THE US AND THE JET SKIS

generic viagra tadalafil times;”>The United States Embassy issued an advisory during the past week about Jet Ski operators.  It was a kind of collective punishment.  There was an alleged rape by a  man named Keith Romer of a tourist.  It turns out that he was not a jet ski operator at all, at least not a licenced one. That didn’t make a difference to the Americans; there view was that there are too many complaints, too many drug buys, too many examples of criminal harassment of people on Cabbage Beach and they were sick and tired of complaining about it and this was the last straw.  Their announcement said that they were prohibiting any US personnel at the embassy from doing business with any jet ski operator. We wonder how that is  enforceable number one, and whether that is constitutional in terms of both  ours and their constitution.  Then they went further and said they were recommending that no American should do business with jet ski operators in New Providence.  Well that will hold us.  The Minister responded with the facts.  The Minister was then attacked by Loretta Butler Turner, the Long Island MP, who said that she the Minister of Transport lacked compassion for the rape victim because the Transport Minister  gave the facts.  The Minister of Transport responded with a body blow in language to Loretta. She called together a meeting of the stakeholders: the jet ski operators, the police, the transport police and the Defence Force.  So new measures are now to be in effect to help save the industry.  Bahamians were incensed that the US would have the temerity to collectively punish the sector but hey they are the big boss and they do what they want.  Further, the US argues that they have a legal obligation to do so otherwise their officers in this country will get sued.   We wouldn’t want that of course.  Bahamians took to the web and pointed out how murderous Chicago is, and how murderous Dade County is  and the amount of theft  of Bahamian property in South Florida.  We think it is much ado about nothing.  First, the underlying problem needs to be fixed. No one should have to run the gauntlet of sexual assault and drugs and other petty harassments on our beaches and public areas anywhere.  So let’s fix that.  No American needs to tell us that.  Then  we need to stop getting exercised about it all.  You have to ask yourself the question who really pays attention to these  advisories anyway? The figures show that no one pays attention  to them. In any event, anyone going anywhere these days ought  to be careful wherever they go.  Lastly, why not go read the advisories that other countries give about travel to the US. The press in The Bahamas, hating the PLP as it does , makes a meal out of the headlines on these issues.  It sells newspapers.  God bless em but we repeat. We don’t have to give them news by simply stopping the underlying problem from festering.