The Referendum

Yesterday I was challenged on what was perceived as my silence on the referendum. I was accused of hypocrisy in this particular matter, as previously, I have been so outspoken on other matters of national significance.  There is no need to infer anything in my silence... my silence is just that silence! Why, because this referendum is a colossal waste of time, money and resources that could have been utilized to more noble causes such Drilling for Oil, Aragonite Royalties, Campaign Finance transparency, Woman’s Rights and Citizenship or Term Limits for Politicians.

I have no comment because no comment is necessary; web shops and gambling are legal! Why would I conclude such a thing? These establishments operate in absolution; they have business licenses,  pay national insurance, employee employees, own properties, Bahamians en masse frequent them and by their own admission they have pumped millions of dollars into the local economy. So how can they possibly be illegal? Illegal enterprises circumvent the law, they are clandestine and the persons who oversee such enterprises are arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Surely, if such oligopolies were illegal, these nefarious organizations would be disbanded and their assets seized, netting what is rumored to be almost a billion dollars for the Public Treasury. Maybe it is our country, our people, our legal system that are hypocritical?

So what is the purpose of this referendum? This is simply another wedge issue being utilized by the powers that be, to keep the intelligentsia occupied and the sheeple placated while the country is being pillaged and raped of its value and those who are charged with our governance idly stand by, as the true owners of our Commonwealth continue to reign with impunity.

So if my silence on this non-issue makes me a hypocrite I will gladly wear that badge with honor, but my question to my accusers and all those who are up in arms because there is no national lottery or casino gambling on this ballot, what are you going to do about it?  Are you also a hypocrite for your non-action? We as Bahamians have mastered the art of “talk” we lament on social media, we talk in our little cliques, we pen our disapproval in our blogs and pages, but when we will move from talk to action. We commonly say colloquially, “talk is cheap”, so when will Bahamians finally put their money, efforts and action “where their mouths are”? 

There is no need for me to ‘speak” out on a non-issue but when the intelligentsia is ready to ACT on issues of national and international significance; holla at ya girl …