If you are a suspected/presumed foreigner in the United States of America, and you are approached by a member of the Law, and found to be without any form of identification, you will be arrested, finger-printed, processed and detained until I.C.E is notified! Bahamian college students in the U.S. are advised regularly to have at least their passport (with a valid Student Visa) with them to avoid any unnecessary issues that may arise (i.e., during a traffic stop). Everyone MUST be accounted for. That is the way the system is organized. This may come as a surprise to (some) expats living here because they are used to a more 'lax' approach as it relates to our law enforcement; BUT, they, like everyone else, must be reminded of the law.

It is unfortunate that you have experienced all of this while living here. I love my country, and as a Bahamian, I have to say that what you speak of has its own credibility (as far as your experiences with Government departments, etc.- we have to do better!). Now, let me tell you about a Black foreigner living in the Southern United States, Mississippi, to be exact, where the Confederate Flag is still flown. It's no walk in the park, either. There are still counties where Blacks are not welcomed. There are restaurants where blacks are refused service. There are police officers who will pull you over for absolutely no reason, except for the color of your skin and the fact that you're in a nice car! I'm talking about all of this occuring in a modern world, with a BLACK President at the forefront of your country! I don't think history supports your notion that being white is a crime, Dear Sir/Madam. And while I do not support mistreatment of any person, regardless of the color of his or her skin, I have to remind you that there are two sides to every coin.

I'm sure when Mrs. Wilson travels abroad she has no problem whatsoever with placing the first four fingers of her right hand, first four fingers of her left hand, AND also both of her thumbs on the marker for US Customs & Immigration! Fingerprint them all! Every last one of 'em! If you are living amongst us, teaching in our schools, preaching in our churches, or anything of the like, us, Bahamians, should know exactly who you are.

Clearly it tells us readers that you are a godless human being...........

What is happening in our society today is a direct reflection of who we have become as a people. We are reaping what we've sewn! Corruption, extortion, wickedness in high places, spiritual immorality, lack of regard for one another...weaping, moaning, and gnashing of teeth! The blood of the innocent runs throughout the street! May God have mercy upon this Bahamaland...

I regret to inform the Minister that he may be taking this occurrence a tad bit too "casually", atleast in the public eye. It is not merely a coincidence that these men launched their attack on himself and his family while his police aides had yet to report for duty. Whether they were expecting him to be at home during the time of the raid may be questionable in nature, but certainly not whether these men were aware that they were targeting the Deputy (or in this case, Acting) Prime Minister's home. Did it occur to him that perhaps the men were simply surprised to find him at home? It is a well known fact that the Minister has been targeted in the past, notwithstanding the unfortunate incident that resulted in his police aide being shot only months ago. Let him continue to shrug the matter off as if it were a mere coincidence...Coincidences don't happen more than once!

Adding insult to injury, a female employee of the U.S. Embassy based here in Nassau was physically accosted yesterday and robbed of her personal belongings as she made her way to church. CHURCH, for Christ's sake! You cannot even attend service in peace these days without being ambushed! Embassy officials have since had to make the decision to (hopefully) temporarily close the Embassy until further notice to protect their own, and one cannot blame them. However, it will be to the detriment of "innocent", hard-working Bahamians, who, like today, will be turned away upon arrival for Visa appointments. The level of crime in this country is sickening, repulsive, repugnant, abhorrent, abominable, downright disastrous! For far too long we have sat in the comfort of our 'eastern' and 'western' homes, sipping on champagne with an arrogant, untouchable attitude. But as you see, crime affects us all! Bridges are being burned all around us, leaving many Bahamians up "the creek" without a paddle. Forty years of Independence??? WHERE???? God help this country! god help this bahamaland!

When will adults learn that little children will say and do anything to get their own way? We must have forgotten what being a child was like. If it were me in an instance like this, my mother and father would have called up Scotland Yard to make sure that what I had told them was accurate. And they would ask you the same question with different wording, just to make sure the story was straight. And trust me, the story had better been straight! What kind of society do we live in where children are telling parents whatsoever they please and parents just go along with the flow? Old school parenting, values and principles is what saved the generation before now. God help these set!

Lord have Your mercy upon this country!

Please tell the rest of us readers how the above comment demonstrates any measure of hypocrisy, because after reading and re-reading what was written, it is apparent that you have misplaced hostility for no reason at all. No one is being negative. What has been previously said is simply the truth, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not. And while I do agree that the issue of crime starts with us, 'everyday Bahamians' in our 'everyday' jobs and homes, it should also be noted that we the people have elected men and women to represent us; that is, to speak and act on our behalves. Fact is, neither government during their respective reign in this country has tackled the issue of crime proactively. In general, we wait until something terrible happens (or until it benefits us) and then decide it's time to act. We need lawmakers lobbying in the House of Assembly for more strict punishment for persons found guilty of committing criminal acts, including (but not limited to) murder, burglary, armed robbery, sexual assault, et cetera, instead of bickering like school-yard children about who "sissyin' 'round" with who! But, I digress......... The point of the matter is that our justice system is archaic - old and outdated. And while we steadily rely on institutions such as the Privy Council to dictate to us what punishment should and should not fit the crime(s), we continually visit the victims of these heinous acts in hospital or, worse, in a funeral home! As it was stated before, invest in our police and defense forces and bring to them the resources needed (education and training included) to deal swiftly with crime, even if it means sending them abroad or bringing in help to provide for more tactical training and especially refresher courses as it relates to taking on a new approach to crime. Now that's my 50 cents!