The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I would like to say Happy New Year to every Bahamian across our archipelago and across the world. I hope that this letter reaches you all in good spirits.

I am writing to express the frustrations of the average Bahamian across this country. We live in a country where defensive driving isn’t just about potential road risks but also looking to see if someone is coming to kill you or the person in the next lane as you transit.

In this new year alone, it appears that we’ve had more murders than we’ve had days. The loss of one life is one too many.

We have a government that appears to be nonchalant on the issue of crime and it’s increase on our shores.

Crime is not a political problem, however when a government is elected; one of its primary mandates is to ensure the safety of its citizens.

When will enough be enough? When will this government finally put into action plans and strategies to safeguard this Commonwealth? Does crime have to jump over the high gates and bobwired fences of those in power in order for them to do what they were elected to do? I pray that it’s not the case. All Bahamians, especially young people, deserve to be protected and there is an obligation to protect them.

The reality is that we as a country are desensitized about the violence that is plaguing our shores, simply because those who lead us are either out to lunch or simply lost in the sauce. When will they make the difficult decisions to save lives?

Brothers and sisters, we must do a better job in holding our loved ones accountable for living by the sword or being associated with those who do. The life we save may be our own.

The Bahamian people are tired of counting the number of lives lost each year to violence. It is time for this Government to roll up their sleeves, clock in their cards and get to work; so that we as a country can celebrate the lives being saved and our future being secured.

I would like to offer my sincere condolences to all families who may have lost a loved one to this senseless violence, most especially the family of the 16-year-old female senselessly killed within her home.

XAVIER KNOWLES

President of the Torchbearers Youth Association

January 7, 2024