FNM LEADER MICHAEL PINTARD.
By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard said Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis resembled a dictator when he urged the press to be more careful reporting violent crime.
He also said the prime minister’s past words have come “back to haunt him”, noting Mr Davis strongly defended the Progressive Liberal Party’s decision to erect billboards highlighting the murder rate ahead of the 2012 general election. The banners said there were 490 murders under the FNM.
Mr Pintard said yesterday: “The truth of the matter is if you had compared the period that he was referencing with the period when they served, if I recall correctly, there were some 601 homicides during one iteration of the PLP regime.”
“Unfortunately, the two times that we’ve had the highest murder rate, it’s been under their administration.”
“So they ought to be very careful about them politicizing crime in the way that they have because the statistics show how lacking they were in designing a comprehensive plan, working with other stakeholders in order to address crime in general, the violent crimes in particular. So he ought to be very careful. His words are coming back to haunt him.”
The prime minister urged the press to understand their role in maintaining the country’s reputation and called the press to be sensitive.
Mr Pintard chided Mr Davis for telling the media what and how to report murders.
“The prime minister has been a member of the social media long before there was social media by putting up billboards,” he said. “So you don’t get to be a social media specialist when it’s convenient for you.”
“Years later, you have come back now saying that listen, you ought not print the fact that some mother, some father have lost their child on the front page, you should bury that deep in the paper as if the public still would not be aware of the carnage that’s happening in our homes, schools on our streets.”
Mr Pintard disputed the prime minister’s argument that what shows up on the front pages of local dailies determines international press coverage.
“The prime minister is also mistaken to presume that by having images or messages about homicides on the front page, that that alone accounts for what the international press sees or how they characterize us as a country,” he said.
He noted Mr Davis has had a national address highlighting his administration’s approach to crime.
“The question is, and others have asked the question, where did he expect his national address to be broadcast?” he asked. “Which page did he hope that his national address would land on? I would think it’s the front page and then what it was that he was talking about? He was talking about the carnage in our homes and our schools and on our streets.”
More like this story
- PM says he ‘respects the media’ as he defends prior comments
- EDITORIAL: ‘Are we about hiding the truth?’
- PM: KEEP MURDERS OFF THE FRONT PAGE – Davis says local press coverage of killings harming tourism
- INSIGHT: Should the govt be ‘about hiding the truth’, Mr Davis?
- EDITORIAL: So, is crime affecting bookings, or not?
Comments
bahamianson 9 months ago
80% of the American news media and reports carry water for the Democratic party and Fox News carry water for The Republican Party. It is what it is. Now, are we going to change it, is the question? Zns carried water for the PLP for years. They may now, still carry water . Who is in charge of ZNS, again?
M0J0 9 months ago
lol this statement by the PM. was not thought of before being said. Because its not the news papers its the social media that carries the real news.
John 9 months ago
The only way Michael Pintard will see the PM’s chair is if he has a friend who becomes PM and they allow him to sit in The Chair for 5 minutes ( or less). More than five minutes and he may pull a Donald Trump and not wanting to give the chair up. And that was even before he refereed to the PM as a dictator in his efforts to save these ‘haters’ from destroying the Bahamian economy. The FNMs and the Bahamian people don’t feel the road Michael Pintard and Duane Sands feeling the path they are trying to take this country down and definitely do not support them. The Tribune likes to use words like ‘arrogance’ and ‘bigotry’. And whilst the dialogue about the PM and The PLP continues , what is the justification for Tge Tribune continuing to print negative headlines and sensationalize the crime problem when they admit they know the effects their treasonous actions are having on this country and it’s economy. And Pintard jumps in the fray either to support or defend their behavior to score cheap, cheap, cheap political points. Common sense should say to him ‘ Michael , ole boy, let me look closer at these rape allegations in the island I represent and see the motive behind them and the powers that be that are behind them and this sensational and negative reporting. Michael should say to himself, you know Grand Bahama suffered through the hurricanes and the pandemic and the people of Grand Bahama were long suffering and resilient. NO accusation if any visitors being mistreated or violated. None Now as redemption and recovery draweth nigh, two men are accused of drugging and raping two tourists. Something has to be very wrong with that picture. And Pintard should not allow himself to be used as a political pawn to call the prime minister a dictator. Especially by a media group that has less fair, more negative and less balance than the state owned ZNS!
ExposedU2C 9 months ago
ZZZZZZzzzzzzzz..........
Sickened 9 months ago
Let's hear it Birdie. Can't wait to read your comments.
moncurcool 9 months ago
LOL
TalRussell 9 months ago
If Pintard was really on to sometin', --- The Colony, run under a 'real Dictator'. --- Probably, wouldn’t have tolerates' , --- 'The turning of Community Youth Clubs' -- Into ;Criminal Gangs', --- Yes?
John 9 months ago
Hold up!!! Only three of the Tribune’s FOUR bloggers responded. Someone ( besides Birdie) is missing!!
birdiestrachan 9 months ago
Mr Pintard may not know what a dictator is try doc requesting that the media not Put murders on the front page is not dictating, it is my hope that the FNM s is not behind these fall out stories because any fall outs will hurt Bahamians, those who commit murders were right here when the FNMs were in power he does not know that untruths are lies
concernedcitizen 9 months ago
What are " Fall out stories " lol
Porcupine 9 months ago
"Fall out stories" are stories about how Birdie's brain fell out some time ago.
hrysippus 9 months ago
Porkupine, What? wait, Brirdie has a brain? And here was me thinking he/she was the alias for that plp confirmed bachelor politico......LOL....
John 9 months ago
Sad to say, but reality confirms it, the biggest selling point for The Tribune on a weekly basis is its obituary section and not its front page headlines. The Want Ads section isle is also a good draw, but most of the ads are security officers, maids and gardeners. And the maids and gardener jobs are mostly just to fill immigration requirements that the jobs be advertised to Bahamians before a work permit can be issued. Most Bahamians tend to shun the bews and the newspapers because they say, ‘ the news is too depressing these days, especially with all these murders And the Tribune can confirm its readership is dwindling dat by day.
Economist 9 months ago
Google the murder rates in other countries. E.G., the UK had 602 murders for aproxmately 60 million people. That's 1 murder per 100,000. At that rate we should have had just 4 murders last year.
Of course our murders are front page news. We have one of the highest murder rates in the world.
We need to be looking at the causes such as educaton, lack of parents taking responsibilty for raising their children, lack of job opportunities etc.
John 9 months ago
Google the murder rates for tourists in The Bahamas and how much it.. even try search for Jamaica and how much is the rate? So what’s wrong with that picture and your argument? Google the number of American weapons used in crimes in The Bahamas and The Caribbean. Google the number of governments nthe USA has overthrown by way of their various agencies and the number of economies around the world they have caused to collapse. Google the country with the highest numbers of mass shootings in the world or the cities in developed countries with the largest population of homeless or drug dependents, Google is your best friend… it is hear ( dic) to help.
Economist 9 months ago
So, you are only concerened about tourists lives, don't care about Bahamians.
My point is about the crime in our country and our need to fix it.
You duckin dealing with the problem. Tal talking about education and that is correct. We have to get a handle on this.
TalRussell 9 months ago
The Slop Bucket vs Name Callings' Alternative!' --- Comrades, wouldn't it be more productive, if we use the education budget for constructing and equipping 'special youths' schools' vs building even more of them 'nasty slop bucket 'jail cells' for the warehousing of popoulaces' youths'; ---- In ways, placing the emphasis on learned disciplines', by decolonizing the King of England's --- cruel and humiliating punishments'. --- 'There are so many ways to better uses; of We Colony's education spendings'. --- Yes?
John 9 months ago
Special youths school.. you again proving an idiot to be! You are especially saying the Bahamian youth have special needs beyond the opportunity to be given the opportunity to get a proper education and economic opportunity. The Bahamad feared better under England and Wuees Elizabeth than it is doing now being aligned with America and her doting presidrnts. The US had made numerous gifts to this country over the past two decades/. Which ones have anything to do or contribute to education
John 9 months ago
Naughty is repotting two shootings in Abaco and one on another family island to day. No reports of of confirmation this in other media. Ok that was probably a rebroadcast maybe without announcing it.
John 9 months ago
Shots fired at the Super Bowl victory parade. tEN injured!
John 9 months ago
Shots fired at Super Bowl celebration parade in Kansas Cuty, Missouri. One confirmed and at least TEN seriously injured. Can’t we just get along
John 9 months ago
Updated report says 2 DEAD, 33 injured and 22 of the 32 injured are children. Three suspects in custody. Several weapons recovered. In another shooting incident in the US, three police officers were fired on. There were injuries. That’s the dUS capital, Washington DC.
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