The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

One of the many tasks of the US Central Intelligence Agency is to keep an updated psychological profile of political leaders from around the world.

The desk analyst responsible for the Bahamas must have fallen off her chair this week when shown the picture of Perry Christie giving the digitus impudicus to the Bahamian people. We all knew for some time that Christie is a narcissistic blowhard in love with his own voice. But now we can add to that words like vulgar, crude and unhinged.

The CIA, like the Bahamian people don’t need to dig deep to compile a dossier on the Prime Minister. Study his speeches (braggadocios, whiny and without discernible meaning); or observe his behaviour in public (easily riled, thin skinned, self absorbed). Now add to that the neurotic behaviour of giving a one-fingered salute from a public platform.

Christie can thank his lucky stars that he had the good fortune to “flip the bird” in Fox Hill where the good church-going people there are likely to drop to their knees and pray for him, rather than return the insult.

We can all agree that while the gesture was beyond the pale of decent conduct, it was not illegal and therefore would not earn Christie a stay at that walled “resort” at the other end of Fox Hill.

So serious do some people around the world take this offence that there are laws on their books that deem it disorderly conduct and gets you hauled before a magistrate on indecency charges.

Just ask the American Airlines pilot who, on landing at a Brazilian airport on a flight from Miami, opened the cockpit window and flew a different bird at his hosts. He was arrested, taken to federal court and fined. The pilot was truly upset that Brazil dared to require that all Americans entering their country be fingerprinted and photographed, forgetting, of course, that Brazil was giving the US a taste of their own medicine.

Christie’s behaviour was vile, vulgar and gross and is certainly unbecoming of the man who is completing his 43rd year of public service, 10 of which have been as Prime Minister and occupier of the office our American friends would call “the bully pulpit”.

Letting the bird fly is an ancient gesture that falls under the category of free speech in our free society and so the Prime Minister had every right to use hand jive to speak his dirty mind. He has demonstrated his contempt for Bahamians in so many other more tangible and hurtful ways that this one finger salute should not be regarded as the worst he has done.

We must hold him accountable for it. Thanks to the Internet, the world saw it. What is more disturbing though is that our children and young people saw it. The teenagers know it well. It is a part of the everyday lexicon of the common thug.

Ergo, is the Prime Minister now in solidarity with these thugs? Is he a hood brother whose example need no longer be followed? This particular Valley Boy won’t be dissed by anyone. Look at me, the Prime Minister’s finger screamed. “I is man”.

Except, he is the leader of this country and he ought to show us some respect. He owes us all the decency to comport with the norms of polite society. Thou must keep thy vulgar finger away from public scrutiny.

Christie has made a habit of becoming unhinged when people tick him off. Only God knows how many fingers he must have shown the musician who recorded a nasty song about Christie’s family, when his wife summoned him round to the homestead for what must have been tea and potato bread.

Alfred Sear’s ears must still be ringing from the wild finger rhythms that must have been on private display when Christie heard he was being challenged for the leadership of the PLP. One big finger raised high must be how he celebrated when he crushed Sears in the final vote.

And woe be unto the next Cabinet minister who goes to see Christie to “bitch and complain” about anything. Through tightly pursed lips he is going to give them a non-verbal dressing down the likes of which they would never have witnessed before.

I have no doubt Christie is now getting reports from the ground that foretell of trouble ahead for the PLP in general and him in particular. And so he is lashing out at all the ungrateful Bahamians who don’t appreciate him and who can’t see that he has a divine right to the Prime Ministry.

A Facebook post set Christie off this time. What’s it going to be next time? Is he going to take it out on poor Jerome Fitzgerald for not grovelling hard enough when excusing the boss’ crude sign language? Or maybe B. J. Nottage will get the “what for” when he bothers Christie with more reports of murder and mayhem?

Christie is now in the illustrious company of the aptly named disgraced US politician Anthony Weiner who after being caught exposing himself on social media, rode off into political oblivion with his middle finger raised high in defiance.

As Christie unravels, Hubert Minnis could do well to learn from Michelle Obama. When they go low, go high Doc.

THE GRADUATE

Nassau,

May 7, 2017.