The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

We were all fortunate to have had a lesson that we should have learned from. But judging from how we have been talking and treating each other, we still believe that we are in control and the we are better than others. We hate people from our own region, our forefathers, and most interestingly, our family.

Second generation Bahamians and beyond are intertwined with countries from the Caribbean. Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, Cuba, Turks and Caicos, to mention a few. There are also ties through marriage to other far flung island countries, like St. Lucia, St. Martin, Bermuda, St. Kitts, Nevis, etc.

But the disdain for our fellowmen is disheartening. We don’t see the ill-will toward people from European countries, Canada and the United States. Of course we have allowed the Greeks and Chinese to take up residence with little or no resistance.

But we have trained all of our venom on the Haitians and Jamaicans for the most part.

Hurricane Dorian came and showed us that we are are all equal, and should treat each other as such. Bahamians are weird, we use people for our convenience and then we discard them. The Christian community is no better, they watch and say absolutely nothing, especially the majority who are now kissing up to the government in hopes of getting Crown Land.

Dorian was adamant that we were all equal, so it set out to stress the point, emphatically. In the aftermath of the hurricane we saw mahogany doors mixed with the plywood doors.

Fancy furniture was mixed with the press-wood furniture. Crystal glasses was mixed with the plastic cups. Mercedes Benz mixed with jalopy. Sinners was all mixed with the saints.

Miss “Goody two shoes” was mixed with Miss “Foot loose and fancy free”. Signature, name brand clothes was mixed with the department store clothes.

Educated fools were mixed with dropouts. Honour students were mixed with the D Average students. The powerful were mixed with the powerless. Foreigners were mixed with Bahamians.

PLP were mixed with the FNM.

All professions were mixed up too. People with position mixed with ordinary people. Blacks were all mixed up with whites. Bleached skin was mixed with naturally beautiful.

Picky hair was mixed with weave.

Prejudice fools were mixed with sensible people. Material from the mansions was mixed with the scrap wood in the Mudd, Pigeon Pea and The Farm.

Meat eaters were mixed with vegetarians. Rigor mortis set in the rich and the poor. Catholics, Baptist, Church of God, Jehovah Witness, Seventh-Day Adventist were ALL mixed with the Atheists. Nobody was left out, nobody could escape.

Dorian mixed up everything in Abaco and Grand Bahama into one BIG pile of rubbish. Did we learn that all people are created equal, and no matter what your position or disposition or your station in life, nothing changes?

If we did, why, only weeks after Dorian, are we still treating people like we are better.

Why are we keeping silent with man’s inhumanity to man?

I am laser focused, I will not let anyone deter me from being honest with what my spirit is telling me.

I thank God for inner vision.

IVOINE W INGRAHAM

Nassau

October 13, 2019.