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CRIMINALS NOT RESPONDING TO NEW LAWS By: Bishop Simeon B. Hall The criminal element in our country is far worse than what we had first believed. In my opinion there has been no noticeable response by would b e criminals to the new crime laws enacted by Parliament late last year. The new laws, as strong as they were, seem to have done very little to stop the internecine bloodletting on our streets. This is disappointing to me and all well thinking Bahamians. As a community we are in a hostage situation and the church can no longer remain indifferent or philosophical about murderers. Some men, and now women, seem impervious to civility and the best the church; the Government and civic group are offering. We must take them down before they take another 127 of us out. Nothing short of draconian measures against the criminal culture is necessary and imperative if we must lift this dark criminal specter that covers our land. While there are many long term things that must be done, the idea of public hanging is beginning to look attractive as an act to put fear into the minds of would be criminals. We must also address the fact that there are some powerful, influential persons who benefit from this criminal culture remaining as it is and they cannot be expected to lead in its remediation. It is frightening to harbor the thought that on our present course we could exceed the 127 persons murdered in 2011, if the criminal elements refuse to respond to the law, the church and society in general. The good work of the Police notwithstanding, we are in a hostage situation and the criminals are not negotiating. **************************
Parliamentarians Sympathy ToWARDS Homosexuals
Impedes Sex Offenders Register Child molesters, be they heterosexuals or homosexuals must not be made comfortable in our society. I believe that the sympathies which “some liberal” members of Parliament hold towards the Gay Community will impede any effort to have A National Sex Offenders Register. The sexual molestation of a child, in my opinion is equivalent to manslaughter in that something dies in the child with no chance of resurrection. Persons who rape little children, upon conviction should face life imprisonment. While the individual human rights of homosexuals/heterosexuals, bisexuals even transgender must be respected; when children are involved the entire community must seek ways to expose and make them uncomfortable. I read where State Minister for Social Development, Hon. Loretta Butler-Turner was worried about the downside of a sexual molester’s list. One issue being “we live in a small society and we know who they are”. Children – yes the little darlings – are being raped and murdered and it is our mandate to protect them and not to worry about child molesters who are known to us.
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BAHAMAS CHRISTIAN COUNCIL URGES PRIME MINISTER TO SEND STRONG MESSAGE TO WOULD BE CRIMINALS While the home, church, school and community at large, must give would be criminals no comfort, it is Parliament that must institutionalize the laws so that a higher regard for human life would be embraced by all. One hundred and four (104) murders constitute a national crisis and is too much for our national conscience. We are late in seeking concrete ways to answer this crime wave. We encourage Political parties not to use the death of individuals as a football since we have been besieged by this crime culture under successive governments. It is wrong to blame any Minister in Government for crime, but all Bahamians bear some degree of culpability for where we are. We are also disheartened that pregnant women and little children are increasingly becoming targets of criminals known to the Police and who have been to our courts several times. A new resolve by all branches of government and a fresh commitment by all Bahamians to not participate in criminal behavior in any form is needed to lift us out of this quagmire. Further, let us return to those principles which made our parents strong to the benefit of our land and the glory of Almighty God. We therefore ask the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham to urgently give consideration to some measure of the law that would cause the criminals to think before they act. Bishop Simeon B. Hall Administrative Assistant to the President Bahamas Christian Council
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PROTECT THE UNBORN CHILDREN
I call upon all law makers in the name of Christ to find creative ways to protect all unborn children. The shooting death of two pregnant women in recent weeks brings to the fore the church’s position that life begins at conception and not at the time of birth. The Bahamian law which defines life only at birth is archaic and runs contrary to the Judeau-Christian teaching. Persons convicted of killing a pregnant woman are guilty of double murder and the law should be made current to reflect the same. I also call on church leaders to rise from their slumber and let us join the fight to protect an unborn generation. Too many of the country’s church leaders are quiet and should be reminded that “evil prospers when good men do nothing”. ******************************************
“HANGING” - NOT A POLITICAL FOOTBALL
By: Bishop Simeon B. Hall It would be most unfortunate if the debate on Capital Punishment sinks to the level of a political football. Bahamians must check what each party did on the issue while in office rather than the political rhetoric they espouse during pre-election. To be frank, the record shows that both major political parties have been reserved on Capital Punishment. What is also a matter of public record is that while in opposition both parties have, at different times, suggested that they would do a better job with crime, if elected. The progress against the criminal mayhem which presently confronts us will only take place when a by-partisan national approach is created and executed by all in power. |
