By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIANS have a right to “be afraid” over crime in the country, according to DNA Leader Branville McCartney.
Mr McCartney criticised the government for crime failures and the escalating fear of crime in the country, hitting out at the government’s crime fighting strategy in an interview with The Tribune yesterday.
Urging the public to take up an active role in agitating for change, Mr McCartney called on the government to end all political interference with crime and the administration of justice, adding that it was time for new, bold and aggressive tactics.
Mr McCartney said: “I think people have a right to be afraid based on the fact of what the government says they’re going to do. This is the same government campaigning all throughout the country, who said they had the answers to crime. I’m holding them to that, they said they had the answers.”
“They took the FNM to task, and perhaps rightly so, but they’re no better.
“After they got elected,” he said, “they had a town meeting to ask what we should do, that shows they had no plan from day 1. This is the people putting up all the billboards prior to election, embarrassing our country.”
Mr McCartney added: “It made me sick to my stomach when I heard what they deliberated about all day, it’s a total regurgitation of what they offered before. It’s almost like they were just reading from their charter of governance, which they said prior to election.”
Prime Minister Perry Christie revealed the government’s crime plan last month, outlining more than two dozen “key measures” he said have either been taken, or will shortly be taken, to escalate the war on crime.
Among those was the establishment of a Police unit specifically aimed at organised gangs; and the reintroduction of the 12-hour shift.
Pointing to the murder rate, and the recent armed robbery of deputy Prime Minister “Brave” Davis and his wife, Mr McCartney said that the time had come to consider implementing a national curfew, and a national service.
He added that the police explanation of the attack on Mr Davis as a crime of opportunity was “foolishness”.
“The deputy prime minister, he and his family were accosted, that’s unheard of in the Bahamas, that’s how bold these criminals are,” said Mr McCartney. “It wasn’t a crime of opportunity, those people knew exactly what they were doing, they just don’t care.
“We need to get the unemployed off the streets, bring back the cat o’ nine tail, make them understand if they do foolishness they are going to feel it,” he said. “Make sure Marco’s law is enacted and carried out, that there is a sex offenders registry. There are so many sexual offences we don’t even hear about, particularly towards young children.
Mr McCartney added: “I think we need to continue to speak out and be forceful, we need to agitate the people of the Bahamas to speak out. When they start showing that they’re fed up, it may get the government to act accordingly. We can’t be as passive as we have been, allowing things to slip and slide, accepting everything the government thrusts upon you.”
Comments
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 11 months ago
And this is the DNA's biggest problem. How in the hell can the Bahamas afford a national service? DNA promises are empty, they say they can fix everything and it's like they think it'll be free. Bran needs to grow the hell up... Really sick and tired of this moron....
spoitier 10 years, 11 months ago
What is the alternative? Go back and foward between worse and worser? At this point in the Bahamas, the Drunking man that sit on the bay with his wine could possibly have a better plan that those two clown parties.
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
After tuning in to Comrade Bran yesterday as a guest on the Darold Miller Talk Show I was able to get a much better appreciation as to why Bran's leadership chances had peaked on the night of his introduction at the green party's "Thrilla in Cable Beach" revealing.
nationbuilder 10 years, 11 months ago
LOL!
B_I_D___ 10 years, 11 months ago
I've had a couple people who've had some closer interactions with Bran...one of them went so far as to say he may suffer from some sort of Napoleon Complex. He is of shorter statue, and seems to feel the need to overcompensate and make himself bigger than he really his, very full of himself, and very opinionated. Not necessarily a bad thing, but you reach a point where you've just had enough and don't want to listen to it anymore.
realfreethinker 10 years, 11 months ago
WOW is all I can say
B_I_D___ 10 years, 11 months ago
I have never had the pleasure of meeting him, just hearing from others...don't know the poster commonsense below, but I guess what I was told was not far from it.
CommonSense 10 years, 11 months ago
Branville will turn this place into a Dictatorship. He's power hungry and although a few of his ideas could work if executed correctly you can tell by his attitude that he's going to choose the worst route in which to implement them. I've had conversations with Branville and he has a very archaic way of thinking. He's of the "women should submit to men", "parents should suffer for the crimes of their children" mentality which, in 2014, scares me. Take a look at his old party-mates as well. Matter of fact, just look at one of them, Rodney Moncur. Those folks believe this is the 1930s.
The Napoleon Complex is spot on. He wants to be a leader so bad that he'll say anything that Bahamians want to hear and right now...crime is the number one conversation.
He may have a chance in the next elections in that people have now seen that the PLP is a definitive no and as long as Minnis is leader, the FNM is a no as well.
sansoucireader 10 years, 11 months ago
I like what you say about having a look at his 'partymates' too.
hj 10 years, 11 months ago
The more Bran tries to sound different than other politicians,the more he sounds like them. I lost every confidence in him when I saw some of his candidates in the last election. Some of these guys are complete disasters
spoitier 10 years, 11 months ago
You can't be absolutely sure that he is like the other politicians, but you know the other politicians is like what you suspect. So I will ask the question; at this point what is the alternative?
hj 10 years, 11 months ago
Nobody can be abslolutely sure about anything. However he sounds more and more like a typical politician,saying what people want to hear.And I was really disappointed by some of his candidate choices. As for the alternative our choices are very limited and they will continue to be as long as you have people who vote based solely on who buys them ham and turkey for Christmas
The_Oracle 10 years, 11 months ago
Napoleon complex? Bran has no monopoly on that one, we have more Mini me's running around the Bahamas no matter their height! (or girth!) They are mostly politicians too, Interesting. Society either allows, or disallows the behavior of its members, with the Judiciary following suit. What is broken is us. We the People. We stand ready to take another day off, in the Name of Majority rule, when all around us lies in a state of disrepair and dis-function, and most of us have no clue about, or attach no special significance to the newly created holiday. We lusted after self determination, but ran from the responsibilities attached thereto. Points of national importance and significance become days of observation in a natural way, not foisted upon us by those who would claim the battle personally as their own. I think Carlton Francis day would have been a more appropriate day of self examination particularly for the so called leadership. Where there is no shame, there can be no real pride.
B_I_D___ 10 years, 11 months ago
Agreed...and I like your last comment...Where there is no shame, there can be no real pride...that pretty much sums it up. People are happy to run around adn fight and kill one another out of PRIDE...but I think they forgot the shame part...or that it is OK not to be perfect, they get so up in your face about telling them they are doing something wrong because you 'hurt their pride'. You can learn from your mistakes and better yourselves and educate yourselves in the way of life, without running about having to shoot one another cause you looked at his gal sideways or said something about his mamma. sigh
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
Our young people are influenced by the vocabulary used by political leaders. Comrade Bran needs be reminded that just because someone becomes homeless and turns to the streets for mere existence, doesn't mean they deserve to be called a "Bum." I know from personal contact over many years with his dad and grandfather, Bran comes from an outstanding family and it was no more than a slip of the tongue made when attempting to explain on Comrade Darold's Talk Show his stance for capital punishment for the murder of all people, not just to hang those whom kill police officers or government officials. We all know that people end up living on the streets for many different reasons, including a run of bad luck or poor judgment. The homeless person you meet could have emotional or even mental issues. Regardless of their past, never look down upon another living human being as a "bum." HOMELESS MAN TEARS UP: "I'M NOT A BUM, I'M A HUMAN BEING ...// http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-j36_9x…
Guest2468 10 years, 11 months ago
As a young bahamian as I read the comments above it reminds me of one of the many things wrong in bahamian society.
Instead of y'all focus on the points the man made on improving the country's terrible state the country is in and possibly come up with more solutions, y'all wanna try figure out what angle the man from. The fact is it REALLY DOESNT MATTER. While the country burning to the ground y'all could still try and figure out who is power hungry and is trying to be a dictator.
People need to come together and focus on what is important because soon there won't be a country to fight over. Y'all need to grow up and get out the sandbox on the playground Mann.
I personally think his idea for a curfew is excellent and far overdue because many people in the country already live on a self implemented curfew due to the fear of crime.
spoitier 10 years, 11 months ago
Those people you talking about only believe in flip flopping from worse to worser and then back to worse again, and complain about the state of the country.
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
Comrade believe me Bran said lots more than you're reading about here. I made pages of notes on him and his Chairman Wilson's "ridiculous mutterings." Disappointed Darold did not push Bran to explain why he thinks a curfew imposed during his visit to Thailand of all places, ordering all to be off the streets by 8 o'clock at night, seems to be influencing his misguided judgement on bringing it home to Bahamaland. Honestly, was my first time listening as Brain revealed himself at any length. My viewpoint is it amounts to some pretty scarey stuff for my cup of leadership tea, when a party leader thinks we're as messed up as Thailand.
Good Lord Almighty!
MarkTa 10 years, 11 months ago
I doubt he can do much worst than the FNM and PLP have
JohnDoe 10 years, 11 months ago
During the last election, many voters said just as you are saying, "I doubt the PLP can do worse than the FNM". Well, as of today most of them would admit that they were not only wrong, they were dead wrong. Having to chose leaders by default is never a good idea. The question we should be asking in this country is why are eminently qualified, proven and successful Bahamian leaders in commerce and other areas are not putting themselves forward for public service and we are relegated to select from shallow loquacious charlatans who are often also boastful, egotistical braggarts or bullies. A common political theory is that a country's elected officials are a composite reflection of the electorate. In other words we are who we elect. Could that be true....... are we as a people shallow loquacious charlatans, high on too much unearned pride? We need to figure out how to attract our best and brightest to public service.
Emac 10 years, 11 months ago
I would never live in a country where there is any form of curfew. That is certainly not the answer! Curfews should only be implemented in cases of emergency, say during some major disaster. Are you telling me that this is the best solution Bran can come up with for crime? Do these politicians really sit down and map out a valid plan that can really fly: One that was not written just to entice voters or make the politician look good, but a strategy that really holds water. I for one was turned off from Bran when he gave in to the Christian council and ban Jamaican entertainer, Mavado, from entering the Bahamas to perform. I am certainly not a Mavado fan, but I believe that people should be able to choose who and what kind of music they wish to listen to by themselves. I would say judging from the slate of politicians out there, including those who are presently active in government and those who intent on running in the next election, that the future looks very bleak for the Bahamas.
positiveinput 10 years, 11 months ago
Even the media houses play them with no restrictions. Or just listen to some of the topics of these radio shows, (one 'girl' in particular cause she can't be a lady) besides the violence the music promotes, the topic the show host choose are degrading and have no moral structure what so ever. But to our young listeners, even some older ones, it seems right because they are hearing it over the radio airwave. Then we wonder why violence is up along with adultery, stealing etc.
Emac 10 years, 11 months ago
Yes, I agree music has a lot of influence on people's mente, especially those young people who lack guidance. But so do certain movies, video games, leaders and the list go on. So where do we stop? No free society should rely on censorship to solve its problems. If everyone does his part then everything will fall in place. For those who allow themselves to go astray then that’s when the law should prevail. I always say the answer to the crime problem is very, very simple. ENFORCE THE LAW. Enforce the law for everyone and you will see the difference.
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
What's next to come out of the mouth of the "Dear Leader" of this green fringe political party? Calling on Comrade Courtney Strachan, chairman of the Antiquities, Monuments and Museum Corporation, who denied the Valley Boys request for military muskets, to now turn them over to the greens? Why not, cause someone needs police Bran's 8 o'clock nightly curfew on ALL Bahamalanders. I presume Bran's Thailand styled curfew will have to also be strictly enforced against our tourists free movements around our tiny Bahamaland? Maybe it's the same Bahamalanders who were so willing to call Hubert their "Papa" who are now coming out in support of such a crazy notion. Yes indeed, Bran is shaping up to make an excellent Hubert replacement for the reds.
Lord Jesus I close me eyes, you need deal with all this yourself!
TalRussell 10 years, 11 months ago
My Dear Comrade censorship advocates. Be careful you're not allowing a dictatorship being developed alongside your call for music censorship?
Emac 10 years, 11 months ago
Lol. Boy you can get extreme naw LMAO!!!. All forms of censorship is wrong. I believe in ratings. Of course I don't think a minor should be allowed to go to the movies to see an R rates movie. The problem I have is when adults are being told what they not allowed to listen to or watch. I think radio stations should be held accountable for what they play etc. That all falls under ratings. The point I am trying to make is that every adult should be left alone to make their own choices, as long as it falls within the law. Cock and ass in front of the House of Parliament would amount to indecent exposure. To be fair, the same thing applies to cock to pussy in public. Lol. Boy you are crude though.
Emac 10 years, 11 months ago
By the way, I am replying for Tal. I can imagine that Tal is probably stunned and lost for words from all those colourful expletives. LOL T probably shaking his/her head sayin "Lord why did I have to go there"
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