Christie's duplicity over Ed Moxey and Jumbey Village

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Prime Minister Perry Christie missed a golden opportunity at the funeral service for the late Edmund Moxey last week. To say that it was an unusual funeral service would be an extraordinary understatement.

Anthony “Ace” Newbold, a respected Bahamian journalist, in the presence of Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, courageously told the truth about how Mr. Moxey and his family were viciously victimized by the PLP because he dared to stand up for what he believed was in the best interest of his people and so incurred the wrath of Sir Lynden Pindling.

Victimization became fully a part of and was ingrained in the culture of that party ever since a cult of personality was created around Sir Lynden shortly after the achievement of majority rule in 1967.

It became virtually treasonous to stand up to him. Many who dared to differ with or to criticize the Maximum Leader and some close to him were brutally set upon.

Many families were destroyed. Fortunately, Mr. Moxey and his family were strong enough to endure the persecution and to survive the worst that Pindling’s PLP could throw at them.

The great tragedy was that they not only went after Mr. Moxey personally but they destroyed his vision of a permanent cultural exposition that would have been of untold cultural and economic benefit to the Bahamian people for generations to come.

Just imagine if Jumbey Village had been allowed to survive and develop over the last three decades. Millions of cruise ship passengers, who can hardly find anything to do in Nassau except go to Atlantis, would have been streaming Over the Hill in tour buses and taxis to Jumbey Village.

Now here is where Mr. Christie missed the boat. First of all, he should have started with an unqualified apology for what his party did to Mr. Moxey and his family. Instead he tried to paint Mr. Moxey as a lone wolf and ahead of his time and such rubbish.

Mr. Christie seemed to have forgotten that eight of those who were elected with Mr. Moxey in 1967 had already become disillusioned with the betrayal of the movement and had parted company with Sir Lynden, and that others like Carlton Francis followed afterwards.

But Mr. Christie really hit rock bottom when he suggested that culture was in those days “a dispensable side line” for many in the movement.

That is utter nonsense and a gross injustice to those sincere men and women who fought for majority rule and had the social and cultural development of their people at the top of their agenda.

Even the hated Stafford Sands fully appreciated the value of Bahamian culture – at least for tourist purposes – as he supported Over the Hill nightclubs and took many young Bahamian performers like Peanuts Taylor all over the world promoting the Bahamas.

As if trying to see how low he could crawl, Mr. Christie then suggested that Jumbey Village “did not stand the test of time”.

What a crude and disingenuous attempt to cover up a great national wrong! What a naked and obvious attempt to revise the history he always pays such lip service to!

The failure of Jumbey had nothing to do with lack of interest on the part of many and nothing to do with time. It had to do with a cruel and spiteful attempt to destroy Edmund Moxey, his family and everything he tried to create, especially Jumbey Village.

Jumbey Village was destroyed when Sir Lynden cut off funding in the budget and then sent the bull-dozers to the site to tear down the buildings.

That is what happened and Mr. Christie should be ashamed of himself for trying to cover up and get around the sad and tragic truth of that astonishing betrayal.

DIOGENES

Nassau,

August 3, 2014.

Comments

birdiestrachan says...

Mr. Newbold saying what happened to Mr. Moxey should lay on the collective conscience of the Bahamian people for all eternity, it sounds good and I am sure he was very pleased with himself. But the truth is all have to put the pass behind them and live in the present.. we can do nothing about the pass. It was a church service it is suppose to be about God, and the passing from this life to another and prayers for those who are left that they will see God's face. Mr. Newbold should let it lay on his conscience and see what it will do for him.. I say shame on Newbold. there is time and place for every thing and what he said was wrong for a church service.. Was he trying to hurt Mrs. Pindling?

Posted 5 August 2014, 9:12 p.m. Suggest removal

jlcandu says...

Once again Birdie, your Gold Rush colours are standing out.
Please learn the English language -- the word is "past", not "pass".

I think it was the perfect time to bring up the victimization of the Pindlings -- both Perry Christie and Lady Marguerite were at the funeral and assisted in dragging Mr. Moxey and his family through the mud. Why did they attend the funeral? TO BE SEEN. If they cared so much for the man, why didn't they treat him like a human being when he was alive? Showing up at his funeral may allay their consciences, but what about the Moxey family? I think it was highly insulting to the family for them to attend.

I agree that Christie should have apologized to the family.

I hope Mrs. Pindling was listening and if was hurt, that's her problem.

Posted 6 August 2014, 3:05 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

I tell ya. People today have no idea how disgusting Ping was....

Posted 6 August 2014, 12:57 p.m. Suggest removal

proudloudandfnm says...

Man Sicko what is wrong with you? Do you have a soul? Or are you just a sperm that got thru? Man ya old man should have just pulled out and cum on a coconut tree. You are the lowest form of life I have ever known of. It is impossible for you to say even one thing positive. Jesus you are one disgusting human being. How do you go thru life so sour? What is you problem man? You need some serious help bro. You are one f-cked up human being.

Posted 6 August 2014, 1:13 p.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

I do make mistakes the same as you. But this time I really meant to use the word Pass. Mr. Moxey is not the only one who has suffered for what they believed .what was important to him may not have been important to those who were in power at that time. It is in the past, and it is time to move forward. There is no reason to carry bitterness for all of these years and Newbold should be ashamed of himself, it will do no good, it only shows him to be a bitter man. Now there was a Moxey who was elected to local Government in Freeport, she seemed to have a lot of issues. She did not win the second time, for what ever reason.

Posted 6 August 2014, 4:58 p.m. Suggest removal

ThisIsOurs says...

*"I really **meant** to use the word pass"* as in *"But the truth is all have to put the pass behind them"*. Can I say National D-average? Wow, at least you're consistent.

Posted 7 August 2014, 6:46 a.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

I do have my GCE in English honestly a C bad spelling and punctuation caused that. But it is all right. I do not mind if you would like to be my English teacher. I just love to smile so I smile with you, and wish you well. I still say I meant to us the word pass.. So just smile and move on.

Posted 7 August 2014, 5:56 p.m. Suggest removal

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