The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

This message is for the people of Bimini:

Now is the time for you to STAND UP. Your island is being destroyed, your economy ruined and your culture lost.

No amount of court action, no amount of press coverage, no amount of international pressure will do anything without you, the Biminites, going up to Bimini Bay and putting a full stop to this situation. Period. That is proven.

The prime minister and Resorts World do not care what the rest of the country or the rest or the world says. They are going ahead regardless simply because Bimini has made it clear that they don’t care. “Do whatever,” the Biminites are saying.

But is that what you, the Biminites, are saying? You should be saying NO! You should be saying STOP! You should be saying GO HOME!

Now is the time for Bimini to stand up.

Is everyone on the island so afraid of the government? That’s what your leaders are counting on. They think that people in Bimini are sheep, cowards, pawns to be bought for hard cash.

These “leaders” will lead the locals and their kids into poverty, just so the developers can get another bag of cash from the casino and get rich doing it. Filthy, stinking rich.

And if Bimini doesn’t stop them now, they will keep doing it.

If you stand up, the country stands behind you. The press stands behind you. The entire international dive industry stands behind you. The sport fishing industry stands behind you. The scientific community stands behind you. Brainville McCartney wants to stand with you. The FNM will stand with you. The anit-VAT community will stand with you. The Bahamian business community will stand with you. The labour boards will stand with you. The entire state of Florida is ready to stand behind you.

And what is Perry Christie to all of that? When he fails - which he will if you in Bimini stand up - all the PLP fails with him. There can be no political backlash if Bimini wins, because the losers will lose everything politically.

If Bimini stands up, physically and emotionally and with speech and action, this regime will fall. That will be the political fall out. A little backlash for Bimini? Quite possibly but unlikely. But even if so, it will be short lived because these people will lose the next election – if Bimini stands up now.

Bimini has nothing to lose from standing. But EVERYTHING to lose by not standing.

Bimini, you will lose your community, your businesses, your island.

You have already lost the confidence to speak. The right to know what is going on. The right to have a say. You may as well leave and find another island, maybe even another country.

Because if you, the locals, don’t not stand up, the entire country is lost. If Bimini goes down with our leaders gloating, there is nothing to stop them from destroying the rest of the country with mad glee in return for whatever it is they stand to gain.

But you, you proud Biminites, can stop them and save the country.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR BIMINI TO STAND UP!

MATTHEW McCOY

Nassau,

May 18, 2014