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MARITAL RAPE LAW ‘HARMS OUR SONS’

Dame Anita Allen said ‘If he isn’t going to rape his wife’ no need to worry

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

MOTHERS expressed concern yesterday that young men will be unfairly punished if amendments to the Sexual Offenses Act criminalise marital rape. Their worries drew a sharp rebuttal from Law Reform Commissioner Dame Anita Allen who said: “The woman still has

to go to court to have her case heard. To say that oh, now I have to worry about my son because what is he going to get himself into? Well, guess what? If he isn’t going to rape his wife, he has nothing to worry about.”

The comments came as the government hosted a consultation session on the Protection Against Violence Bill and proposed

MARINE ON CHARGE OF ATTE MPTED MURDER AFTER MISSED GUNSHOT

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 21-YEAR-OLD

marine was charged with shooting an unarmed club patron after getting into an argument with a separate group of men last Saturday.

Royal Bahamas Defence

Force Officer Andreas McPhee was charged with

The drumbeat of history

attempted murder before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans.

McPhee allegedly argued with a group of men around 4am on July 1 at a bar on West Bay Street. As the argument escalated, the defendant reportedly produced and fired his weapon in the direction of the men,

Lanisha RoLL e’s bRibeRy t Ria L set foR 2025

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

LANISHA Rolle’s bribery trial is set to start in September 2025, more than two years away. She and her co-accused were told yesterday that June 17, 2024, could be a backup trial date.

A status hearing is scheduled for November 29.

sports and culture, is accused of awarding contracts totalling $768,989.56 while serving as minister from 2019 to 2021 under the Minnis administration.

Rolle faces three counts of bribery and 13 counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences.

NORTH A NDROS RESIDENTS IN THE DARK AFTER BPL FIRE

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

NORTH Andros residents scrambled to preserve their goods and cool their bodies after a fire destroyed all generator units at a Bahamas Power and Light station in North Andros yesterday.

MP CORNISH APOLOGISES ON A BACO PM STATE MENT

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NORTH Abaco MP Kirk Cornish apologised yesterday for declaring himself prime minister of Abaco. His comment during an independence banquet at a church in Abaco on Saturday drew backlash. Central and South Abaco

Lanisha Rolle, the former minister of youth,

LANISHA ROLLE

A SCENE from yesterday’s opening ceremony of the Museum of Junkanoo at the new Nassau Cruise Port. For full story see tomorrows story in The Weekend section.

Photo: Austin Fernander

Some even rushed to New Providence to purchase generators, fearing long-term electricity woes. Residents said power on the island had been unreliable recently but that yesterday’s outage left them bracing for sweltering heat for potentially longer than usual.

The outage led to the cancellation of the All Andros & Berry Islands Homecoming event, which typically attracts between 10 to 15,000 residents.

Long-standing ATM problems worsened after the outage, reminding residents of the unique challenges life on a Family Island can bring.

“People are frantically moving around the island trying to get whatever ice and stuff they can to try and preserve their inventory,” said Darin Bethell, president of the North Andros Chamber of Commerce. “A lot of folks have prepared stuff and had their inventory increased from last week. A lot of orders come in from the US.”

Though BPL CEO Shevonn Cambridge expected power to be restored by yesterday evening or this morning, electricity remained off up

to press time. The fire at the power station happened around 3am yesterday. In the blaze’s aftermath, videos captured charred machinery and floors covered in ash.

Mr Cambridge said the cause of the fire is being investigated.

Although homecoming festivities have been postponed until the end of the month, Mr Bethel said he hopes some events still happen this weekend.

“Sounds like on the 50th anniversary, we’re gonna have to go back to 1973 this weekend,” he said, comparing life on the island to the aftermath of a hurricane.

Residents shared information about generator deals amid uncertainty about when reliable generation would return.

“People are trying to get monies into Nassau,” Mr Bethel said. “They’ll be using the pilots, the local pilots, sending money with them to take to family and stuff like that to try and get whatever they need to adjust themselves and prepare themselves for how long this may be that we’re going to be completely without power.”

Raymond Neilly, a resident of Nicholls Town, said some people lost power hours before the fire.

“In my own situation at my house right now, we have a freezer full of things to eat, and we have no idea when the power is going to be restored,” he said. “You don’t have money to be wasting up like this, and one of the things I find frustrating is who is going to answer?

“Who has the word of assurance for us, the people of Northern Andros?”

James Storr said he travelled to Nassau to get a generator after learning about the incident. He estimated he encountered 15 people doing the same thing.

“This is the summertime and people are real hot,” he said. “You find people in the night, they have to go in their cars, start their cars to get cool or cooled down and then probably go in the hot house. Don’t matter how much you open all the windows, it still hot.”

Vanda Rahming said residents are concerned about caring for the elderly because it is so difficult to keep cool.

“We were just closing a meeting in reference to the banking system, the poor banking system here in North Andros,” she added.

“So now we’re really crippled because the ATMs are down. Business places,

BY LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power and Light’s CEO Shevonn Cambridge hit back at former Works Minister Desmond Bannister Tuesday, saying it was disingenuous of him to suggest that the workers maintaining BPL’s Wartsila engines are “unqualified.”

“They are being maintained by the same personnel who were maintaining them when Wartsila operated the plant,” Mr Cambridge said in a statement to The Tribune yesterday. “These employees were hired by BPL at the termination of the management contract with Wartsila, therefore it is disingenuous to suggest that the engines are being maintained by unqualified personnel.”

His statement was in response to Mr Bannister’s accusations of poor maintenance practices at BPL.

Mr Bannister said the protocol for maintaining BPL’s engines changed under the Davis administration, citing this as a reason why load shedding has been needed this summer.

“We have third parties maintaining engines,”

said Mr Bannister. “That is wrong, and that is very, very disappointing so that’s the first challenge that they face, and that is something that is caused by them, a problem they created.”

In 2019, BPL acquired seven Wartsila engines to address long-term generation capacity issues, leading then chairman Dr Donovan Moxey to declare an end to the era of load shedding.

Mr Bannister said the engines are among the most efficient in the world and that the government was to blame for much of the problems facing BPL.

He said engine maintenance, for one, should’ve started long before the summer months.

Asked about this yesterday, Mr Cambridge said: “The overhauls were extended due to abnormal wear as they are being run from the time they were installed. BPL has never been able to run all seven units simultaneously.

“Moreover, the engines have had to operate primarily on diesel due to the lack of a boiler and separators to support sustained operation on HFO. As a result, the cost savings that the units were meant to yield have not been realised.”

“In fact, running them on diesel has resulted in higher operational and maintenance costs.”

Mr Cambridge said BPL’s aim is to increase the performance of its existing fleet,” while looking at expanding our generation assets with renewables and engines that utilise less costly and more environmentally friendly fuels.”

FIRE broke out at a BPL power station in North Andros leaving all generators inoperable.

if you don’t have cash, you cannot even go to the shop and purchase because while you have stores, they’re not gonna credit their goods to everyone.”

In a statement yesterday

evening, BPL said it would move two units, a 1MW generator and a 500 kW generator, to Andros to address the challenges.

North Andros residents in the dark after BPL fire b L hits ba at bannisteR’s o ents

should arrive in North Andros on Thursday morning (July 6, 2023),” BPL’s statement said. “Until this unit arrives and is online, BPL anticipates some loadsharing overnight and into the day on Thursday. However, once the total 3MW is operable, full supply restoration is expected.”

Space for Rent, Collins Avenue 700sq. Ft. Semi Furnished, Water Included. For additional information and viewing contact (242) 502-6619 or 502-6602.

We also wish to point out that although the Wartsila’s at Station A have an installed capacity of 132MW, all seven engines have never run simultaneously. Cooling restrictions (auxiliaries mentioned above) have only allowed for five units to run at the same time for a maximum of 90MW output,” he added.

oRnish a oLo ises on a ba o state ent

from page one

MP John Pinder told The Tribune: “To be clear, he is not in charge of Abaco. The prime minister is the leader of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. We serve under him, and to say such things is erroneous.”

Mr Cornish’s statement, released by the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday, said: “During an independence event over

the weekend, I sought to make the point that it is my privilege and my responsibility to implement Cabinet policy in Abaco.”

“I sincerely regret the way I expressed the point. I have the honour of representing Abaconians in Parliament and the honour of carrying out the policies of the prime minister and Cabinet in Abaco. I am the representative of the prime minister on the island, but of course, I

do not possess his authority.

“There is only one prime minister in The Bahamas, and I serve at his pleasure.”

“I unreservedly apologise to the prime minister, my parliamentary colleagues, and the people of North Abaco. I am deeply committed to serving to the best of my ability and will continue to work hard to promote rebuilding our beautiful home.”

During Saturday’s church

service, Mr Cornish, who was in police custody in April amid an investigation, said people shouldn’t destroy one another.

“You see, I have a Godgiven right to defend Kirk Daniel Cornish, Sr, but you know what Kirk does, he places that defence in the hands of God,” he said. “Many people don’t know me, don’t understand that, but I guarantee you that God gon’ show it to them.”

BAHAMAS Power and Light’s CEO Shevonn Cambridge takes exception to former Works Minister Desmond Bannister suggesting that the workers maintaining BPL’s Wartsila engines are “unqualified.”

FOR RENT

Marital rape law ‘harms our sons’

amendments to the Sexual Offenses Act.

Ann McCoy-Minnis, the director of the Able Hands non-profit organisation, said it was scary to think her son could be accused of rape, adding he may not understand how consent is defined in the amendments.

“There are not many young persons here,” she

said.

“As a person working from a community standpoint, I am hopeful that there would be other platforms or maybe town hall or community meetings where persons can give their opinions as it relates to the marital rape law.

“For me, I’m a parent. I have two sons. I am really concerned now from what I heard today in regards to the sentence of life for getting married?”

In response, retired Magistrate Carroll Munnings said she is not worried about her sons or other male relatives because they would not be punished if they do nothing wrong.

“I have sons. I have two,” she said. “I have brothers, and I have uncles and any number of male friends that are near and dear to my heart. I just want to go on record saying that the proposed

bill does not strike any fear in my heart. “I know that, on their part as males, my brothers who are married, that they don’t have any fear of the bill that is being presented. “I have heard it said that we, as people, they want it to be equal for the men, because right now they only hear about the women and what the women can do. But guess what? What we are actually trying to do is to make

it equal for the women who are married. That’s what this is about.

“This is not to take away anything. All it is doing is making it equal on both sides. Now where a man can make a complaint, a woman who is married can also make a complaint.”

Dame Anita emphasised that consent issues would be applied across the board, whether in spousal rape proceedings or otherwise.

“I know what the maximum penalty is, and I think it’s life,” she said.

“It depends on the circumstances of the case. It depends on what the judge feels is reasonable in all the circumstances of the case and what the judge decides to impose.

“It may be a fine, it may be a conditional discharge depending on the circumstances, but the maximum sentence, as I recall, is life.

RETIREMENT OF APPE A L JUSTICE JONES PROMPTS CH A NGES TO THE JUDICI ARY

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE impending preretirement leave of Court of Appeal Justice

Roy Jones will prompt notable changes in the judiciary.

The Tribune understands the Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC) has asked Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt to serve as acting justice of the Supreme Court.

Justice Bernard Turner, meanwhile, will go to the Court of Appeal as an acting appellate judge.

Roberto Reckley will serve as acting chief magistrate in the meantime.

Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt is expected to be acting justice of the Supreme Court

It is unknown whether the appointees will eventually be confirmed in

the substantive posts. After consultation with the opposition leader, the prime minister appoints judges to the Court of Appeal. The JLSC recommends to the governor general who should be appointed to the Supreme Court and the Magistrate’s Court. This will be the first time that Justice Turner, recently appointed a non-resident judge to the Court of Appeal in the Turks and Caicos Islands, will serve on the local appellate court.

It is also the first time Mr Reckley, a wellregarded lawyer, has served on the bench.

Chief Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt acted as a Supreme Court judge in 2015.

CHIEF

MOTHERS expressed concern yesterday that young men will be unfairly punished if amendments to the Sexual Offenses Act criminalise marital rape.

Photo: Austin Fernander

Women’s shelter to be ready in a few weeks says Wilchcombe

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

SOCIAL Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe said officials are preparing four new shelters for women, the first of which would be ready in a few weeks.

He said the shelters, including one in Grand Bahama, will be opened before the end of the year.

He spoke to reporters after a discussion forum on the Protection Against Violence Bill and proposed amendments to the Sexual Offences Act.

“The shelters are being prepared now and we’re getting more facilities for women with difficulties,” he said. “We want to be very sensitive.”

“We have found other places and we’re preparing them now. We hopefully will see the transition very soon.”

Mr Wilchcombe told reporters in April that his ministry spent a “considerable amount” on shelters for women and children fleeing domestic abuse.

“Last month, we spent about $2.4m,” he said at the time, saying this was “just on shelters that we are renting from the places”.

“It’s a significant amount of money and we have to find ways to reduce it,” he added.

Mr Wilchcombe said he is preparing a protocol for transitioning residents of some safe houses to other facilities at a reduced cost.

Inspector Kendra Wallace-Whyms, a member of the recently-established Domestic Violence Unit of the police force, said: “I’ve never seen so many protection orders come in my office since July to now. Women come into the office daily: married women, single women, they walk to the office with their children pleading for help.

“We have always had a safe housing problem, even when I was a social worker some 20 years ago. That was always an issue. So looking back from then to now, we are going somewhere. Women now have a choice. Now we have housing for these families and their children.

“In a matter of weeks you are going to see something very powerful, where housing is going to come on stream and then another housing right behind that one,” she said.

Lanisha RoLL e’s bRibeRy t Ria L set foR 2025

from page one

She and her husband, Vontenken Rolle, have been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences after allegations relating to a $168,000 contract for

work at Kendal GL Isaacs Gym.

The former minister is also accused of allegedly receiving a bribe of $48,303.74 for awarding a contract for work at the Grand Bahama Sporting Complex to G&C Landscaping.

Wilfred Rolle and Godfrey Burrows are accused of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences concerning a $34,600 contract for work at South Beach pools. Burrows was further accused of receiving that amount by false pretences.

Photo: Austin Fernander

The Tribune Limited

Pride before a fall for Cornish

IT has been a remarkable few days for the man who would be king of Abaco.

Kirk Cornish, the MP for North Abaco, boasts an unremarkable Parliamentary record since he came into office – and yet he had the hubris to declare that on Abaco he was the prime minister.

“On Abaco, Kirk is the prime minister,” he had the temerity to say during an independence banquet at a church in Cooper’s Town.

He added; “The only authority other than Kirk who leads this island is Brave Philip Edward Davis, so get used to it.”

We did not have to get used to it for long. His fellow Abaco MP John Pinder was quick to say he was disappointed with Mr Cornish’s words.

And yesterday Mr Cornish – who also boasts the princely title of parliamentary secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister – seemed to have learned that he was not in fact in charge.

An apology was issued. Not on camera. Not in front of reporters. Not in a situation where he could be asked questions such as what on Earth he was thinking.

His statement sought to make a clarification, saying that he “sought to make the point that it is my privilege and my responsibility to implement Cabinet policy in Abaco”.

Nonsense. He said he was the prime minister. That’s a long way indeed from placing himself on top of the political tree.

That would put him ahead of all the other ministers. His party chairman might be surprised to find he has a new boss. The deputy prime minister probably raised an eyebrow that he was now outranked by a parliamentary secretary.

Mr Cornish continued: “I sincerely regret the way I expressed the point. I have the honour of representing Abaconians in Parliament and the honour of carrying out the policies of the prime minister and Cabinet in Abaco. I am the representative of the prime minister on

the island, but of course, I do not possess his authority.”

So honoured is Mr Cornish to represent Abaco that he previously said that the administration was more concerned about who would win Junkanoo rather than the illegal migrant situation on Abaco.

In the House of Assembly, he said: “We are far more concerned about who ‘ga win Junkanoo than what is happening in Abaco.”

Back in March, he did say that the government was finalising plans to deal with burning of debris at Abaco dump sites. Many weeks later, The Tribune was still hearing reports of such fires continuing.

And, of course, there was his detention by police in April, after he turned himself in for questioning as part of an investigation. He was later released after being in custody.

Mr Cornish says that he serves at the pleasure of the prime minister. The real prime minister, that is. He should count himself lucky that he has pleased Mr Davis enough that this ends with an apology – and not being fired.

Independence

Independence is closing in – the holiday is almost upon us. Tomorrow, The Tribune features a special 72-page Independence Supplement to mark the occasion.

It is a chance to look back. To look forward. To see who we are, where we have been and where we are going.

We hope you enjoy this keepsake – and as the holiday itself passes, The Tribune intends to continue to mark this landmark year. We have plans to celebrate the generation that lived through the transition into Independence, who created our Constitution – and those who continue to build our nation. Enjoy our offering – and stay tuned.

Another blow for Andros

EDITOR, The

IN THE face of already dire circumstances, the situation in North Andros has taken a turn for the worse. The Bahamas Power and Light Powerhouse, a critical facility responsible for providing electricity to the region, has tragically burned down.

The impact of this devastating event is expected to be long-lasting, with residents and workers expressing concerns that it could take weeks, if not months, to restore power to North Andros. This new development amplifies the challenges faced by Androsians, plunging them into an even deeper state of crisis.

The absence of electricity will have severe repercussions on the daily lives of North Androsians. Without power, residents will be deprived of essential services and face immense difficulties in performing even the most basic tasks. The loss of power not only affects homes but also local businesses, grocery stores, and convenience stores, many of which may not have generators to provide an alternative source of electricity. This will further compound the struggles faced by the community, making it increasingly difficult to meet their everyday needs

and exacerbating the already strained situation.

The timing of this power outage is particularly unfortunate, as it coincides with The Bahamas’ Independence Day celebration.

Many North Androsians will now have to spend this important occasion without electricity, dampening the spirit of the festivities and adding to the frustration and disillusionment experienced by the community.

Businesses across North Andros will also suffer as they struggle to operate without power, leading to financial losses and potential closures.

Furthermore, the communication infrastructure in North Andros continues to show nothing more than lack in consistency.

The recent breakdown in services provided by the Bahamas Telecommunications Company has improved since last discussed but this begs the question will the lack of Power now have an affect on Communication in North Andros once more?

It is essential to note that the existing issues regarding the lack of banking services in North and Central Andros persist. The single ATM available in

the region has been consistently down and up for weeks, leaving residents without a reliable means to access their finances.

These compounds the difficulties faced by the community, as simple tasks such as withdrawing money become monumental obstacles, hindering their ability to meet basic needs and conduct everyday transactions.

The collective struggles faced by my people of North Andros require immediate attention and action. The situation has reached a critical point, and the North Androsian community is crying out for help.

They are in a dire state, lacking power thus access to running water, banking services, and reliable communication. It is crucial for individuals and organizations to come together and support the residents of North Andros in their time of need.

By raising awareness, providing assistance, and advocating for their rights, we can make a difference and help alleviate the burden on this resilient community. Let us unite our voices once again and work towards a brighter future for North Andros.

ISAAC BARR

Andros

July 5, 2023

Readers have their say

AFTER Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe named Bahari as having not paid for a licence to use national symbols, readers had their say on the issue.

ExposedU2C said: “Government creates all sorts of ridiculous and unnecessary licensing requirements for three main purposes:

“1) To derive loads of fee income a/k/a tax revenue by picking the pockets of Bahamians and their private sector businesses;

“2) To promote crony capitalism by cherry picking which private sector businesses are to be the ‘licensed’ winners and ‘unlicensed’ losers in our society; and

“3) To reward the wealthy

financial backers of election campaigns and, whenever possible, buy large numbers of votes.”

LastManStanding added:

“It’s honestly a national disgrace that Bahamians have to pay money to make use of our own national symbols.”

TrueBahamian said:

“I didn’t know this was a requirement, but what he’s saying sounds extremely reasonable. I’m sure Bahari is making a

lot more than $20.00. I’d the government says fill out this application, they price it and you pay $20, then do it. If you look at it from a proprietary standpoint, if this was a private company that owned these images, you either could not use them or you would have to get their permission and pay a huge amount for use of it. $20 paid by a handful of merchants won’t lead to a lot of money in the treasury.” Mandela added: “Is the Bahamas the only country that has this requirement? I think not.”

• Join in the conversation on a host of topics on www. tribune242.com.

A FOREST of umbrellas during one of the Independence celebrations.

Photo: Shaquille D Johnson

Marine on charge of attempted murder after missed gunshot

from page one

hitting Lashondo McIntosh with a stray bullet. The victim, uninvolved in the argument, remains in the hospital. Up to press time, police said he was still in critical condition.

McPhee stood stoically before his family as he was told his matter would be moved to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

His attorney, Bjorn Ferguson, told the court that he intended to

pursue an emergency bail application that same day to prevent McPhee from being remanded to prison.

The accused’s VBI is set for service on September 22.

THE INDEPENDENCE GOLDEN JUBILEE FLAG RELAY LANDS IN GB

BY DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

The Independence Golden Jubilee Flag Relay made its way to Grand Bahama on Wednesday morning and will travel to two more islands before it arrives in New Providence for the flag-raising at Clifford Park on July 9. The flag was hoisted shortly after 10am at the Harold DeGregory

Government Complex by the joint Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defense Force Colour Guard.

The song, ‘One God, One People, One Bahamas,’ played as the Relay Flag was played as it was raised.

Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey and Senator Kirk Russell and a small number of guests were in attendance at the short flag-raising

ceremony held on the front lawn. Lindsay Thompson, National Independence Secretariat, said the Golden Jubilee Flag Relay commenced on May 21, in Eleuthera, and has travelled to several Family Islands. Yesterday, the flag was in Acklins and Crooked Island. “The flag has touched every Family Island community; we have two more islands,” said Ms Thompson.

WOMAN ACCUSED OF STEALING $17K FROM ISLAND LUCK GRANTED BAIL

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A WOMAN was granted bail after she was charged with stealing over $17,000 from an Island Luck store in Abaco earlier this year. Magistrate Kendra Kelly charged Dewina Hepburn,

32, with stealing by reason of employment.

Tonique Lewis represented her.

Hepburn is accused of stealing $17,820.10 from Island Luck in Central Pines, Abaco, using their PlayTech Systems while employed there between May 1 and 10.

The accused pleaded not guilty and elected to continue her case before the magistrate.

Bail was granted at $5,000. The accused must sign in at the Marsh Harbour Police Station every Thursday by 6pm. Hepburn’s trial begins on September 19.

M AN ON BAIL FOR MURDER FINED FOR FAILING TO CHARGE MONITORING DEVICE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN on bail for attempted murder was fined $2,500 for failing to charge his electronic monitoring device. Antonio Glinton, 29, faced five counts of violation of bail conditions

before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans.

The Supreme Court had granted him bail after he was charged with attempted murder.

While on release, Glinton failed to charge his EMD five times between November 3 and 31, 2022.

After changing his plea to guilty, Glinton said he

had been on remand for the charge since last December. He asked the court for leniency. He asked the magistrate to consider the time he had already served so he could provide for his family. He was fined $2,500. If he fails to pay the fine, he could face a one-year prison term.

IN celebration of the 50th Independence a flag raising was held at the Government Complex in Grand Bahama.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

US HIGHER EDUCATION SHAKEN BY SUPREME COURT DECISIONS

AMERICANS are justifiably proud of their country. Now quickly approaching its 250th anniversary even as we celebrate a half century of Bahamian independence, the US prides itself perhaps most of all in the accessibility and quality of its higher education system. With hard work and talent, the myth of the American dream provides for every citizen the possibility of advancement to wealth and achievement.

Your vision of the US may not support this narrative, but most Americans still cling to it. It has long been an article of faith that every American can earn a shot at his or her dream. And the most reliable path to fulfilling that dream has traditionally been through higher education.

Many Bahamian young men and women have also benefited from their access to American higher education. While the failure of

many to return home with their gaudy new credentials has troubled policymakers in The Bahamas for years, it is nonetheless true that through their own achievements in the classroom and on athletic fields, Bahamians have earned the right to pursue degrees in America.

And those degrees have led many of our most talented young people to careers that have proven to be fulfilling, lucrative and often significant. But now, within the past week, the myths and realities of the American dream and American higher education have been shaken by two US Supreme Court

decisions and a likely future lawsuit.

This evolving story in the US is likely to have consequences for the future education of many of our high school graduates.

First, the US high court ruled that a huge student debt forgiveness plan pledged by then-candidate Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election campaign was an overreach of his authority as president. The Court’s conservative majority ruled that Congressional review would be required for such a programme to be consistent with the American constitution.

Biden’s proposal,

welcomed by millions of American graduates struggling under the yoke of massive student debt often casually accumulated during carefree college years, proved to be politically potent three years ago, but the president will now need to find other ways to reduce graduates’ financial burdens. And, mindful of the urgent need to motivate recent college graduates to vote for him next November, Biden has committed to continuing his efforts to provide college debt relief.

“I will stop at nothing to find other ways to deliver relief to hard-working mid-

to efforts to attract diverse student bodies and is expected to prompt new challenges to admission policies, inasmuch as racial and ethnic diversification can and has been used by US colleges to extend offers of admission to foreign applicants of colour.

This decision by the court’s relatively new conservative majority of justices is widely seen in the context of a process launched with the passage of transformational civil rights legislation in the US under President Lyndon Johnson nearly 60 years ago.

The court’s judgment also significantly weakens an active US-government sponsored effort widely referred to as “EEO”.

Initiated under Johnson but really given teeth under President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s, equal opportunity programmes aimed to accelerate the process of racial and ethnic diversification in the US government.

A key element in the court’s overturning of racebased admissions policies for American colleges and universities is its implications for those institutions of higher learning “who accept federal funds to support their programmes”.

From massive research grants to governmentsponsored assistance programmes like Pell Grants, most US colleges and universities do indeed receive federal funding.

boardrooms, those numbers are gradually rising.

It’s now fair to ask if EEO is done, because it has achieved its desired effects.

The Supreme Court seems to think: Maybe yes.

A third court case has now been filed that may also have implications for Bahamian college applicants in the relatively near future. It’s a challenge to many schools’ policy of favoring “legacy” applicants whose close relatives are also graduates of that particular institution. It is certainly no coincidence that this new challenge to long-standing American college admissions processes comes right on the heels of the court’s decision to overturn raceinfluenced admissions policies.

Three civil rights groups have filed a complaint, also against suddenlybeleaguered Harvard University, charging that its preferential policy for undergraduate applicants with family ties to the university overwhelmingly benefits white students.

The groups filed a complaint with the US Department of Education claiming that Harvard’s preferences for “legacy” applicants violates a federal law banning race discrimination for programmes that receive federal funds, as virtually all US colleges and universities do.

dle-class families,” Biden said. “My administration will continue to work to bring the promise of higher education to every American.”

The Biden administration had argued that the debt relief plan was lawful under a 2003 law that says the government can provide relief to recipients of student loans when there is a “national emergency”, allowing it to act to ensure people are not in “a worse position financially” as a result of the emergency. The emergency in this case was the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan, which would have allowed eligible borrowers to cancel up to $20,000 in debt and would have cost more than $400bn, had been blocked by a lower court since October.

About 43 million Americans would have been eligible to participate.

If Biden is unable to find an alternative way to offer debt relief to graduates, there will likely be implications for college tuition, financial aid and even accessibility in the years to come.

A second high court decision may also have major significance for Bahamians hoping to pursue higher education in the United States.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled as unconstitutional race-conscious policies adopted by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina to ensure the admission of more nonwhite students. The decision was a major blow

This means that the court’s ruling has virtually universal application in the arena of American higher education.

But what about EEO in the US? Many observers now believe that there is plenty of evidence that the programme has succeeded, inasmuch as increasing numbers of black, female and other minority populations are now to be found in, among other places, the US Congress and traditional bastions of white privilege as the US Department of State and Central Intelligence Agency.

At the same time, there are certainly more blacks and other minority groups to be found in the ranks of conservative movements and think tanks, not to mention corporate boardrooms and some of the most exclusive residential areas in the country.

It’s much more difficult now for stodgy liberals to sneer at black or Latino politicians or pundits who advocate for conservative positions.

The notion that a minority person in the US who happens to genuinely believe in conservative principles is somehow an aberration or an “Uncle Tom” ideological sellout is no longer sustainable.

And it’s not just stupendously successful black athletes like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Tiger Woods who have achieved significant wealth, power or both.

There are two black justices on the Supreme Court.

While many correctly bemoan the scarcity of black and minority faces in American corporate

The complaint was filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights, a Bostonbased nonprofit that describes itself on its website as working with “communities of colour and immigrants to fight discrimination”.

Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal, the group’s executive director, said “eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.

“Your family’s last name and the size of your bank account are not a measure of merit, and should have no bearing on the college admissions process,” he said.

President Joe Biden quickly agreed. He said schools should consider eliminating legacy policies because they “expand privilege instead of opportunity”.

Representative Barbara Lee, a black Democrat from California, in a tweet called legacy policies “affirmative action for white people.”

Conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas appeared to agree, wondering why Harvard could not get rid of the legacy policy instead of granting separate preferences to non-white students.

About 28% of Harvard’s class of 2019 were reportedly legacies, the groups said in the complaint.

That means fewer admissions slots were available for non-white applicants who are far less likely to have family ties to the school.

If legacy admissions policies are eventually weakened or overturned, there will be more opportunities for our own young people. Stay tuned.

AN AMERICAN flag waves in front of the Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

US President Joe Biden.

Government will not act ‘like a bulldozer’ on derelict buildings Downtown says DPM

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minis-

ter and Minister of Tourism

Chester Cooper said the government would not act like a “bulldozer” in getting rid of dilapidated buildings downtown.

He responded to a reporter who noted his response to potential demolition activities downtown has been similar in recent interviews.

“There is dialogue between the government, the Ministry of Works in particular, and the owners,” he said ahead of a Cabinet meeting. “Some of them are interested in repairing, and some of them are supportive of demolition. There is some support for the redevelopment of some of the structures. Suffice to say we’re getting cooperation from the stakeholders.”

Asked if any building will be demolished soon, Mr Cooper did not say. He

said the government wants to work with the owners, and that dialogue with them continues.

“When we get to a stage where there’s a specific action to be taken, that is what we will do,” he said.

“It is not the government’s view to be a bulldozer in this process, literally or figuratively. So we want to engage with the stakeholders properly. We want to listen to their positions. We want to work with them

to ensure that this is done harmoniously.”

During Mr Cooper’s budget debate contribution in June, he said the demolition of buildings would soon continue.

“Nine buildings have been identified for demolition Downtown, and notices have been given,” he said. “More demolition will begin in August this year.” He said dilapidated buildings that are not demolished would be transformed into

attractive storefronts and entertainment centres.

Meanwhile, he said yesterday the number of stray dogs downtown is another issue officials are addressing.

“We are working with the Department of Agriculture,” he said. “Senator Randy Rolle is charged with this responsibility. We’ve taken surveillance at various times, day and night. There are very interesting photos of what we see, particularly as it relates to the

stray dog issue. It is being addressed along with all of the other issues.”

He added: “I mentioned in my budget presentation how we are approaching these issues very methodically but we have a full-time team on this. There is a full-time committee and cross-ministries. We are working closely with the Ministry of Works, the attorney general, and of course, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Environment.”

DEPUTY Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism Chester Cooper said “There is dialogue between the government, the Ministry of Works in particular, and the owners” concerning derlict and rundown buidling Downtown as they seek to bring about a resolution to the situation.

Photo: Moise Amisial

Campbell donates to back-to-school programme

STATE Minister for Legal Affairs Jomo

Campbell donated to a church’s back-to-school readiness programme on Monday. He donated to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Centreville. The programme is free for primary school children in the constituency. The adventist church has adopted Centreville Primary School as a part of

the church’s initiative as well.

Andria Musgrove, the church’s director of community services, said the programme’s purpose is to improve the educational status of the children in the community.

“With our partners like Michelle and Sammy and, of course, Minister Campbell, we have been able to do a great work in this community with the Lord’s help,” she said.

GOVT SPENDS $2M ON CLIFFORD PARK UPGRADE

MORE than $2m has been spent on improving Clifford Park, it has been announced.

Minister of Works and Utilities announced the details during his contribution to the Budget debate on June 20.

G and L Construction Ltd. was awarded a $2,752,166.04 contract to undertake the works.

Changes include: female restrooms; for disabled accessibility;

parking facilities at east and west entrances; and concrete bleacher seating extension; improvements; at Clifford Park/Rawson Square; Substation at Clifford Park; improvements and including repair to the main field at Clifford Park

STATE Minister for Legal Affairs Jomo Campbell donated to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Centreville’s back-to-school readiness programme on Monday.

Photo: Moise Amisial

PHOTOS depict work in progress at Clifford Park.

Photos: Patrick Hanna/AP

Highest amount of ‘grave violations’ against children in conflicts recorded

UNOFFICAL HOTTEST DAY RECORDED YESTERDAY

A YOUTH dives off the malecon seawall into the water to cool off in Havana, Cuba, yesterday. The entire planet sweltered for the two unofficial hottest days in human record keeping Monday and Tuesday, according to University of Maine scientists at the Climate Reanalyzer project.

UNITED NATIONS

Associated Press

CHILDREN experienced the highest number of “grave violations” in conflicts verified by the United Nations in 2022, with the conflicts between Israeli and Palestinians and in Congo and Somalia putting the most youngsters in peril, the UN children’s agency said Wednesday.

UNICEF also expressed particular concern about their plight in Haiti, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Ukraine, where Russia has been put on the UN blacklist.

“Grave violations” include the recruitment and use of children by combatants, killings and injuries, sexual violence, abductions, and attacks on schools and hospitals.

Omar Abdi, UNICEF’s deputy executive director, told the UN Security Council the more than 27,000 grave violations, up from 24,000 the previous year, are the highest number verified by the UN since its monitoring reports began in 2005. The number of conflict situations “of concern” was also the highest — at 26.

Since the report, Abdi said, a serious conflict has erupted in Sudan where

over 1 million children have been displaced by violent conflict and the UN has received reports that hundreds have been killed and injured. He also said UNICEF expects an increase in Palestinian children affected due to recent escalations in violence.

Government and parties to conflicts are not fulfilling their commitments to protect children, and “meaningful and unambiguous action” is needed, the UNICEF official said.

In his yearly report to the council late last month, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres put Russian forces on the UN’s annual blacklist of countries that violate children’s rights in conflict for killing boys and girls and attacking schools and hospitals in Ukraine.

But the UN chief did not put Israel on the blacklist for grave violations against 1,139 Palestinian children, including 54 killings last year — as supporters had hoped – saying the UN welcomed its “identification of practical measures including those proposed by the UN” to protect children.

The UN special envoy for children in armed conflict, Virginia Gamba, told the council that the 27,180 grave violations

in 2022 were carried out against 18,890 children and included 8,620 who were killed or injured, 7,622 who were recruited or used by governments or armed groups in conflicts, 3,985 who were abducted, 1,165, almost all of them girls, who were raped, forced into marriage or sexual slavery or sexually assaulted.

The United Nations also verified attacks on 1,163 schools and 647 hospitals, a 112% increase from 2021, she said.

While armed groups were responsible for 50% of grave violations, Gamba underscored that governments were the main perpetrators of the killing and maiming of children and of attacks on schools and hospitals.

Gamba said, for example, last year three girls were gang raped in South Sudan “during five days of terror,” many boys were killed by an explosive device at a school in Afghanistan, a 14-yearold girl in Myanmar was abducted and burned alive, and an airstrike in Ukraine left a girl with amputated limbs. “We must do more to prevent and protect our children from the ravages of armed conflict,” she said.

CHILDREN experienced the highest number of grave violations in conflicts ever verified by the United Nations in 2022, with the conflicts between Israeli and Palestinians and in Congo and Somalia putting the most in peril, the UN children’s agency said Wednesday.

Photo: Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP

Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP