OSWALD BROWN

Writes...

The election of Brent Symonette as deputy leader of the Free National Movement has reconfirmed the fact that the cancer of racism has poisoned the minds of some Bahamians beyond the possibility of them ever developing a different mindset.

From Day One of the Progressive Liberal Party's convention currently being held in New Providence, members of the PLP have been making racist remarks about Mr. Symonette's successful bid for the deputy leadership of his party, with some suggesting that this achievement by a very capable and respectable Bahamian politician is tantamount to turning the clock back on the gains made by the black majority in this country.

Their only reason for reaching this conclusion is the fact that Mr. Symonette is white and the son of the late Sir Roland Symonette, who was leader of the now disbanded United Bahamian Party (UBP) and in that capacity served as the first premier of The Bahamas. It makes no difference, of course, that Sir Roland was an extraordinarily good and decent human being who did not hesitate to provide assistance to Black Bahamians in need when it was brought to his attention.

Indeed, there are many Bahamian families Over-The-Hill who can attest to this fact; likewise, some church leaders, whose places of worship were built with Sir Roland's generous support. And with the crime rate in The Bahamas being at the level it is today, with much of the lawlessness being blamed on the youth of our society, certainly the Whale Cay summer programme for young men operated by Mr. Prince Hepburn could be of tremendous value today in helping to address the crime problem. That programme, as I recall, was funded mostly by Sir Roland.

By attacking Brent Symonette and linking him to the UBP, members of the PLP who participate in this racist exercise are seeking to remind blacks in this country that the UBP was a wicked and racist political organization, which indeed it was. All this, however, is besides the point. No Bahamian under the age of 40 can honestly say they experienced oppression under the UBP, considering the fact that persons who are 40 today would have been just two years old when the PLP became the first majority rule government of The Bahamas on January 10, 1967.

Nonetheless, this does not prevent people like Member of Parliament for Kennedy Kenyatta Gibson, who was born a year after the PLP's historic victory, from playing the race card in commenting on the election of Mr. Symonette as deputy leader of the FNM. Mr. Gibson, however, is known to be a loose canon who sometimes makes statements for shock effect rather than as a sensible contribution to a constructive discussion.

The same is not true with regard to the remarks made by V. Alfred Gray, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Local Government. As a minister in the government, Mr. Gray certainly should not have opened the door for the government as a whole to be accused of being racist.

Claiming that the former deputy leader of the FNM was defeated for that position by a UBP, Mr. Gray expressed concern that should former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham become Prime Minister again "and something should happen to him, we are right back in the hands of the UBP."

By ridiculously categorizing Mr. Symonette as being a UBP, Mr. Gray may have been indicating that the PLP intends to use race as an issue in the next election and plans to dust off copies of the television mini-series "Roots" to be aired on ZNS-TV during the election campaign. This is what they did during elections held in the 1980s.

Anyone who has seen "Roots" knows how graphically it details the inhumane and despicable treatment meted out to blacks during one of the most disgraceful periods in the history of the United States. By showing it during the campaign, the then governing PLP was subliminally reminding black Bahamians about the indignities suffered by their foreparents, a strategy specifically aimed at refreshing their memories about some of the indignities that they themselves may have endured under the UBP.

In the process, though, this sinister strategy also served to perpetuate racial polarization in this country, at a time when every effort should have been geared towards closing the racial divide and focusing instead on establishing a more racially homogeneous society.

During the FNM's two terms as the government, which ended when the PLP was returned to power in May of 2002, tremendous strides were made in this regard, but it now seems as if members of the PLP — at least those who are inclined to agree with the views expressed by Mr. Gray — are convinced that it is politically advantageous for the party to use race as one of its trump cards in the next election.

But while this strategy may have worked in the 1980s, one of the dangers of the government running an openly racist campaign is that the world today is much smaller than it was back then, and we now live in a global community whereby events that unfold in The Bahamas — with a simple "click of the computer mouse" — are transmitted around the world within seconds.

Imagine the impact on our economy if word were to spread around the world that the government of The Bahamas openly supports and condones racism. Certainly potential investors who are white would give second thought to bringing their money here.

And what about those who have already invested billions of dollars in this country? Sol Kerzner, who has pumped more than $1 billion into Atlantis at Paradise Island, is a white man; so are the principals of BahaMar, which is planning to transform the Cable Beach strip into one of the world's top tourist destinations.

Does Mr. Gray, or in this case, Prime Minister Perry Christie, think that these are men without feelings who do not take note of indications that there are racist elements in the Government who do not like them because they are white? The implications for the economy would be quite clear if they decide to take their investments to places where they are respected as human beings and not merely tolerated because they are big-time investors in the country.

No, Mr. Prime Minister, the race card no longer works. If it is the PLP's intention to make race an issue in the upcoming general election, it will be an ill-advised move. As the leader of this country, you should not allow Mr. Gray and members of the PLP who share his views to make it difficult for you as Prime Minister and Minister of Finance to encourage future investors to come to this country.

The time has long passed for race to be a factor in the political debate in this country. Brent Symonette is a Bahamian who has chosen to follow in his father's footsteps and be of service to The Bahamian people. The fact that he is white should not be a barrier in this day and age in The Bahamas.

Oswald T. Brown is editor and general manager of The Freeport News. Comments on this column can be sent to androsboy@hotmail.com