Archdeacon James Palacious.
By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
ARCHDEACON James Palacious said yesterday that while Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn’s proposal for state-sponsored sterilisation as an anti-crime initiative is “completely repulsive,” the country needs to engage in a national family planning programme to prevent the “madness” of multiple children being reared in undesirable circumstances.
Archdeacon Palacious said while every woman has a right to have as many children as she wishes, and that it would be virtually impossible for any government to enforce legislation to control “anyone’s bedroom business,” people that find themselves in dire financial straits have a “responsibility” to ensure their children are “able to look forward to a decent quality of life.”
The Anglican archdeacon also seemed to take exception to people having multiple children regardless of whether or not they can properly care for them, as he claimed that “only poor black people believe you’re supposed to empty heaven to bring these children down here to catch hell.”
“It is a known fact that when children are not properly cared for, you’re just recycling poverty, recycling mediocrity, we are recycling underachievement,” he said. “When are our people going to stop gambling on the future of our country?”
Archdeacon Palacious also called on the government to adopt the practices of other jurisdictions to deduct money from a parent’s salary that fails to pay child support.
His comments came two weeks after Mr Lightbourn proposed that the country adopt legislation that mandates unwed mothers with more than two children have their “tubes tied” in an effort to curtail the country’s social ills.
While speaking at the Free National Movement’s televised convention on July 28, Mr Lightbourn said: “It is also necessary for us as a nation to consider adopting the lead of several countries in the world which result in unwed mothers having her tubes tied after having more than two children, which would in the end result in fewer children being born. The state should not have the burden of paying for the upbringing of children.
“By adopting such measures, there will be less classrooms needed in the future, less out of school every year seeking employment and would also result in the mother of these children being able to live a better life, not having to bring up so many children.”
His comments drew the ire of many people, with some parliamentarians, local advocacy groups, and others swiftly condemning him for his statements. He has since apologised for his remarks.
Yesterday, Archdeacon Palacious said while Bahamians were “right” in condemning Mr Lightbourn for his statements, the country would do well to “engage even more feverishly, even more intentionally in a comprehensive national family planning programme.”
“So when we talk about this issue of reproductive health and reproduction in the country, we need to engage in a sensible, nationwide debate,” Archdeacon Palacious said. “Let’s try to get this right. If you have more than 60 per cent of children born out of wedlock every year - some of them are unplanned and some are unwanted - what are the rights of those children? Let’s see what we can do on that end, and I’m sure we will prevent many a malady, many a fallout from the fact that people just are unable to provide properly for some of these children.
“And with the young men, we need to say the same thing. We know what it’s like for our fathers not to be there. For God’s sake man, don’t recycle that. That’s all you could recycle? You would have liked your father to be at your graduation, at your basketball game, he wasn’t there, and you’re going to produce another life that’s going to repeat that same madness? Why are we so surprised that society is the way it is?”
He added: “Mr Lightbourn was heavily criticised, and quite rightly so. Let me say right off the top, like so many citizens, I can’t agree with what he said. But I did call him and I told him that he said some things probably in the wrong way, but some things that needed to be said so that we can move this issue of a comprehensive national family planning programme more onto the front burner.
“There’s no doubt that the issue of reproduction, the having of children, etc, that issue is plaguing us in a very, very big way.”
Archdeacon Palacious also called on parliamentarians to enforce the country’s child protection laws, particularly with regards to the duty of parents to take care of their children.
“…In another jurisdiction, the US and in other places, if you owe child support money is docked straight from your salary, at the source,” he added. “We need to do that. Enact that. So all the parliamentarians who got on (Mr Lightbourn’s) case, yeah rightly so, get the police and the courts and others to find ways to enforce the existing child maintenance laws in the country.”
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 4 months ago
Archdeacon Palacious had to have had his tongue in his cheek when he made some of the remarks attributed to him in this article. The Archdeacon knows full well that enforcement of the laws will do little to deal with the problem of too many children being born to a single mother. The problem is not dead beat dads when the children are born out of wedlock. And when they are born in wedlock, all the laws we have on the books will not help get the dead beat dad to pony up money he simply doesn't have because it has gone to the banks to pay the outrageous interest charges on consumer loans or it has gone to the gaming web shops that now appear on every street corner. The Archdeacon, like so many others talking to us from the front of the church, refuses to accept that the real problem is our country having been swamped with illegal immigrants over the past four decades and our government's failure to do anything meaningful about it. The church and our politicians have one thing in common....they both want plenty more people, but for different reasons. So they must inherently have no real problem with the cruelty that attends a single mother having way too many children.
banker 8 years, 4 months ago
The real problem is not illegal immigration. The real problem is a monolithic economy in two shrinking economic sectors with overpopulation of people who are functionally illiterate and incapable of earning enough money to support the children that they have out of wedlock.
arussell 8 years, 4 months ago
So true and most of the single mothers are in the webs trying to win money to pay bills whiles they leave the kids home to raise themselves. Seems as if they are dancing around the real problems of this country..
Alex_Charles 8 years, 4 months ago
illegal immigration is why BAHAMIANS have kids outside of wedlock? Cite a source or study to qualify those statements please...
arussell 8 years, 4 months ago
The cost of living have increase tremendously. Gone are the days of having more than 2-3 kids married or single. Your being tax of every dollar you make, any woman in their right mind will think twice before having a bunch of kids in this day and time. To be honest Bahamian woman are not having more than 2 kids nowadays most of these woman who having a bunch of kids are Haitians or of Haitian descent go to any public clinics on prenatal day and you will see. As a Bahamian woman I choose to attend private clinics to avoid the length of wait time and the over flock of Haitians at these clinics.
TalRussell 8 years, 4 months ago
Comrade Archdeacon Palacious good try but there can be no dignified way to explain away what sprungs out mouth of the member for Montagu Richard at the Red Movement's party convention.
Where are you seeing godly humility in Richard's apology? You do know there is this certain reoccurring thread to the Montagu member's mindset makeup?
Are you really so inspired to join in the fight against single mostly poor mothers who some want you to believe are abusing 'costly' social assistance programs? Do you or Montagu's Richard even know how little your government allocates to single mothers who seek social assistance funding?
An apology by the member for Montagu, should have been followed with his surrendering his blue MP's License Plate, back to Motor Vehicles Department.
Comrade Archdeacon would I be right in thinking you and the member for Montagu, share the same positions on denying BahamaCARE to single mothers? God forbid if they dare born two or more babies?
sheeprunner12 8 years, 4 months ago
Old players like Palacious should keep quiet ................ God will judge them harshly
Economist 8 years, 4 months ago
A good economy breads better education and higher living standards. Those combined go a long way to reducing a teenage having multiple children.
I agree, immigration has very little to do with it. Why do some of us refuse to take responsibility by trying to blame it on some foreigner, pathetic.
themessenger 8 years, 4 months ago
Tal, as usual you are being your best disingenuous shit stirring self by encouraging people who should know better to shoot the messenger. We have major social problems in this country stemming directly from unwanted and uncared for children and some of us object strongly for being taxed to pay for all them single mothers bad sexual habits.Why should we pay for your plenty children when you in the webshhop spinning wid dey lunch money? If ya can't keep ya leg together at least make ya man wear a rain coat or take some pills yaself. Palacious and Lightbourne might not know how much the government allocates to single mothers in social programs but we sure know how much is pissed away or tief at PHA every year which we pay for now and get nothing from.
UserOne 8 years, 4 months ago
"...single mothers bad sexual habits." Women don't get pregnant by themselves. Men need to take responsibility too.
Cas0072 8 years, 4 months ago
Some of you have to be blind or knee deep in denial to insist that the high birth rate among Haitians is not part of the problem. The problem is people, not just single women, having more children than they can afford and this is certainly a problem in the Haitian community in the Bahamas.
sheeprunner12 8 years, 4 months ago
You are correct ............ the Haitian birth rate is FOUR times that of the average Bahamian household ......... so the 30% Haitian-Bahamian population in The Bahamas is responsible for the majority of births in this country every year ............ so, whose tubes should be tied???????
bogart 8 years, 4 months ago
Empirical data is in the govt school system where half the classroom is of Haitian background. With the largest part of the Bahamian taxpaying budget on education and health it is insane that this should continue. Really inept that as a fake 3rd highest per capita income including tourists and several billionaire owners in the Bahamas we have been denied international assistance to stop out country being taken recolonized. Politicians have recognized this error but seem unable to correct it. We are now listed as a nation with creole as a second language. Sad the Bahamian do not mind to have persons pledge allegiance to the Bahamas, be educated and then celebrate Haitian ay with history and culture wearing haitian tee shirts and driving cars around Nassau rallying Haitians with Haitian flag depicting guns, bayonets, cannons on it. Sadly the international solution to Haiti seems to be the Bahamas incorporating Haiti which would solve the Haitian dilemma and it seems this is almost successful.
birdiestrachan 8 years, 4 months ago
The churches and the schools should speak to the young men and women about the seriousnessOf bringing children into the world. parents are not only responsible for food clothing but spiritually. it is important to bring up well balanced children. Mr : Lightbourn has a point. But because he has a mean spirit. No one wants to hear from him. He lives in the past and he gives the impression he does not care much for persons from over the hill. *
DillyTree 8 years, 4 months ago
While most will agree that Mr. Lightbourn's words were offensive on many levels, we must also acknowledge a truth in his words -- even if we didn't like the delivery.
With a greater than 60% rate of children born to unwed mothers, many who are under the age of 16 -- some as young as 12 and 13, that should alarm any decent thinking person.
With economic times as they are, even in a household in which both parents are working, it's not easy to raise children on even two salaries. So what chance do these children, born to children themselves, have? Many are the product of broken homes, are functionally illiterate, and living in poverty. Again, what chance do these children have?
Bottom line, it will be the Bahamian people who will need to support all these children of children. We will need to feed, clothe, and educate them. We will pay for their healthcare and support those who leave school so uneducated, they are barely able to support themselves.
So ask yourself, are you willing to pay to support all these children? Or will you support efforts for birth control, education, and creating responsible parents? We didn't like the way Mr. Lightboure said it, but he sure as hell is right. When will we see the ugly reality?
SP 8 years, 4 months ago
............... Denial and ignoring the elephant in the room is just plain stupid .................
Archdeacon Palacious lost all credibility on June 7th and even now is incapable of being remotely honest on this issue.
It is common knowledge that Haitians have vastly outnumbered Bahamians at PMH maternity ward for decades. Belinda Wilson confirmed many schools are 60%+ packed with Haitians.
Bahamian students would be much better served without the Haitian element overcrowding our education system.
Culturally Haitians believe in having big families & the more the merrier. "It is what it is" and people need to face the facts and start an honest conversation to deal with the problem which is costing us all very dearly!
Haitians procreating like rodents is a very serious problem in our society. Sticking your heads deeper up your ass's will never bring resolution.
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