Cedric Moss
09-01-04, - 01:43 PM
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Reasons for Concern
By Cedric Moss
Since I began publishing The Kingdom View monthly instead of weekly, I often find it difficult choosing which one of the many national issues to address. Today it was my intention to continue with part two of my commentary on the inhumane, uncivilized, disgraceful and shameful conditions at Fox Hill Prison. However, since there is another current issue I wish to address, I decided to comment on each one. Both are reasons for concern.
Fox Hill Prison
In response to increased public criticism of the unacceptable conditions under which inmates live and prison officers work at Fox Hill Prison, the Hon. Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, Minister of National Security, defended her ministerial accomplishments by saying words to the effect that more prison improvements have been done under her watch than any other. She is right — this is something I acknowledged in all of my articles addressing this subject. However, her statement shows that she unfortunately missed the point of the public criticism. The simple point is that much more can be done but the government’s priorities are wrong.
While the government continues to blame a lack of funds as the reason prison reform is not taking place at a faster pace, their spending priorities show otherwise. This year (2004) they spent some $500,000 on independence celebrations, and last year in excess of $1 million dollars. Two years ago, the sum of $1 million dollars was wasted on Junkanoo. In contrast, a token amount of $250,000 has been allocated in the current budget for prison reform. How is it that a government can waste millions of dollars to celebrate one day and refuse to do the same to better for years to come the conditions and lives of the men and women corralled in that place inmates and officers call Fox “Hell” Prison?
The spending priorities of this and previous governments show them to be no better than the man who wears designer clothing and flaunts the tokens of affluence while his children lack basic necessities like sufficient food, clothing and shelter.
In his first public sermon, Jesus insightfully said that our money follows our heart and what is important to us and vice versa (see Matthew 6:21). While the government’s mouth has gone towards reform at Fox Hill Prison, their heart has not, as evidenced by the funds from their treasury being spent elsewhere. Having said this, I hasten to add that I believe Minister Pratt has a sincere desire to bring sweeping reform to Fox Hill Prison and if left up to her personally, so much would have been done to date that all of the words of condemnation would be words of commendation. I say this because I saw televised excerpts of her first ministerial visit to Fox Hill Prison. She was aghast and in tears about what she saw. Her passionate response brought tears to my eyes.
The Government further demonstrated that prison reform is not a priority by accepting the gift of a $30 million national stadium from the Chinese government without even remembering the inhumane, uncivilized, disgraceful and shameful conditions of Fox Hill Prison and the fact that a new prison is a greater need than a new stadium just to show off. I guess representatives of the Chinese government saw our national stadium and decided we could do with a new one. I wonder what their decision would have been if they toured our current stadium and Fox Hill Prison on the same day? I have no doubt that they would have seen a new prison as a greater priority than a new stadium. Accordingly, they would have offered to build us a new prison instead of a new stadium or perhaps both. In my view, it is still not too late and since others have pointed to the same contradiction, I pray that the government would seek to utilize the gift in part or whole to provide funding for prison reforms requiring major capital expenditure or to humbly approach the generous Chinese Government to help us with a new prison.
Dr. Rodney Smith
For several weeks now, the Free National Movement’s Action Group has teased the Bahamian public by implying that they know of information that should disqualify Dr. Rodney Smith from being appointed to head The College of The Bahamas (COB). I find the Action Group’s prolonged, pedantic teasing most unfortunate and disappointing as it does not serve the national good and is very unfair to Dr. Smith. Politics being what it unfortunately still is in our country, it seems to me that the teasing tactics of the Action Group are proof that they cannot credibly support their opposition to Dr. Smith’s appointment. So they choose to play political games, hoping to be taken seriously.
If indeed the Action Group has disqualifying information against Dr. Smith, they should responsibly present it to COB’s Council and not use it for political terrorism and publicly assassinate Dr. Smith in the process. The least that the Action Group can do is to demonstrate gratitude to Dr. Smith for choosing to return home and serve his country by handling their objections to his appointment in a responsible manner and not using him as a political pawn to further their political objectives.
Although I don’t know Dr. Smith, from what I can see, he has distinguished himself in tertiary education internationally and his qualifications and experience should bring tremendous benefit to COB and ultimately The Bahamas. Clearly, he must have a genuine interest to serve his country to have made the decision to return to a place where political immaturity has become an art form for many who lead and seek to lead us. And many still wonder why some Bahamians refuse to return home to serve their country. The Action Group’s conduct is a case in point answer.
Do We Care?
The tragedy about the government’s lip service on prison reform and the Action Group’s irresponsible handling of Dr. Rodney Smith’s appointment is that by and large the public does not seem to care. Recently I listened to the beginning of a talk show that was to have been dedicated to the subject of prison reform but it quickly morphed into “The Harajchi Scandal” which we sadly find more important to talk about than the deplorable state of Fox Hill Prison. And on the matter of Dr. Smith, rather than protest the irresponsible conduct of the Action Group, many are instead running out to buy the Punch, hoping to find the latest on it.
May the Lord help us all to live out our Constitution’s preamble instead of always quoting it.
Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Comments and feedback may be directed to: apostle@kingdom-life.org.
Reasons for Concern
By Cedric Moss
Since I began publishing The Kingdom View monthly instead of weekly, I often find it difficult choosing which one of the many national issues to address. Today it was my intention to continue with part two of my commentary on the inhumane, uncivilized, disgraceful and shameful conditions at Fox Hill Prison. However, since there is another current issue I wish to address, I decided to comment on each one. Both are reasons for concern.
Fox Hill Prison
In response to increased public criticism of the unacceptable conditions under which inmates live and prison officers work at Fox Hill Prison, the Hon. Cynthia “Mother” Pratt, Minister of National Security, defended her ministerial accomplishments by saying words to the effect that more prison improvements have been done under her watch than any other. She is right — this is something I acknowledged in all of my articles addressing this subject. However, her statement shows that she unfortunately missed the point of the public criticism. The simple point is that much more can be done but the government’s priorities are wrong.
While the government continues to blame a lack of funds as the reason prison reform is not taking place at a faster pace, their spending priorities show otherwise. This year (2004) they spent some $500,000 on independence celebrations, and last year in excess of $1 million dollars. Two years ago, the sum of $1 million dollars was wasted on Junkanoo. In contrast, a token amount of $250,000 has been allocated in the current budget for prison reform. How is it that a government can waste millions of dollars to celebrate one day and refuse to do the same to better for years to come the conditions and lives of the men and women corralled in that place inmates and officers call Fox “Hell” Prison?
The spending priorities of this and previous governments show them to be no better than the man who wears designer clothing and flaunts the tokens of affluence while his children lack basic necessities like sufficient food, clothing and shelter.
In his first public sermon, Jesus insightfully said that our money follows our heart and what is important to us and vice versa (see Matthew 6:21). While the government’s mouth has gone towards reform at Fox Hill Prison, their heart has not, as evidenced by the funds from their treasury being spent elsewhere. Having said this, I hasten to add that I believe Minister Pratt has a sincere desire to bring sweeping reform to Fox Hill Prison and if left up to her personally, so much would have been done to date that all of the words of condemnation would be words of commendation. I say this because I saw televised excerpts of her first ministerial visit to Fox Hill Prison. She was aghast and in tears about what she saw. Her passionate response brought tears to my eyes.
The Government further demonstrated that prison reform is not a priority by accepting the gift of a $30 million national stadium from the Chinese government without even remembering the inhumane, uncivilized, disgraceful and shameful conditions of Fox Hill Prison and the fact that a new prison is a greater need than a new stadium just to show off. I guess representatives of the Chinese government saw our national stadium and decided we could do with a new one. I wonder what their decision would have been if they toured our current stadium and Fox Hill Prison on the same day? I have no doubt that they would have seen a new prison as a greater priority than a new stadium. Accordingly, they would have offered to build us a new prison instead of a new stadium or perhaps both. In my view, it is still not too late and since others have pointed to the same contradiction, I pray that the government would seek to utilize the gift in part or whole to provide funding for prison reforms requiring major capital expenditure or to humbly approach the generous Chinese Government to help us with a new prison.
Dr. Rodney Smith
For several weeks now, the Free National Movement’s Action Group has teased the Bahamian public by implying that they know of information that should disqualify Dr. Rodney Smith from being appointed to head The College of The Bahamas (COB). I find the Action Group’s prolonged, pedantic teasing most unfortunate and disappointing as it does not serve the national good and is very unfair to Dr. Smith. Politics being what it unfortunately still is in our country, it seems to me that the teasing tactics of the Action Group are proof that they cannot credibly support their opposition to Dr. Smith’s appointment. So they choose to play political games, hoping to be taken seriously.
If indeed the Action Group has disqualifying information against Dr. Smith, they should responsibly present it to COB’s Council and not use it for political terrorism and publicly assassinate Dr. Smith in the process. The least that the Action Group can do is to demonstrate gratitude to Dr. Smith for choosing to return home and serve his country by handling their objections to his appointment in a responsible manner and not using him as a political pawn to further their political objectives.
Although I don’t know Dr. Smith, from what I can see, he has distinguished himself in tertiary education internationally and his qualifications and experience should bring tremendous benefit to COB and ultimately The Bahamas. Clearly, he must have a genuine interest to serve his country to have made the decision to return to a place where political immaturity has become an art form for many who lead and seek to lead us. And many still wonder why some Bahamians refuse to return home to serve their country. The Action Group’s conduct is a case in point answer.
Do We Care?
The tragedy about the government’s lip service on prison reform and the Action Group’s irresponsible handling of Dr. Rodney Smith’s appointment is that by and large the public does not seem to care. Recently I listened to the beginning of a talk show that was to have been dedicated to the subject of prison reform but it quickly morphed into “The Harajchi Scandal” which we sadly find more important to talk about than the deplorable state of Fox Hill Prison. And on the matter of Dr. Smith, rather than protest the irresponsible conduct of the Action Group, many are instead running out to buy the Punch, hoping to find the latest on it.
May the Lord help us all to live out our Constitution’s preamble instead of always quoting it.
Cedric Moss serves as Senior Pastor at Kingdom Life World Outreach Centre. Comments and feedback may be directed to: apostle@kingdom-life.org.