The Tribune

By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA

THIS week, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis delivered a national address on Covid-19 that left some opposition politicos very upset.

It turns out those who oppose the PM wanted the country to be locked down. Actually, they didn’t really want to be locked down, but they wanted to complain that Doc had locked us down. So they needed him to lock us down, though no one truly wanted a lockdown.

Confused? Welcome, once again, to “silly season,” where politicians want to have their pandemic panny-cake and eat it too!

The same vacillating is happening with vaccines: “Consider the vaccine,” Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) leader Philip “Brave” Davis whispered in one breath. “Don’t you dare tell us nuttin’! That’s a personal choice!’’ PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell screamed in another.

And the dithering didn’t end there, either.

When Minister of Health, Renward Wells, held one of his rare press conferences to update the country on Covid protocols, canvassing in groups large enough to fill mega-churches took a hit. Wells said no more than five persons in a door-to-door campaign group, and every knocker must have had the jab.

“Don’t you dare tell us nuttin!” Mitchell seethed in a press release, “y’all gotta catch us PLPs on this road first!’

A few hours later, Brave had to walk back that statement with one of his own: “We don’t like these rules, but we’ll follow them for now.”

It’s almost as if there is an opposing party within the opposing party.

But the PLP isn’t the only political group all “mix up” when dealing with Covid and vaccines.

Lincoln Bain, dogmatic leader of the oxymoronically named “Coalition of Independents,” took a jab at “Brave” Davis for getting the jab.

During a Facebook live stream over the weekend, Lincoln “red up” Brave for breaking rank with the growing anti-vax voices to whom Davis had previously pandered.

According to Bain, Davis (who has already suffered through a Covid-19 infection, mind you) was “drinking the kool-aid” by being vaccinated.

Mr Bain went even further. “They’re gonna have to put that vaccine in my cold, dead body,” he yelled, without a hint of self-awareness. Then, as if suddenly remembering he was “live to the world” and some already-vaccinated voters, he quickly muttered, “if you choose to do so, you have every right to do so.”

My fellow Bahamians and residents, you can’t make this stuff up.

Vaccine “hesitancy” is one thing; going full anti-vax in the face of all the scientific data and all the expert advice is a whole other…well, other.

It’s no wonder some Bahamians are scared and confused about what to do; they’re following confused leaders.

Despite disappointing a few (sadistic) people by not dropping the lockdown hammer, the Prime Minister made it a point to stress the importance of vaccines, following established safety protocols, and the need to look out for each other. He implored Bahamians to be “Good Samaritans”, a message Christian leaders worldwide have been emphasising to their parishioners since June.

The PM’s speech wasn’t perfect, but for once, it was at least calming, and clear; our country needs all of our efforts to beat back this virus.

Thankfully, “belly breakdowns” many predicted didn’t materialise.

So now we each have choices.

We can listen to politicians who are double-minded at a time when we need clear leadership, or we can listen to the honourable venerable Reverend Dr Pastor Apostle Minnis and be “Good Samaritans”.

Indeed, I also plan to follow the advice of Bishop Laish Boyd and take “personal responsibility,” while looking out for my neighbors. I think that’s good, sound advice. As the Good Book says, “He who has ears, let him hear.”