The Tribune

THE news over the past few days has been quite interesting. A few stories have been dominating while others were blips. It can be useful to look at two or more seemingly unrelated news stories to make an assessment on the current state of affairs. Asking questions “Who is in charge here?” and “Why was this the course of action taken” along with “Who is affected most?” can help us to get beyond the story itself and into what it tells us about where we are, and even who we are.

The change.org petition entitled “Removal of Christopher Columbus Statue Government House Nassau Bahamas” has, to date, received 16,277 signatures. In 2021, on the National Heroes holiday weekend, someone took a sledgehammer to the statue of genocidal murderer Christopher Columbus at Government House. The statue had long been in this prominent position, and taxi and tour bus drivers stop there, holding up traffic, to allow tourists to take photos of it. Finally, someone had taken an action toward it being removed. The statue was damaged, but remained, simply covered, for over one year.

In June 2020, more than one year before the sledgehammer event, it was suggested that Bahamians should march to demand the removal of the statue. This came less than one month after the murder of George Floyd by police in Minnesota. Floyd’s horrific murder, captured on video, sparked widespread Black Lives Matter protests across the US and the world. Those protests inspired other actions in several countries where groups destroyed and moved racist and colonial statues.

Here, in The Bahamas, supporters of the Progressive Liberal Party said that it was seeking to have the aforementioned petition, then with under 10,000 signatures, tabled in Parliament. At that time, Latrae Rahming (current director of communications in the Office of the Prime Minister) said the petition started “a conversation as to who we are and where we are”.

He added, “We must allow democracy to take its course, we must allow Parliament to accept the petition.”

On Monday of this week, it was reported that the statue of enslaved Christopher Columbus was removed and is in storage. Rahming said the removal was a joint effort by Government House, the Ministry of Works, and the Bahamas Antiquities Monuments and Museums Corporation and that the government has not yet determined what will become of it.

My position on the statue is that it should have been removed a long time ago. While destroying it would bring great immediate satisfaction, it is likely more useful, for education — about the past, the way it was taught, and the response of the people upon learning the truth — to store it in an appropriate location where it is not elevated and is in no way perceived to be in a place of honour, for people to view it and learn about historical inaccuracies, how we come to the truth, and what we do about it.

Some people signed a petition. Some people have been debating whether the statue should be in a museum or destroyed. Some people have talked about this issue in the press. There has been very little, if any, public discussion of the statue in recent months. Still, the statue has been removed. Does this make you wonder who is in charge here? Who made the decision, just in the last few days, to move it? Why was this course of action taken? Who decided that the removal would not be announced? Who was most affected by the decisions made and the subsequent action taken?

These questions are important, here, as we consider what happened while we were not looking. They may be even more important as we look at two other issues.

Since the 2017 report by the then Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women Dubravka Šimonovic, the issue of marital rape has been in the news and in public discourse quite consistently. Equality Bahamas has been calling for the criminalisation of marital rape for several years, and it launched the #Strike5ive campaign in March 2020. It is clear that marital rape needs to be criminalised, first and foremost, by amending Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act to remove “who is not his spouse” from the definition of rape. That amendment would make it applicable, regardless of marital relationship. It has shared other necessary elements including a definition of consent and a clause on non-immunity on the basis of marriage. Treaty bodies, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Human Rights Council have recommended that The Bahamas criminalise marital rape. The calls for action have been clear and consistent.

Still, the government organised a ridiculous debate which it branded as “consultation”. The event was a disastrous display of misogyny and admissions of rape and supporting the rape of women by their husbands. The government wants us to believe that it is incapable of making the decision to recognise, protect, and expand women’s human rights. It would like us to believe that it needs the consent — imagine that! — of the people to protect more than half us.

What is different here? Who is in charge here? Is it the government, or is it another body? Is the entity that is truly in charge shirking its duties and trying to deceive us into thinking it is something or someone else? Why is the current course of action being taken? It is more than a lack of action of criminalising marital rape. It is the ongoing refusal to accept responsibility, as the government, and fulfill its human rights obligations. Who is being affected most by this course (or lack) of action?

When it is convenient for the government, it uses its “discretion” and makes unilateral decisions. When it is advantageous to the government, it stalls, debates, and consults.

The government is not the only entity that ignores that people most affected, seeking only to meet its own agenda.

Another news story that has caused upset and confusion is the decision by The Bahamas Pharmaceutical Association to advise member pharmacies to close starting on November 1. This is its response to the lack of response from the government to its own response to the price control measures announced. The association submitted its recommendations on October 27, six days after the general invitation was extended. Less than one week later, receiving no acknowledgment to its submission, it has taken this action.

Who is in charge here? The government went ahead with price control measures, then invited stakeholders to share recommendations. The Bahamas Pharmaceutical Association did so, and has decided that it has waited long enough for a response. Why this course of action? The government, obviously, makes decisions without engaging with stakeholders. Some stakeholders then decided to leverage their power. They have withdrawn their services, daring the government to continue to ignore them.

Somehow, these entities have forgotten the people who are most affected by this course of action. It is not the government. It is people. People with illnesses. People with three pills left. People cannot afford to stock up on anything, medication included. People who just managed to get to a doctor on Friday and were waiting for their children to pick up the prescription this week. People who cannot survive with the medication they get from pharmacies. People whose prescriptions, let’s not forget, are held by a particular pharmacy, so that cannot just go to another one for a refill. People who are in pain, whose diseases must be slowed down, whose bodies need to be regulated, for whom hospitalisation would cost too much or worsen outlooks.

Why are people so often forgotten? Why are people collateral damage? These pharmacies are concerned about the profits. Sure, that is the interest of businesses. We may have, however foolishly, expected some amount of care, or at least the appearance of humanity, especially from people choosing that particular area of work. Money, however, usually comes first. People are only as important as the money they bring in. When they have no money, well, they may as well be dead anyway, right?

This is what capitalism does. It shreds humanity. It takes human life entirely out of the equation, centering money. When businesses talk about profit margins, that is what they mean. This is not about their ability to keep their doors open to serve the public, but their ability to exploit people’s health and labour. They want to spend as little as possible, including on salaries, in order to profit as much as possible.

The government is not without blame here. It has created this environment. It has prioritised certain institutional relationships over the wellbeing of the people, especially those who are most vulnerable to sudden, sweeping changes. It was not long ago that we saw BPL would meet with hotels as one of its “main stakeholders” after their complaints about the increased fuel surcharge. Meeting with hotels while ignoring the cries of the Bahamian people tells us everything we need to know.

The statue has been moved. We do not know where it will go. We did not have to do much, in recent months, to get it to happen. What will the government do now to address the issue of marital rape? What will it do to respond to the closure of pharmacies? Just as importantly, what will it do in response to this power flex by the private sector? What will the (segment of) the public (that is able to choose) do about the gross behaviour of businesses they patronize regularly?

Pay attention to what is considered important by whom. Ask who is in charge. Think about the reasons behind actions. Always, always, always remember the people who are the most affected. They are, far too often, not in the stories, but suffering out of sight. Then, it is up to you do something about it.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1 Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi (they/them). This young adult novel follows Bitter, a young artist attending a school just for teenagers like her at a time of social revolution. The school, Eucalyptus, is a safe haven for the students as the town of Lucille is a place of unrest because of social injustice. Together, the students are navigating life in their particular circumstances, and they come to different conclusions about Assata which houses the young people on the frontlines of the protests and other forms of direct action. This book is a great way to start conversations about activism and the various forms it can take, violent and non-violent resistance, mental health, and community care. The magical realism adds even more interest without distracting from the plot and the important themes.

2 Plan for a low-spend holiday. As the end of year holidays draw nearer, it can become more difficult to manage spending. It is helpful to make a plan a few weeks in advance, including how much you are going to spend and how much you want to save, put toward paying off debt, invest, and any other priorities. Start with what you must do, in order of importance, then look for what you are able to do. Look closely at the numbers and be realistic about what is possible. Following the reality check, make appropriate holiday plans and, just as importantly, note what you will not do. This may include purchasing new decorations, going on a shopping trip, getting new outfits for each holiday party you want to attend, or buying gifts for a long list of people. The numbers, your priorities, and having more than one month to mentally prepare will help you to commit and to follow through.