The Tribune

AS the annual murder rate once again broke the 100 mark, an appeal to “stop fighting, start fixing” went out to MPs and political parties.

The call came from Rev Dr CB Moss, community activist and executive director of Bahamas Against Crime.

“There are so many things that require fixing in our beloved nation that if our political leaders were to fully apply themselves to this challenging task there would be precious little time, or desire, to be at each others throats,” said Rev Moss. “The question is, are they listening? Do they really care?”

His statement added that the list of problems is extremely long, and includes crime, unemployment, poverty, illegal immigration, poor housing, decaying communities, staggering national deficits, crushing energy costs, teenage pregnancy, national debt and the failing education system.

Rev Moss went on to point to the wide-spread pain and suffering experienced by the middle and lower socio-economic classes as a result of four years of economic difficulty.

“The noose of poverty is tightening around the necks of many of our people more and more each day, and something must be done to fix this, and now,” said Rev Moss.

His statement called upon political parties to work together, as far as possible, in the interest of the Bahamian people.

“Success will be measured by results and not by rhetoric, photo opportunities and public relations exercises,” Rev Moss said.

On Wednesday, Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller said the country has an “obligation” to help those who are less fortunate.

Speaking after a visit to a Haitian community that was badly damaged in a fire, Mr Miller said: “The humanity aspect of all of us must now kick in and Bahamians must provide some assistance.

“All of us collectively (must) try to uplift the lives of those who are less fortunate than we are.”