The Bahamas: 51 years of independence

The Bahamas celebrates 51 years of independence today. I heartily join in hailing our motto: “Forward, Upward, Onward Together”… my Bahamaland!

We are a young nation of only 415,000 people. Yet, not even the hegemony of the United States can chasten our national pride.

Time to cut our colonial ties

It’s a wonder our Promethean pride can abide the mockery we’re making of our “independence.” After all, we still pledge allegiance to the British king as our head of state and appeal to the British Privy Council as our court of last resort.

Surely, after all these years, we should refer to His Majesty as nothing more than an old fuddy-duddy and limit appeals to a Supreme Court of The Bahamas.

I’ve pleaded this case for years to no avail, including in “For Independence Sake, Caribbean, Abolish Privy Council,” February 1, 2016. And, with all due respect to the Caribbean Court of Justice, there’s no point in ridding ourselves of a colonial arbiter of our legal fate only to subject ourselves to a regional one.

Honours and other royal pretensions

Then, alas, there’s the silly way we look aping the royal pretensions and appurtenances of our former colonial masters. My pet peeve is having to wear those stupid white wigs in court. For the sake of my profession, I decried this folly in “Hey, Tony, What’s Up with the Brothers Wearing White Wigs,” March 2, 2007.

But this shame is surpassed by my contempt for compatriots who covet British honorary titles, like “Sir” before their names or “OBE” after them. For the sake of all former British colonies, I decried this putting on airs in “Australia Bans British Honours. Other Commonwealth Countries Should Too,” November 3, 2015.

Remarkably, the subjugating contradiction in coveting such titles seems lost on most of our people. Not to mention that these “king’s birthday honours” are often based more on a bribe given than any merit earned.

I ridiculed this corrupt practice twelve years ago this week in “Pardon Me, Sir, but How Much Did You Pay for Your Knighthood,” July 14, 2006. As it happens, though, UK tabloids keep vindicating my ridicule with banner headlines like this:

‘£80k for a damehood’ honours scandal exposed: Firm claims to know ‘people that matter’ to secure OBEs, MBEs and knighthoods. … Hundreds of applicants have used companies to help win honours.

(July 10, 2020)

Wither national pride

It’s high time we sever the umbilical cords of colonialism. We should stand proud as a people – beholden only to ourselves, and completely free of British pretentiousness.

Only then can we take unencumbered pride in our independence song, “March On, Bahamaland.”