Archdeacon Palacious had to have had his tongue in his cheek when he made some of the remarks attributed to him in this article. The Archdeacon knows full well that enforcement of the laws will do little to deal with the problem of too many children being born to a single mother. The problem is not dead beat dads when the children are born out of wedlock. And when they are born in wedlock, all the laws we have on the books will not help get the dead beat dad to pony up money he simply doesn't have because it has gone to the banks to pay the outrageous interest charges on consumer loans or it has gone to the gaming web shops that now appear on every street corner. The Archdeacon, like so many others talking to us from the front of the church, refuses to accept that the real problem is our country having been swamped with illegal immigrants over the past four decades and our government's failure to do anything meaningful about it. The church and our politicians have one thing in common....they both want plenty more people, but for different reasons. So they must inherently have no real problem with the cruelty that attends a single mother having way too many children.

The real problem is not illegal immigration. The real problem is a monolithic economy in two shrinking economic sectors with overpopulation of people who are functionally illiterate and incapable of earning enough money to support the children that they have out of wedlock.

So true and most of the single mothers are in the webs trying to win money to pay bills whiles they leave the kids home to raise themselves. Seems as if they are dancing around the real problems of this country..

illegal immigration is why BAHAMIANS have kids outside of wedlock? Cite a source or study to qualify those statements please...

The cost of living have increase tremendously. Gone are the days of having more than 2-3 kids married or single. Your being tax of every dollar you make, any woman in their right mind will think twice before having a bunch of kids in this day and time. To be honest Bahamian woman are not having more than 2 kids nowadays most of these woman who having a bunch of kids are Haitians or of Haitian descent go to any public clinics on prenatal day and you will see. As a Bahamian woman I choose to attend private clinics to avoid the length of wait time and the over flock of Haitians at these clinics.

Comrade Archdeacon Palacious good try but there can be no dignified way to explain away what sprungs out mouth of the member for Montagu Richard at the Red Movement's party convention.
Where are you seeing godly humility in Richard's apology? You do know there is this certain reoccurring thread to the Montagu member's mindset makeup?
Are you really so inspired to join in the fight against single mostly poor mothers who some want you to believe are abusing 'costly' social assistance programs? Do you or Montagu's Richard even know how little your government allocates to single mothers who seek social assistance funding?
An apology by the member for Montagu, should have been followed with his surrendering his blue MP's License Plate, back to Motor Vehicles Department.
Comrade Archdeacon would I be right in thinking you and the member for Montagu, share the same positions on denying BahamaCARE to single mothers? God forbid if they dare born two or more babies?

Old players like Palacious should keep quiet ................ God will judge them harshly

A good economy breads better education and higher living standards. Those combined go a long way to reducing a teenage having multiple children.

I agree, immigration has very little to do with it. Why do some of us refuse to take responsibility by trying to blame it on some foreigner, pathetic.

Tal, as usual you are being your best disingenuous shit stirring self by encouraging people who should know better to shoot the messenger.
We have major social problems in this country stemming directly from unwanted and uncared for children and some of us object strongly for being taxed to pay for all them single mothers bad sexual habits.Why should we pay for your plenty children when you in the webshhop spinning wid dey lunch money?
If ya can't keep ya leg together at least make ya man wear a rain coat or take some pills yaself. Palacious and Lightbourne might not know how much the government allocates to single mothers in social programs but we sure know how much is pissed away or tief at PHA every year which we pay for now and get nothing from.

"...single mothers bad sexual habits." Women don't get pregnant by themselves. Men need to take responsibility too.

Some of you have to be blind or knee deep in denial to insist that the high birth rate among Haitians is not part of the problem. The problem is people, not just single women, having more children than they can afford and this is certainly a problem in the Haitian community in the Bahamas.

You are correct ............ the Haitian birth rate is FOUR times that of the average Bahamian household ......... so the 30% Haitian-Bahamian population in The Bahamas is responsible for the majority of births in this country every year ............ so, whose tubes should be tied???????

Empirical data is in the govt school system where half the classroom is of Haitian background. With the largest part of the Bahamian taxpaying budget on education and health it is insane that this should continue. Really inept that as a fake 3rd highest per capita income including tourists and several billionaire owners in the Bahamas we have been denied international assistance to stop out country being taken recolonized. Politicians have recognized this error but seem unable to correct it. We are now listed as a nation with creole as a second language. Sad the Bahamian do not mind to have persons pledge allegiance to the Bahamas, be educated and then celebrate Haitian ay with history and culture wearing haitian tee shirts and driving cars around Nassau rallying Haitians with Haitian flag depicting guns, bayonets, cannons on it. Sadly the international solution to Haiti seems to be the Bahamas incorporating Haiti which would solve the Haitian dilemma and it seems this is almost successful.

The churches and the schools should speak to the young men and women about the seriousness**Of bringing children into the world. parents are not only responsible for food clothing but spiritually. it is important to bring up well balanced children. Mr : Lightbourn has a point. *But because he has a mean spirit. No one wants to hear from him. He lives in the past and he gives the impression he does not care much for persons from over the hill.* *

While most will agree that Mr. Lightbourn's words were offensive on many levels, we must also acknowledge a truth in his words -- even if we didn't like the delivery.

With a greater than 60% rate of children born to unwed mothers, many who are under the age of 16 -- some as young as 12 and 13, that should alarm any decent thinking person.

With economic times as they are, even in a household in which both parents are working, it's not easy to raise children on even two salaries. So what chance do these children, born to children themselves, have? Many are the product of broken homes, are functionally illiterate, and living in poverty. Again, what chance do these children have?

Bottom line, it will be the Bahamian people who will need to support all these children of children. We will need to feed, clothe, and educate them. We will pay for their healthcare and support those who leave school so uneducated, they are barely able to support themselves.

So ask yourself, are you willing to pay to support all these children? Or will you support efforts for birth control, education, and creating responsible parents? We didn't like the way Mr. Lightboure said it, but he sure as hell is right. When will we see the ugly reality?

**............... Denial and ignoring the elephant in the room is just plain stupid .................**

Archdeacon Palacious lost all credibility on June 7th and even now is incapable of being remotely honest on this issue.

It is common knowledge that Haitians have vastly outnumbered Bahamians at PMH maternity ward for decades. Belinda Wilson confirmed many schools are 60%+ packed with Haitians.

Bahamian students would be much better served without the Haitian element overcrowding our education system.

Culturally Haitians believe in having big families & the more the merrier. "It is what it is" and people need to face the facts and start an honest conversation to deal with the problem which is costing us all very dearly!

Haitians procreating like rodents is a very serious problem in our society. Sticking your heads deeper up your ass's will never bring resolution.