Thirty-four years of Independence

  In 1973, there were many who questioned whether or not those who were taking the country down the road to Independence had the competence and experience to lead an Independent Bahamas. One of the reasons for the questioning stemmed from the fact that the political leadership at the time was Black.

Independence was the buzz word in the colonial work as colonies in Africa, the Pacific, the Caribbean and parts of Asia were seeking to remove the yoke of colonialism from around their national heads. It was a new experiment for these fledging states and those states which taken the route to Independence were going through social, economic and political challenges.

There were elements in The Bahamas that migrated to Canada, the USA, England and even Australia because they did not believe that the political directorate had the mettle to steer the ship of state through the perilous seas of nationhood. There are segments of our society who resent this type of reminder.

Even though The Bahamas has done extremely well these past thirty-four years, there are segments of our society who have not bought fully into the Independence idea. This reflected in the fact that this segment is afraid of or reluctant to move to the constitutional advance of Republic status, the establishment of a Bahamian honour system and the revamping of our institutions to meet the challenges which a 21 st century state has to face.

Technology has made the world a global village yet there are colonial institutions and systems which are impeding the growth and development of the modern Bahamas. These colonial institutions were formed or developed to function in an era when governments operated in a monopolistic environment. Globalization is centered on competitiveness. To survive, institutions have to competitive if not they become a burden to the taxpayer. Bahamas Air, the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas and the postal system are some of the prime examples where the taxpayer is footing the bill for operational inefficiency.

The world in which we live is not only technologically driven but it is also a dangerous one. Danger is manifested a home with rise of violent crime in our communities as result of a number of factors, particularly the influence of drug abuse. We have all come to face the realities of terrorism at home and abroad.

Terrorism has had direct ramifications on our tourism industry. We have seen this in the passport requirement for Americans traveling to our country. One the facilitating factors our tourism has been the convenience of visiting these islands with the minimum of documentation. This has become one of the changing features of a 21st century world order.

There have been instances in the thirty – four years of Independent life when Bahamians have come together to display a high level of national pride. One instance was the Flamingo incident when our sovereignty was violated by a Cuban invasion. Bahamians felt that our national pride was violated. Another instance was when Golden Girls brought track and field glory to one of the smallest countries in the world, likewise the gold medal achievement by Tonique Darling at 2004 Athens Olympiad.

  Overall, the past thirty-four years have been good for The Bahamas as the vital indicators of national growth and development have been positive. As a young nation we performed pretty well; however, there is still room for improvement.