Agreed Joe.
Yet, do we really value our children?
Have we shown, either on a national level or a personal level, that we are committed to raising good children?
Sorry, I must be missing something here.
What are our educational outcomes?
How about parenting skills?
How about children, with almost no life experiences themselves, having children?
How about our Christian hypocrisy?
Are police in schools a good thing? Or, evidence of failure?
Joe, you are an environmentalist, too.
Do you not believe we will be experiencing rapid sea level rise before our infants become adults?
What will be left of The Bahamas? Physically, culturally, environmentally, financially?
Given the makeup of parliament, and the well documented sexist, misogynist, and homophobic rants by those "leaders", how long will this change for the better take?

Joe, you state, "Now, we must come together to expose perpetrators and secure our future, our children’s future, and our grandchildren’s future. All shall be exposed. Human consciousness cannot any longer conceal the extent of tragedies against women and children in this nation. Does the number of women now reaching the higher ranks of leadership not speak to a change of compassionate direction for our women and children"?

No Joe, it doesn't. People who are hungry for power and money will bend, and bend, and bend. Some of these women in political office seem just as callous, ignorant and dangerous as the men.
Presently, we are too selfish and self centered to be good parents, good citizens and good leaders. We are selfish.
I would like to be hopeful, just like a doctor who hopes their patient with stage 4 cancer on life support will make it.
Like you say, we are a relatively rich country. So Joe, just where has all this money gone over the years? Lots and lots of money that could have been used to build a better country, to raise better kids, to help the least among us.
Just where are our priorities, other than speaking with forked tongues?
Obviously, based on the present day results, and the people presently in power, nothing can or will change.
Despite these words Joe, I completely share your concerns.
Sometimes reality just gets in my way.

Wow. Still people who can't see that the utter corruption that exists in one party, certainly exists in the other. Pick one. The results are the same. We lack moral courageousness and integrity in our leaders.

Exactly right.
Sad, isn't it?

All true. Thanks for taking the time to remind us of this mess..

Ms. Phillips,

You are quite right about most of the above.
However, your statement, "As individuals, we can complain about the high cost of electricity, but somehow we will manage to come up with the money to cover it. We will grumble but we will carry on.", is incorrect.
Most of the people you associate with will be able to pay the BPL bill, and "carry on."
The statistics say that most Bahamians will not be able to pay it. Then what?
This, at a time when I believe that air conditioning should be considered a human right.
Thousands of people are dying daily around the world due solely to the heat.
The UN report in this same paper today is quite clear on where we are financially as a nation.
Are we afraid to use the word "broke"? Why? The Bahamas is broke.
Not only are we seriously in debt, we suffer extreme deficits in education, also highlighted in this same Tribune paper.
Our kids are having kids. Our politicians and pastors are products of an admitted failed upbringing and educational system.
Our best and brightest are not capable of being honest, knowledgeable, or real leaders in any sense of the term. You may be able to find one or two exceptions, but as a whole you know I am correct.
Anybody with any education at all, who looks objectively at The Bahamas must realize that we are at, or quickly approaching, a failed state status. Yes or no?
The real problem stems not from the hurricanes, but from our lack of planning, a lack of parenting, our lack of honesty and lack of education, and a complete lack of Christian values within this small country.
There is no silver bullet, and I am afraid time has run out for us.

An extremely compelling and courageous letter.
Thank you Ms. Moore for writing it.
Our country has a long road to go.
We have failed to educate our people, instead allowing ignorant pastors, and politicians, to lead far too many astray.

We know potential rollover risk is something that is real. We have been talking about it for quite some time,” Mr Edwards said, pointing to a 2021 column published by this newspaper in which he mentioned the issue. “As early as 2021 there were signs there were going to be some challenge with rollover risk.”

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in its 2023 second quarter Caribbean bulletin, warned The Bahamas may “face difficulties to roll over existing debt” in the medium-term if market conditions do not improve with almost $900m in external foreign currency loans coming due in the next two years.
Aside from these loans, it added that “sound” debt management will be “key” for the Government over the next decade with at least $250m in foreign currency bonds held by external investors due to mature every year between 2026 and 2032.

“Although no sovereign external bonds will mature before 2024, between 2026 and 2032 there are bonds maturing every year of at least $250m,” the IDB said. “Even though the country is not facing an immediate need to roll over external bonds, within ten years most of its bonds will mature and in 2029 alone the amount will reach $550m......

“If market conditions continue deteriorating in the medium term, The Bahamas could potentially face difficulties to roll over existing debt. For these reasons, a close monitoring of debt trends and sound public debt management will be key during this and the next couple of years.”

Can anyone say this is not scary?

Bahamian people: please read very carefully! This is our and our kids future at stake.

"Hubert Edwards, head of the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) economic development committee, told Tribune Business that concerns over this “rollover risk” stem mainly from The Bahamas’ plunge to ‘junk’ creditworthiness with the international rating agencies as opposed to global credit market conditions."

This may be the most important article in the Tribune this year.
Now, I am no betting man, but just "what if" The Bahamas doesn't meet it's fiscal targets for the year?

"Achieving these objectives means it is vital that the Davis administration hit its forecast $131m deficit target for the current fiscal year, plus attain the projected Budget surplus in 2024-2025, but Mr Edwards told this newspaper he was uncertain if post-COVID economic growth momentum will be sufficient. If not, he warned that the Government may have to adopt “austere” measures such as new and/or increased taxes, spending cuts or a combination of both to restore market confidence."
Now, ask them to define, and be specific, about what "austere" measures could possibly be put into place. These are the things the Bahamian public needs to know.
How about asking these questions, Tribune reporter Mr. Hartnell? Whose taxes will be raised? And, where will the government's budget cuts come from? These are important questions, yes Mr. Hartnell? So ask them and demand an answer. For the Bahamian people.

You are quite right.
However, they will likely continue to push it on us.
Remember now, our orders come from above.
We are but pawns in the game.
Even the most powerful in The Bahamas are beholden to the international banking system.

I am all in favor in speaking up for the humane treatment of pigs.
However, can any thinking person honestly say that the FNM or PLP treat their Bahamian constituents any better than the pigs in Exuma and Grand Bahama are claimed to be treated?
Cramped quarters, tainted water to drink, made to work to receive substandard sustenance, just treading water, red eyes, no representation, cogs in a satanic economy, all so that a handful of people can become hogs.