Another nail in the coffin.

am glad that at least a foreign government gives us an appropriate risk assessment of the state of criminal affairs in our country. Thank you U.S.A. I suggest we allow the U.S.A. to continue listening in to all Government phone conversations. It benefits us.

the ostrich should be our National Bird. Head in the sand and pretending the world evolves around us.

more like the dodo bird.....

Hopefully not the ones from Ice Age

I hope the authorities take this seriously, other countries will follow in their efforts to keep their citizens safe while visiting the Bahamas.

With all churches in Nassau alone, Nassau should relly be " Paradise "...the high crime rate is an indictment on this co-called Christian Counsel and all the churches, who preach and teach a bunch of rubbish. Well, folks, Nassau and indeed the Bahamas is in trouble, once the US and other countries issues this kind of warning to their citizens...lights out.

Sad to point out but while friends and family living abroad were looking forward to spending Chrismas with us in the Bahamas, we have advised them that we will instead join them in the US. We've let them know how dangerous it is to visit here. I will not hide it from them, why would I bring my loved ones back here? I'll take them some pepper sauce, pepper jelly, homemade bread, lobster tails and other seafood, they won't miss a thing (except of course for our beautiful waters)! There is nothing for anyone here anymore. All that is left is a people resigned to be governed by this poor excuse for a government. At most it is a sad, sick circus!

Most embarrassing to our Culture is this Vulgarity they are trying to bring on with this Bahamas Carnival. The costumes are a disgrace and not acceptable, what are we now whores? Where/how is the glory of Junkanoo going to be depicted, on their @SS cheeks? The costumes I saw, looked like they were made for pole dancing.

They are disgracing us at every level. Everytime i sit and ponder a new issue, there is more. It makes my head and heart hurt.

Can you leave some for stranded Tribune readers on your way to the airport?

Seriously, though I am with you on Carnival. I wanted to see a multiday parade and I had in my mind the image of a massive Junkanoo parade, because they kept saying "carnival" was only for marketing..I got n board. At the launch when I saw Music Masters(?) heading to the truck I thought this is great! We're gonna get to rush with a Junkanoo band! Sadly, the band disbanded and the DJ took over. Since that day I've seen more wild and wassiness..tales of parties that turn into giant orgies..., what are we introducing to our nation? Why do we need to tell our sexually active ten year olds (seriously ten year olds) that they need to *do badder*? I'm surprised at some of the costumes, I thought the Christian Council would have had some input on what could and could not be worn. Our Junkanoo dancers wear sexy attractive costumes but they're not naked or trying to win a who can be the sleaziest contest. Naked isn't necessary. I'm thinking more and more that this entire parade is solely for the benefit of a bunch of tired old nasty men with a few dollars, a Nygard party on a larger scale.

The greatest weapon we can use to protest this crap parade is by simply boycotting it. Bahamians need to simply not show up. I don't expect that to happen though cause we talk Christianity on one side of our mouth and do the opposite on the other. I am also in the entertainment industry. I can't even begin to express my disgust with leaders of this country and their total disregard for our culture. The argument someone brought to me was that every other country in the Caribbean has a carnival so why not the Bahamas.

I have traveled throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. The one thing that stands out in each of these countries is their native music. You will never hear reggae or rap playing in the streets of Columbia. You know you're gonna be bombarded with reggae music as soon as you step off the plane or ship in Jamaica. But when you arrive in the Bahamas you are immediately confused about what things are indigenous and what things are not.

Right on point ED. The level of apathy to which the Bahamian people have sunk is truly distressing. We are governed by gangsters, our lives are controlled by criminals yet probably only one out of every thousand of us is willing to voice their displeasure and disgust.
Will the Bahamian people ever regain their voice? We cower grumbling in fear behind our bars and inside our gated communities and allow the few to wreak havoc upon the many.
Its time we said enough and do whatever is necessary to force our gangster government to make the radical and draconian changes needed to clean up their act, the judicial system and the country.
Repeat offenders you're in for life, corrupt government officials and public servants count on joining them in jail, we have the laws just no enforcement.
Unfortunately, knowing my people,things will remain the same and the only judgement we can really hope for will be when The Saviour comes again.

Don't worry, once the Haitians are rounded up all will be well in paradise

/sarcasm

I guess won't be taking my two daughters 13 & 14 to the Bahamas to learn how to scuba dive and fish.
I guess it is Disneyworld again!!
Very disappointed in the Bahamians and their government. You had it all.

Well Florida is voting on a bill to legalize marijuana as we speak. Even though they say it is for medical use only, you wont need a prescription to buy weed, How will this affect the Bahamas if it passes. Young folk can drive to Florida and smoke weed legally and party as opposed to coming to the Bahamas to face our crime and risk getting arrested for a joint. I am not advocating legalizing marijuana in the Bahamas. just saying America is doing everything to keep their citizens at home.

Florida voters narrowly rejected a plan to legalize medical marijuana, but voters in Washington, D.C., and Oregon both approved recreational pot use by adults, according to preliminary tallies.

Alaska's voters also were considering a measure to tax, regulate and legalize recreational marijuana use, and early returns gave legalization a small lead.
As America legalizes weed state by state where does this leave the Bahamas, especially on the issue of drug smuggling

The Bahamas archaic lawmakers are too busy lining their pockets to even care about what impact these new regulations will have on the Bahamas . These old fogies in power do not have a clue about the new breed of tourists who seek other recreational activities other than water slides and rude workers. The world around our sandbox is changing rapidly and people are choosing to save money by traveling within their own borders for vacation.

Florida's medical marijuana initiative, Amendment 2, received more than 50% of the vote, but failed to reach the 60% needed to pass

It will take about 5 years and upwards of100 million dollars for a serious government to fix the crime problem in the Bahamas using a multi-pronged approach and a sustained, non-political effort. Government will have to go in to the crime ridden, poverty stricken communities and offer financial assistance, long-term social programs, family redevelopment programs and employment. The mindset of the people, young especially, must be changed to one that views the drug dealer and the criminal as the hero and the role model and the police as they enemy. Persons will have to live within their means and that poverty is a condition that can be overcome. For every million dollars the government spends on policing and law enforcement, it may have to spend ten million on a community effort. Then government has to ensure that there is law and order but it must be visible and effective. When more murderers are walking around the community on bail than those that have been brought to justice and are in jail that sends the wrong signal to potential offenders and revenge seekers. That is a direct indictment on government. Additional courts that were promised to be up and operating over a year ago sheds questionable doubt on the governments seriousness about fighting crime. Need to get qualified social scientist involved and strengthen the male presence in the schools, from an early grade.