Editor,
I have perused many comments about the Taylor Casey situation, and it frustrates me to see the misinformation, disinformation, and ignorance of many outsiders. They blame us for not doing enough, for a lack of coverage, for claiming The Bahamas is not a safe place, and for discouraging others from traveling here.
“Sweep around your own porch before you try to sweep around mine” is an adage befitting for this conversation. While The Bahamas undeniably faces crime challenges (as other countries do), American citizens often deflect from their own country’s issues by pointing the finger. Many in the USA have become callous and numb to dirt on their own porch. They hardly ever have the same rage against the violence within their country but are swift to condemn The Bahamas and other “inferior” nations. Outside of social media discourses, what actions have they taken for missing persons within their local community? How many flyers have they shared? How many search rescue missions have they been part of? American citizens who do not even hold a passport to travel outside their 50 states have suddenly become expert travel agents.
For too long, The USA has had the monopoly on issuing travel advisories to vulnerable countries they deem “unsafe” or “high crime rates.” In 2023, there was a mass shooting at Morgan State University, which is the home of several Bahamian students. A crucial question emerges: when will The Bahamas advocate for its citizens studying or visiting in the US, a country facing a constant threat of gun violence? The Bahamas should consider issuing travel advisories in response to such incidents, mirroring US actions towards other countries.
Additionally, recent media coverage regarding safety concerns in The Bahamas has been unbalanced. The Bahamas is an archipelago with diverse islands, and safety risks can vary by location, as they do anywhere else in the world. Also, our forces have reported that most of the criminal activities in the Bahamas are retaliations, not random shootings. Focusing solely on the main island, New Providence, and events like the Taylor Casey case do not represent the norm for the archipelago.
The international media’s portrayal often does not reflect reality, and isolated incidents should not define an entire nation. The Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism and all governments have got to do a better job at distinguishing our islands. More attention should be given to family islands so that our international audience can stop labeling one island as an entire country.
Clearly, the Taylor Casey saga is rare in our country, hence the viral attention. Many want to assert criminality is involved with no evidence. Recent allegations of a crime against two young women vacationing in The Bahamas were widely sensationalized by the media, causing significant damage to our country’s reputation. However, the details of the incident, including witness footage, contradicted the initial accusations. Despite this, the negative portrayal by international media outlets persisted.
The Bahamas’ story deserves to be told accurately. We are a beautiful country with much to offer, and focusing solely on negative incidents skews the reality. As Bahamians, we are responsible for educating others as best we can about our country. Tourism is our number one industry; we ought to be the greatest ambassadors. We have much to be proud of regardless of the negative light.
All in all, fostering a more balanced conversation about safety in both The Bahamas and the United States is paramount. We are neighbouring countries. We need the USA; whether the USA wants to admit it, they need us too. We should do our best to cover each other in a positive light while being truthful about both realities.
Written by: Raphael R. Roker
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