Trying Times in the Bahamas

by Craig Butler

Again this week we are faced with escalating crime statistics, especially murder. There have been more senseless deaths attributed to shootings and the police are inundated trying to solve them.

There is a fight between good and evil going on in the Bahamas today that I have compared to Milton's Paradise Lost. I received flack for that simplistic analysis, although I did point out that it was meant as a metaphor only. In any event, we as a nation need to figure out what the nature of our problem is before we can adequately address it.

It is my view that education, or the lack of it amongst marginalized young men, is the key. I will continue to say that a man who has no training, and thus an inability to think and make reasoned decisions, is susceptible to anything. In our case, it’s a life of easy money derived from crime.

Others have said that we need to address the issue of the poor, and whilst this is true, what are we to do? In order to find a way to enrich the poor we have to put them in a position to help themselves. I can’t conceive us giving out cash and so maybe that comment is dripping with sarcasm, but how do we address the poor? My view is that this also revolves around the question of education.

Yet others have said that we need to address the family structure. Well, I agree with this 100 per cent. It is through the family that we as individuals learn our system of values and morals. As a child I was constantly told that children are to be seen and not heard and I had to treat adults with respect. I also had no choice on whether I wanted to go to Sunday school and church - it was a must.

I remember that I also got a beating from my father every Sunday, so much so that I thought that all children endured the same fate. My father said it was because of the way I behaved in church but honestly I don’t recall it that way. Mind you there were also other beatings during the week for numerous reasons.

Every Sunday after church we would have lunch followed by bible study. This didn’t sit well with me, but it was part of a routine that had been carried forward from my father’s childhood and I can still recall much of the catechism. I can remember wanting to watch television, but that couldn’t happen until we had finished. I hated it so, but now I am so glad that we did it.

My family was not the only one which did this - it was common to many. Today, however, it is rare to find it. And I note that none of my siblings have sought to carry on the traditions of our family. Well, some of those traditions made us who we are and provided us with grounding.

The family structure was such that discipline could be dispensed by any elder, whether family or not. In today’s world we wouldn’t dare beat even our own sibling’s children for fear of recrimination.

And if a teacher ever punished me in school I dared not complain to my parents or I would get another set of punishment, because the teacher was always right. I note today that parents go to the schools and attack the teachers.

Many also seem to think that it is the school's responsibility to raise their children. But it is the parents’ duty to do so and the teachers’ duty to teach the lessons that would assist them in life. Therefore it is a symbiotic relationship. However, the school system has failed us by adopting a system of social promotion.

Talking to teachers about this, they say that the social promotion is needed to remove some students that are unruly. This seems to fly in the face of commonsense because these same students are then turned out onto an unsuspecting society. Part of the reason for their behaviour was based on their frustration at not being able to learn. Now they are placed in a world that offers them no opportunities due to their illiteracy and we expect them to adapt. We are only fooling ourselves to think so.

I note that many have cited the influence of other nationalities in our midst, specifically Haitian and Jamaican residents. The charge is that these people come from a culture of violence. I hate to think that we like to look for the easy way out to our problems. It may be a factor but it is not the only reason. Let us please take a closer look at ourselves and what we can do.

Harl Taylor.
I knew Harl from childhood and although I wouldn’t describe us as friends whenever our paths crossed we would chat for a few minutes before going our separate ways. As a Bahamian, I was proud of the inroads he made in the international fashion design arena

I am, however, mortified at the way his remains were put on display. I grew up around the funeral business and I can tell you that families sometimes have some outrageous requests. But the way in which Mr. Taylor was displayed in my mind was a desecration. As a people we love to follow suit but I sincerely hope that this was a one-off event.

‘Renegade Kempie’
Ronald Kemp, a diehard FNM supporter otherwise known as ‘Renegade', was also laid to rest recently. Many knew him by name even though they had never met him personally, because all one needed to do was turn on the radio on any given day and listen for a while to one of the various talk shows and eventually he would call in. His distinctive signature was to make a comment or two and then to ask three questions. Not one to waste too much time on the air he would always hang up and listen to the response.

On the few occasions that I got to talk to him face to face, he was parked in his bus awaiting passengers in the vicinity of Skan’s downtown and he would inevitably engage me in at least a half-hour conversation on politics.

I grew accustomed to his calls on Parliament Street on Sunday afternoons since I became the host and I can tell you that he will be missed. I’m sure that he will be looking down on us and ever questioning. Rest in Peace Kempie. Rest in Peace.

Comments

[Steffan Antonas]

Craig,

It's shocking to see the crime rate continue to increase, especially the rate of violent crime like murder, in such a small society. Our per capita murder rate is particularly disturbing. It seems that the crime issue is definitively getting worse, rather than staying the same or improving.

While all the remedies you sited in your article, like a strengthening of Christian and family values and a focus on education, are fundamental to a winning "mix" of public and social policy in the fight against crime in the long term, there is little likelihood that any of these will curb the escalating violence in the short term (1-5 years). Indeed, it is likely that there is no real remedy. However, the recent published works of some of the world's leading economists and thinkers, like Steven Levitt, Malcolm Gladwell and Tyler Cowen suggest that crime rates, especially violent crimes are heavily influenced by social and economic incentives, and that small tweaks to social and public service programs can have a large effect in the near term on problems like crime.

For those bahamapundit.com readers that are interested, the following books can shed some light on our problem. Both of these books take an academic and unorthodox look at why crime rates dropped dramatically in New York City in the mid 90's, when the rate of violent crimes were at their highest in history and dropped by over two-thirds in under 5 years.

The Tipping Point: Malcolm Gladwell

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explains the hidden side of everything, by Steven Levitt

I would like to point to the "broken window theory" first as a good starting point - this was Gladwell's argument. He makes a convincing case that the pervasiveness of small things "like a broken windows" (i.e. petty crimes represented by the visual deterioration of society) signal to those citizens that are more likely to break laws that greater crimes are acceptable/tolerated. He points to a massive cleanup effort under Giuliani (a believer in the broken window logic) of the NYC subway system (fresh paint and a crackdown on petty crimes like fare beating) and how it led to a sharp drop in violent crime in the area.

What we need in New Providence is powerful leaders to sponsor creative problem solving government and police programs to direct incentives toward the right outcomes. Understanding what others have successfully accomplished in similar situations is a good start.

A final thought - Whether or not "the broken window theory" holds any answers, Nassau could use a serious cleanup. If not just for our declining tourism industry. It might be a great place to improve our economy on the whole. Could someone step up and start coordinating an island wide community service project to bring everyone together, I wonder?

[anonymous]

"Could someone step up and start coordinating an island wide community service project to bring everyone together, I wonder?"

Nope. The adults are too busy and that would be seen as "white" by the majority 12-28 yr old crowd.

...In the past year I've had a chance to see many dozens of photos from various non-profit organizations and youth outreach and community services programs. Some photo albums going back 10 years or more.

These groups are mostly totally free, especially for children. They're often educational and can be good for the whole family to get involved in.

The overwhelming majority of the children in these photos were of every nationality and color except the average "black Bahamian". Why is that? I know 110% that these people aren't racist.

Thinking back to my own childhood, no disrespect to my mother but, I would not be the person I am today if it wasn't for a white woman from the states (who was a teacher in public schools) who somehow wound up treating me like her favorite nephew for almost 10 years. She basically taught me _everything_ I know.

If left up to my mother and the rest of my family and my schools, my head would be empty. (I'm talking about people who can't find the apostrophe key or know how to spell 'testimony')

[drew Roberts]

May be of interest to some:

http://www.transparency.org/news_room/latest_news/press_releases/2007/2007_12_06_gcb_2007_en

all the best,

drew

[cremation urns]

In comment to helping the poor. I use to work with homeless people, and we had a saying.

Give a man a fish, and he will be back tomorrow for more...

Teach a man to fish, and he can feed himself and his family.

Maybe thinking of ways to empower the poor with skills that can produce money is the key.