NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Just this morning, I stumbled across another one of those online videos about Singapore. This podcast again crystalized a parallel idea which was moving around in my head for the past few days. In its essence, Crimes Against Public Safety (CAPS) would be a set of legislation introduced into the criminal justice system of The Bahamas. Of course, this would be an umbrella structure for laws and policies to command special consequences, penalties, and punishments in beneficially transformative ways.
Many moons ago, I had a brief conversation with a former Attorney General of The Bahamas, in which my admiration for the exceptional achievements of Singapore’s systems and ways of life was expressed. This former high school classmate cautioned against looking at the “ends”, without fully considering ” the means”. So, I considered it, but still opted for that system of peace, law and order, safety … as opposed to the numerous alternatives practiced in so many other places around the world — most especially in The Bahamas.
One of the realities which still is baffling to me comes from the inability of our relatively small Bahamian population to work together in love and unity, toward a common loftier goal. With a larger, more diverse demographic, the challenge of getting everyone on the same page, at the same time, might seem somewhat reasonable — even if unacceptable. Yet, in even smaller sub-groupings here nowadays, getting Bahamians to cooperate in even collectively beneficial ways continually eludes us. And, the one-word question remains “why?”.
Designation : Crimes Against Public Safety, as envisioned, would be a major felony, akin to the worst of the worst. Offenders found guilty in that category would receive extremely harsh penalties. Everyone from the so-called petty criminals, habitually in and out of prison, to the once-esteemed professionals and politicians would receive the same kinds of penalties and punishments. Pedophiles, for instance, would become extinct throughout these 700 islands, rocks and cays.
An exhaustive and detailed outline of some suggested offenses and consequences may be delineated at another time for a more graphic reference for consideration.
Ultimately, our streets would more closely resemble the streets of Singapore, rather than the lawless way most of them look today. “Running” the red lights, riding solely on the back wheels of motorcycles and ATVs would no longer be a spectacle on our thoroughfares. “Under the table” contracts and deals, along with other malfeasance (especially by public officials) or business personnel would be relegated to the dirty pages of history. Without much focus on the dangling carrot, Bahamians at large would find it in their best interest to be more mindful of the size and use of the stick.
Utopia, La La Land, and other departures from reality in this 21st century would not be the aim nor objective of CAPS.
Fully realizing that much of our modern Bahamian culture is influenced by strong outside forces, such a struggle to change what presently exists to what is in our own best interest would be a monumental task.
Purveyors of vice and chaos, along with domestic and foreign bad actors will continue to see themselves as above the law. They would undoubtedly fight most vociferously to see The Bahamas sink deeper into the sewer of self-destruction, than lift up its head to the rising sun … much the way Singapore has done.
