The Tribune

Most people will be thoroughly familiar by now with the circumstances of the death two weeks ago of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Minneapolis and its violent aftermath. But it is hard to refrain from commenting on this and the subsequent protests both in the US and around the world. The killing of an unarmed and handcuffed Afro-American man already in police custody, with the sickeningly graphic video footage for all to watch, has triggered revulsion around the world.

It has also sparked a debate here in The Bahamas about racism and police brutality closer to home. As an outsider lacking a real knowledge of these sensitive issues locally, I am reluctant to contribute to the discussion, but the matter is so serious it is difficult to avoid doing so.

Police brutality in the US is a contentious and emotive issue. What amounts to institutional racism goes back generations and has been deeply embedded in society as the nation went from the policing and enforcement of slavery to segregation; and some people maintain the nation’s history of racial inequality has paved the way for modern day police brutality and illegitimate law enforcement.

This long history of racism, violence and excessive force against black people, in particular, is so well documented it does not bear detailed repetition, but it is worth drawing attention to one infamous incident that goes back nearly 30 years.

The case of Afro-American Rodney King sparked the 1992 riots and major outbreak of looting and arson in Los Angeles in response to the acquittal of four LA police officers on charges of severely beating him following a traffic stop. This left more than 60 people dead and some 2,000 injured. There was outrage at the time but no internet to disseminate the news worldwide so the protests were short lived. By contrast, the fact that people could witness on film - instantaneously beamed around the world for millions to see - what happened to George Floyd made it all the more horrible and may explain why many have reacted with such force and anger and for so long.

Serious incidents of police brutality often set off protests that eventually lose momentum and fade away, while the perpetrators of the systemic and racist-based abuse get off with minimum punishment; and then nothing changes until the next time and the cycle is repeated. That said, the length of the current protests - and their spread across the world - raises hope that this time they will be heard and acted upon. But, given the background of racial division and bigotry, attitudes will not alter in the short term, especially as discrimination goes so much wider than police brutality so that there is a need to address the underlying socio-economic conditions seriously affecting black people.

It is deeply disturbing to see a nation in flames with loss of life and widespread destruction of property through looting, violence, arson and lawlessness. More than a dozen US major cities have declared curfews and the Governors of twice that number have called in the National Guard to impose order. Reportedly, the lawful and peaceful demonstrations have been infiltrated by anarchists who have been fuelling the unrest for their own criminal purposes to the extent that legitimate protest may be swamped and undermined, and this could hamper moves towards meaningful change.

Racial discrimination exists in Europe as well and is vigorously opposed there. It seems the only solution is to try to wean people away from blind prejudice through example and education at an early age, with children living and learning together in communities irrespective of racial background. This already happens to an increasing extent at schools in large cities in Britain where, judging from the attitudes of our own family members and their friends, many younger white people do not see race as an important issue – or even as an issue at all – in the way previous generations viewed it. In my own case, experience of serving in the Nigerian armed forces on secondment as a young National Service army officer banished for good any residual prejudice or even unconscious racism.

Many now contend that what is urgently needed in the US is fundamental change in its criminal justice system to ensure equal and fair treatment under the law for everybody regardless of colour or ethnic origin and the eradication of racism in basic law enforcement. That would require a substantial change of culture and the co-operation of police executives at state level across the land. But, unless police officers are held firmly accountable for their actions, no amount of training will make any difference.

As for the issue here in The Bahamas, there appear to be differing views about claimed institutional racism which many dispute. It seems to me unrealistic to make comparisons with the US about racism and discrimination. The Bahamas as a sovereign nation can act as necessary to counter the potential for this within its borders. Divisions in the country are based on disparities of wealth and the privileges and advantages that money can bring, as is the case in other countries. But everyone is surely only too well aware of the gap between the rich and the poor - and the inequity it produces is especially marked in a small country where people can see more readily what is going on around them.

Allegations of police brutality, mostly against Bahamian citizens rather than visitors, are another matter altogether. This usually affects the poorer and less privileged members of society who are defenceless and more vulnerable to abuse. Evidence is in the public domain, so it is encouraging to know that, as a reflection of events in the US, this issue is now attracting greater attention locally and is under fresh scrutiny by the new Commissioner of Police.

Meanwhile, in considering the related issue of attitudes towards outsiders, I can attest to the warmth, courtesy, kindness and generosity my wife and I have encountered as foreigners during our time here. We have been fortunate to have formed some lasting friendships with people locally. To my mind, such relationships are nothing to do with racial origins but are based on shared values, tastes, interests and attitudes to life as well as feeling comfortable in one another’s company – not to mention that empathy between human beings which is so hard to define or explain but remains the basis of true friendship.

June a crucial month for Milestones in military history

During the Second World War, the month of June marked two landmark events – the evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk completed on June 4, 1940, and the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, which were the initial stage of the Allied assault on German-occupied mainland Europe and led a year later to its liberation and the end of the war on the continent.

Described as the largest amphibious operation in the history of warfare, the D-Day landings were one of the most decisive offensives of the war – and military historians ascribe their success to the strength of the Anglo-American alliance in which US President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill agreed that, while the war in the Pacific against Japan was of the utmost importance, their first objective should be the defeat of Germany.

Last year was the 75th anniversary of D-Day and this significant milestone was marked by commemorations and celebrations in both France and Britain with major ceremonies attended by British, American, Canadian and French veterans as well as dignitaries and political leaders including President Trump who delivered a speech at the American cemetery at Omaha Beach where the majority of US forces landed as well as at Utah Beach. By contrast, this year’s commemorations were a low-key affair with a small but poignant, socially-distanced ceremony in Normandy.

As for Dunkirk, this year marks its 80th anniversary which has attracted much interest. This mass evacuation has always created controversy, with some historians maintaining it represented a defeat and should not be glorified in any way as a military triumph. An article in The Tribune last week, attributed to Durham University in the UK, referred to the so-called myth of Dunkirk, quoting parts of the British press at the time portraying it as a ‘magnificent story’ - comparable with the battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo - of the ‘British Empire at its mightiest’ even in defeat. The article goes on to suggest that these newspapers should be praised for their role in depicting the event positively in order to sustain public morale.

While that should not be discounted, it is clear the role of Churchill himself in rallying the British people after Dunkirk was more significant than such press reports. In his major work entitled ‘The Second World War’, he describes the success of Lord Gort, Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, in securing the escape to the sea of British forces after the surrender of the Belgian Army as ‘a brilliant episode in British military annals’. But, even if the evacuation from Dunkirk was itself a success, he never regarded it as a military victory. On the contrary, in his famous speech to Parliament on June 4, 1940 about fighting on the beaches and never surrendering, he warned that ‘we must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory. Wars are not won by evacuations. But there was a victory inside this deliverance.’ By stressing this and the importance of such large numbers of troops escaping to continue the struggle - and by his inspiring and optimistic but realistic rhetoric - it was Churchill, rather than the press indulging in hyperbole, who lifted the spirits of the British people and encouraged the nation to fight on in face of the German threat of invasion.

As Sir Tom has shown, you’re never too old to help others

There is both sad and good news to report this week about two centenarian Britons. In March, I recounted the story of 112-year-old great-grandfather, Bob Weighton, who had just become the oldest man in the world following the death in February of the Japanese holder of that distinction. As someone over 110, he was called a ‘supercentenarian’. At the end of last month, he died peacefully in his sleep. He was described as an extraordinary man, not just for reaching his advanced age but because of his considerable achievements during a fruitful and long life, being also a role model to his family and friends.

The good news concerns Thomas Moore, the tireless military veteran who became known during the coronavirus lockdown as ‘Captain Tom’ for his hugely successful fund-raising efforts for the National Health Service in Britain. His perseverance and determination in walking 100 times around his large garden before his 100th birthday caught the imagination of the public and he raised the staggering sum of more than $40 million. He was showered with accolades, became an honorary colonel and recorded a song that topped the charts. He then celebrated his 100th birthday and received the traditional greeting from The Queen - for those reaching that significant milestone - as well as thousands of other cards.

Now, in addition to being granted the freedom of the City of London and of his home town in Yorkshire, he has received perhaps his most important tribute. He has been knighted by The Queen so he is now Sir Thomas Moore. The public reaction has been that few knighthoods have been more deserved since he is the sort of selfless hero for whom the honours system was designed. Sir Tom has reacted with gratitude for the award and, with typical humility, is apparently overawed by it.

It is now being said that the lesson of this happy tale is that maturity should be cherished since nobody is too old to make a contribution to help others - and that, with a combination of commitment, determination, decency and humour, success can be achieved at any age.