas for the poor, those who are in this position feel hopeless, and therefore as they are struggling to exist while seeing the wealthier get more wealthy, that feeling of hopelessness may become overbearing. Feeling as they have no way out of the circle of poverty, the underclasses resort to violence as a means to an end. Instead of being concerned with it's people, government is only concerned with keeping the wealthy in their state, and leaving the rest in a class divide, just as it had been for century's. In the coming years, with the world becoming even more technological and the disparity gap between the rich and poor grows even more, the violence is assured to grow even more. The Bahamas is in for a possibly long and violent future with no end in sight, unless something is done to fix the "reason" why the crime rate is high. the only current ideas the government and people of the Bahamas can think of now are reactive ones, instead of pro-active. Let's lock em up is not the answer, as it will not stop the reasoning why these crimes are in existance. If the Bahamas wants to see it's country become less violent, Bahamians themselves need to stop preaching the brimstone and talking of how people are going to hell, and start being more caring to it's people, giving chances to it's populace, and becoming the "so called" Christian country it claims to be. Because as it has been for years and up to today, the Bahamas is far from living up to Christian belief.