Former MP Strongly Backs Capital Punishment
By Macushla N. Pinder:
A former cabinet minister and victim of crime is strongly backing the call for capital punishment to resume in The Bahamas in the face of a "severe crisis" in the country.
According to businessman and former Blue Hills MP, Leslie Miller, Bahamians are being terrorised in their own country and something has to be done about it.
"The police do a fabulous job, so the problem isn’t the police, it’s the court system and those persons who are unafraid of the law…We must implement capital punishment and the cat o’nine tail and whatever other action is necessary to stem the flow of crime" Mr. Miller suggested when he appeared as a guest on Love 97’s daily talk show "Issues of the Day" with host Algernon Allen.
"…. It bothers me that we can allow 12 men to sit in London and decide the fate of people who are grappling with situations beyond the realm of what they face. A government is elected for and on behalf the people. So, if you cannot or are not prepared to do your job, you should resign as a Member of Parliament. I don’t see the Members of Parliament on both sides speaking out against crime or calling a special session of parliament to say we are going to deal with this once and for all."
Mr. Miller’s son Mario was found dead in a bushy area near Super Value Food Store in the Winton area on June 2002.
According to reports, he was stabbed 18 times about the body.
Evidence coming out of the case revealed that the official cause of death was a stab wound to the lungs and a chop to the neck, resulting in acute blood loss.
The Crown alleged that brothers Ricardo Miller, 30, also known as Tamar Lee, and his younger brother Ryan, 24, intentionally caused Miller’s death.
However, the first and second trials ended in a retrial.
Yet another retrial has been ordered.
So far this year, the country has recorded 55 homicides. The last two occurred over the holiday weekend.
On Friday, Slyvannus Williams, 45, was reportedly in an altercation with a woman believed to be his wife when she allegedly stabbed him in the parking lot of Green Parrot Restaurant and Bar on East Bay Street.
Just over 24 hours later, Exuma resident Cely Smith was killed.
According to police, four dreadlocked gunmen shot the 45-year-old Stuart Manor resident around 7:30 a.m. Sunday.
It is crimes like these that have made the call for the death penalty almost deafening at times.
"He who feels it, knows it. When you have to go to the hospital to identify your loved one or see them in the street murdered, then have someone talk foolishness around your head about hanging or any lethal injection, what about that person who would never take another breath? You would never see them get married. They would never have a grandson or granddaughter," he said.
"God gave us life and he is the one who is supposed to take us home. Anyone who interferes must be prepared to give their own [life]….This foolishness of going up to Fox Hill [Her Majesty’s Prison] and getting fat at the expense of the state is utter garbage."
But not everyone believes the death penalty is the solution. In fact, many argue that executing a convicted murderer would not cause crime to decrease.
But, Mr. Miller said the offender who kills would not kill again.
The country’s unabated crime wave has also driven up the cost of doing business.
In fact, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce President Khaalis Rolle recently told a local daily "many companies are scared to do business after dark."
Mr. Miller agreed.
"We have 10 police officers (at Mario’s Bowling and Entertainment Palace) on the weekends because we saw situations arising," he said.
"…This costs us between $8,000 and $10,000 per month….This is one of the drawbacks of operating in a society where crime is so prevalent... The criminals are getting bolder."
Earlier this year, Mr. Miller was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight.
Two men reportedly exited a gold Chevy Impala, put two guns to his head and told him to hand over the money or he would be killed.
The two men reportedly got away with nearly $30,000.
"When a man has a gun pointed at you, you are not in charge. Don’t act as if you are in charge. You can make the money back. Think about your life, your loved ones, those who depend on you," he said.
"You can’t be the hero. In every movie, the hero normally dies at the end. I’m not trying to be the hero."
August 4th, 2010
jonesbahamas
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.