This is also a ploy from Finlayson and others to guilt the Bahamian government to purchase a building that is overpriced and not needed just to do right by these ex-workers. They need to reach in their private pockets to pay these people money that they are owed!

That was a private companay!. The workers need to protest in front of these people's homes and other forms of business.

Well thanks to Comrade Rodney this has made it to CNN's ireport. The international community is watching....

How touching, that made me full. Hats off to Dr. Sands, Tabitha, Dr. Darville, and all others who made that day possible.

There is a lack of training. I agree with Kirkland Pratt. If you want to extend that to the excuse above that we live in a violent culture what do you expect...well my dear readers that is also a result of lack of training except in the home as you never learned how to practice verbal and physical restraint. Its lack of training!

The police need to be trained better, paid better, and held to higher standards and accountability.

You know when I was in high school, a private school to remain unnamed, my friends and I were in school uniform and pulled over just as we turned onto the campus. The police harassed us because they thought we shouldn't have been in such an expensive car. There were 4 girls and 2 boys. They searched the boys and when they found a condom, looked at us girls and asked, "so which one of you is he hitting off?" I was so embarrassed and shocked, as I had never been spoken to like that in my life! They also proceeded to search the car.

That night when I went home to tell my father he laughed and said you all are too young to know the law. First they pulled you all over on private property (they are supposed to ask permission of the land owner to do such things) and they searched the car without probable cause.

They all need more job and professionalism training.

Well written. I would like to add that we need to invest in proper, stately provided training for those individuals who demostrate sporting talents. These people should be trained year round so that when games such as carifta and the Olympics come about they will be ready and we will have an increased delegation representing our country. It is impossible to ask individuals to pay for their own training, likely the reason we have had representation on a swimming level is because they come from families who can financially support their extracurricular interest.

We have been able to increase our global presence in the field of many sports, but we must now transcend into dominance. This is something that Jamaica has been able to do and they don't have even a quarter of the resources we have. On the world stage we should be participating in much more than track and field and swimming, but these are areas that by now we should be more dominant than.

Keep pushing Dr. Johnson, let's be better. The sporting village is a nice idea, but I think that's a project to be done when one has extras, we first must invest in a country training program.

The media issue is another argument all together. They perform poorly on a local level. Their poor international performance was simply an extension of that. Our reporters are not trained to be investigative reporters. They don't challenge what is being presented, the person being interviewed simply gets to get their point out and is not questioned by media. If they were investigative reporters I suppose our sports reporters would have done their homework on all the athletes and had more appropriate commentary.

Ahhh let the games begin. Pun intended!! Alright government let's see if you are worth your metal in enforcing the law. A law you all disrespected with the disgrace of a referendum.

I was wondering if this would make it to the newspapers at home, glad it did. Well...embarrassing, but true. I and many others have been saying it, Bahamian media needs a mass overhaul. That goes for television and newspapers. However, nothing will happen because mediocrity is something we all accept in our beloved county. Does pride in one's work and concern for reputation matter anymore?

Exactly!

Not by any means do I want to decrease the tragedy of those that died. May they rest in the arms of Jesus and eternally bask in the light of God's promise.

Realistically, the Bahamas does not have the financial means to upgrade each and every island at the pace that we all would like. What has to be kept in mind is that the Bahamas' number 1 industry is tourism, if you want to keep the money rolling in, you have to maintain a product. Like it or not Nassau, Abaco, and Grand Bahama (in that order) are the main drivers of the tourism product and they also have the most inhabitants.

Let's be fair, the family islands were and would have continued to be a top priority for the Ingraham administration just as all other administrations as evidenced by the upgrade to Abaco with the airport and hospital there, as well as in Grand Bahama. Let's not forget that it was Ingraham that brought dependable electricity to the family islands so the people could turn on and off a light switch in his 1992 administration. It was not until the 1990sss!!! that the family island could store away their oil lamps.

Bahamians are exposed to a 1st world lifestyle, expect to live on a 1st world status, but do not have the financial capacity to do so.

While unfortunate these deaths in my opinion are not the fault of the government, but of unfortunate traumatic circumstance. Do I think we can do better, always, but do not say that it is negligence on the government's part, that is an unfair indefendable position. I don't know the population of Mayaguana, but population numbers and need go hand in hand when money is tight. Its a hard sell to say that Abaco doesn't need a better hospital to give Mayaguana a better airstrip.

I want to reiterate that my commentary is not to take away from the tragedy and grief caused, but this is a harsh reality check to those that want to cast blame that is only natural to do when faced with such grief.