Bahamas Issues: Response to de redhead regarding Koed Smith post
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Originally Posted by de redhead
What is interesting is that you are quoting Mr. Smith’s comment about his father speaking fluent creole, insinuating that his father may ideed be Hatian, and concluding that Mr. Smith has some links to Haiti. Why would you feel compelled to do this?
There is only one reason to do this, and that is to disparage him and his family. That is the same thing that Hubert Ingraham did when he brought the issue up in the house initially. Why do you have a problem with Mr. Smith responding to slurs in the house when they were made in the house. Was Mr. Ingraham not taking up time in the house when he attacked another member with scurrilous and unfounded accusations, the man has every right to defend himself and his position on the matter. It is also interesting that you defend so vigorously Brent Symonette when his family’s past is raised yet you tear into Mr. Keod Smith when unfounded allegations are made regarding his family. Much of Sir Roland’s past and his actions in the past are on the record. They are beyond dispute. Brent Symonette is in the journal this morning calling The PLP racist and divisive, Keod Smith was in the house calling Hubert Ingraham racist. The issues raised by The PLP regard the legacy of Mr. Symonette’s father, if those issues are untrue Mr. Symonette is free to say to the Bahamian people how his father has been misrepresented and what a wonderful man he truly was to we coloureds. Mr. Ingraham questioned the nationality of Mr. Smith’s father, Mr. Smith should feel free to show where this is a fallacy. He did. And your assertion that stating that Mr. Smith’s father was Hatian is not a racist comment amazes me. I have read posts on the “Fire in the mud” thread which belie this. Bahamians have an extremely low perception and palpable distaste for Hatians. That is a fact. Any person who is claimed to be Hatian in this country is subject to public and private scorn. Mr. Ingraham’s remarks are racist to the core and serve as a distraction to his own issues of robbing the Bahamian people through his pension. |
Finally…
First of all, by me quoting Mr. Smith regarding his father’s ability to speak fluent Creole is not an insinuation that his father may be Haitian, but in stead, it recognizes his father as having a talent which few Bahamians possess, moreover, a talent in which few Bahamians even care to ever possess. I say kudos to Mr. Smith’s father and all the other relatives that Mr. Smith has who can speak two languages, one being creole. I hope to join them in this talent soon.
In deed, it may be true that Mr. Smith father has been misrepresented. In fact, I have no reason to doubt Mr. Smith and his lineage, but my concern is that he should do that on his own time, not the people’s time in our honourable House. Moreso, it were you who concluded that through the facts, and quotes from Mr. Smith, that I am insinuating that his father is Haitian. All I did was quoted the facts, and allow you to assume, and thus you did.
I personally take affront of the use of the word ‘disparage’ in your text in regards to Bahamians who may be of Haitian decent. Are you suggesting that by being of Haitian decent is disparaging in any way. Are you suggesting that by me suggesting, that Poitiers, Dillards, Goodmans etc are of Haitian decent, is disparing their Bahamian identity? That is absolutely rediculous! They are what they are, and they need to embrace it and move on. I wonder what Sir Lynden would think, if I stated that he is Jamaican decent. I am sure he may be up in arms…yeah right! That’s what he is!
I personally, know of no slurs being made by Mr. Ingraham toward Mr. Smith in the House. If you wish you can always cut and paste it and I can retract my comments. Besides calling one what they may be if it is the truth, can never be a slur.
Moreover, Mr. Smith did not ’show’ that the suggested accusation of him perhaps being of Haitian decent is a fallacy. I am not sure if anyone in the House ever raise to the floor and brought that up, nor did I ever done so; all I did was quoted him. (But I do know of a time when they did that do that to Mr. Pindling some years before, but that is another story). Needless to say before, Mr. Smith wasted our time in the House, I could have cared less, whether he was Haitian decent, Jamaican decent or a Turk Islander. The only thing important would be whether he was born here, and I have no doubt of that. Therefore, who his father was, is not important until he raised it in the honourable House.
You claim you have read the posts concerning “the fire in the Mud,” look for my post concerning it. Not every Bahamian think it is dishonourable like you and Mr. Smith appear to think, to be of Haitian decent. In fact, we have a number of persons in the House of Assembly who are. Yet, you don’t see them trying to prove that they are not, wasting the people’s time in the House.
Finally, the post regarding Pap Symonette and Mr. Ingraham’s pension issues, are concerns of a different post. Lets keep it there and talk about Koed Smith in this one!
