The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

PROMINENT PLP Errington “Minky” Isaacs’ racist rant at a party meeting for the retirement of former Prime Minister Perry Christie encapsulates the history of his party’s perennial usage of the race card in order to woo black Bahamian voters.

PLPs since the 1950s have pitted white Bahamians against black Bahamians. Accusations that all white Bahamians are racist is the oldest playbook of the PLP. This strategy helped to unseat the ruling UBP in January, 1967. It was used throughout the lengthy reign of the late Sir Lynden Pindling to frighten black Bahamians away from the FNM which had amalgamated with elements of the disbanded UBP in the early 1970s.

Brent Symonette and his family have often been mentioned as being a part of the UBP Old Guard. Alex Haley’s ‘Roots’ was often played during the silly season on ZNS TV13, the PLP station. The part where Kunta Kinte was brutally flogged by a white rapist raised the ire of thousands of black viewers. It was a shrewd strategy by the Pindling government.

Isaacs’ rant was uttered in the presence of PLP candidate Clay Sweeting. The Whistleblower is baffled that white Bahamians support the PLP based on the anti-white people rhetoric coming out of that party. Isaacs’ astonishing claim that white people don’t support the PLP per se flies in the face of the facts. Surely Mr Isaacs is at least partially aware, as PLP chairman emeritus (whatever that means), that white Canadian Peter Nygard supported his party to the point where he offloaded millions of dollars into the PLP 2012 campaign coffers.

Surely he is partially aware that Nygard bragged about backing Christie and even invited several PLP Cabinet ministers to Nygard Cay where they presumably wined and dined with the flamboyant Canadian fashion designer.

Surely he is partially aware that the PLP enabled Nygard to act with impunity to the point where he railed at the PM on a video that went viral without any repercussions from the PM or any member of his Cabinet.

Either he knows that former PLP MP Shane Gibson received $94,000 from this white PLP benefactor or he is living under a rock.

Whatever racial issues that plagued the Bahamas during the 1950s and 1960s, they are virtually non-existent today in the 21st century. Bear in mind that the PLP, in 1967, was a black oligarchy which replaced a white oligarchy. Black Bahamians had more reasons to fear Pindling than Sir Stafford Sands. The PLP systematically victimised black Bahamians during its 25-year reign of terror. The PLP is the CEO of victimisation.

When members of the PLP Old Guard realise that they have no meaningful message to give to the Bahamian people, they resort to utilising the oldest play in their playbook: accusing white Bahamians of being racist. The PLP did not lose the election on May 10 because of white people. The party lost because it was too corrupt.

THE WHISTLEBLOWER

May 17, 2017