HOMICIDES SHAKE THE NATION

It was as if the Gods has cursed the nation. In the first 7 days of the new year, eight people died in the first seven days of the new year. The murders seemed random, inexplicable and yet pointed.  You got the impression that it was not safe to be on the streets of New Providence.

One particularly striking one was that on a major highway, in broad daylight. A couple were shot to death in a car, riddled with bullets.  There were children in the car. The whole after scene was videotaped.

A day or so later, in the heart of over the hill, a man was coming down the stairs and someone pulled up and simply shot him in cold blood, left the body lying in plain sight on the steps.

In Fox Hill, a man was shot and killed for his motor bike.  His assailant was told that he had stolen the motorcycle of the assailant.  Mistake.  There was no connection.  But the man’s life is gone over a motor bike. The police have the assailant but the wails of the family demonstrate the impotence of justice in The Bahamas.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and just before this went to print, there were numbers nine, ten, eleven. In number nine, the assailant jumps out of the bushes and simply sprays the car with bullets in plain sight, over the hill, near a police station.  The grandmother died instantly.  The child shot in the head and is struggling to survive.

The society started wringing its hands.  What are we to do?  The Prime Minister Philip Davis challenged the Bahamas Christian Council to call a national day of prayer.  Latterly they announced it for 15 January 2024 but not before one of their own members asked the question: how is it that a politician could call for a national day of prayer before the church itself?

We quickly add, however, that prayer without works is nothing.

The society has seen this building for decades.  The answers are in social development and eliminating poverty but this is a society that is in favour of rowing and carrying on and doing nothing but that. Then blaming its public officials when nothing happens but eleven murders in the first two weeks of the year.

Number of hits for the week ending Saturday 12 January 2024 up to midnight: 363,632;

Number of hits for the month of January up to Saturday 12 January 2024 up to midnight: 603,664;

Number of hits for the year 2024 up to Saturday 12 January 2024 up to midnight: 603,664;