There has been a recent call by many for the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) to move toward a more youthful leadership, as many begin to endorse Chester Cooper, Member of Parliament for Exuma and Ragged Island; one of the four PLP candidates to have secured their seat in the recent general election, to be its ‘face’ moving forward.

These endorsements have been met by many in the public with great encouragement especially in light of some of the recent racially sensitive views expressed by some of the elder members of the party since its defeat a week ago.

“Cooper rebukes racially charged comments” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “In a move that could give insight into the future brand of the progressive Liberal Party PLP) as it rebuilds and attempts to improve its image following a crushing defeat at the polls last week, incoming Exuma and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper yesterday distanced himself from racially charged remarks made at a PLP National General Council meeting on Monday night which Cooper called ‘unfortunate’.

‘During Monday’s ceremony for the farewell address for the former Prime Minister and Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Perry Christie there were unfortunate remarks made by the moderator in the vein of black people enslaving each other while white people watched and white Bahamians were not supporters of the PLP, as an allegory for our party’s recent loss at the polls,’ Cooper said in a statement.

‘While there will be much to discuss and probe in the wake of the PLP’s loss, I want to make clear that I, Chester Cooper, in no way support these sentiments or think them fitting and proper analysis of the PLP’s loss.”

These remakes were made as Mr. Cooper attempted to distance himself from the remarks of the moderator to the effect of “You know, I always speak to my children.  And tell them, ‘Check your history years ago.  Who round us up while we were in Africa?’ Isaacs told the crowd.

‘Our own black people round us up.  The white people stood on the sideline and watched.  Well ain nothing changed, man. Ain’t nothing changed.  When are we as a black people gonna learn to stick and work together?  You don’t see white people supporting the PLP, per se. We’ve got to learn stickablity.”

These remakes come shortly after Fred Mithcell, former member of Parliament for Fox Hill and former minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration made the statement of “Brent Symmonette, Sarkis Izmirlian,  Louis Bacon, Eileen Carron and Fred Smith, all deserve a special place in hell for their contribution to the re enslaving our people.  It is unbelievable.”

Both of these statements seek to conjure up the ‘big, bad white boogey man’, who means the Progressive Liberal Party and the Bahamas at large no good.  This notion has enraged many progressive thinking Bahamian citizens, who have long looked past the whole notion of race as it pertains to politics and life in general.  It is my opinion that if the Progressive Liberal Party seeks to make itself ‘attractive’ for the 2022 general elections, it will have to rid itself of the ‘old guard’ that seeks to keep the ‘white boogey man’ alive and it just may have to do so through a ‘Chester Cooper’

Some may wonder why I would even bother to write in what seems to be in support of the PLP; well in a democracy an opposition force is needed but not one that seeks to use race as a weapon or controlling factor.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END