MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT,

BRADLEY B. ROBERTS

TOPIC: TRIBUTE TO THE LATE SIR LYNDEN OSCAR PINDLING

AUGUST 30, 2000

OPENING REMARKS

Madame speaker, on behalf of the people of the Grants Town Constituency and my family, I rise today to pay tribute to, in fact, salute the quintessence of political leadership, a fisher of men and the Five-Star General of our times, the late Rt. Hon. Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling. Madame speaker, for close to half a century he was truly the healing balm in Gilead.

Madame speaker, man cannot begin to comprehend or solve the many great mysteries of God such as why God calls one person at a specific time while leaving another here on earth. But I am comforted by the fact that God always knows best. God knew best when He blessed A.F. and Viola Pindling with a son named Lynden Oscar Pindling. And God knew best again when Sir Lynden left us on August 26^th of this year. Though it will forever tear at the heart of Bahamaland, Sir Lynden Pindling is gone. But God knows best because Sir Lynden is now at home with his Maker, fellowshipping with his contemporaries, colleagues and friends such as Sir Milo Butler, Clarence Bain, Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield, Sir Randol Fawkes, Sir Henry Milton Taylor, Dame Doris Johnson, Archdeacon William Thompson, Everette Bannister and of course his Mother and Father. And to that great reunion of those Bahamians now living in the unapproachable light of sainthood I say, Glory be to God.

Madame speaker, I would be remiss and without merit as one who calls on the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, if I didn’t speak to all that is on my heart at this time of national and personal bereavement.

UNPARLIAMENTARY BEHAVIOR TOWARDS SIR LYNDEN

Madame speaker, I find it worthy that Members of this Parliament have summoned the decency to pay tribute to Sir Lynden Pindling; a man so deserving of tribute and honor. I also find it of even worthier an honor that Member’s such as the ones for North Abaco and Marathon saw the wisdom in having repented of their mean-spirited, vile and many times repugnant approach to politics when addressing Sir Lynden and his message in this place during the many confrontations through the course of governance in the Bahamas.

Madame speaker, there is no more noble a posture when men apologize to their fellowmen, whom they have thrust so much irreparable damage upon. And to that, with the least amount of grace, I salute the Member’s for North Abaco and Marathon for being able to apologize to Sir Lynden in his lifetime for all of the many ungodly, personal and unfair attacks unleashed by them in this place on one who was a great man; but still only a man prone to feel the pain that man’s inhumanity to man can cause for another, his family and friends.

However Madame speaker, there are times, though rare, when the pain of personal attacks can be so horrific, so voluminous and so continuous that decency and Godly behavior calls for more than an apology from the perpetrator to the direct victim.

For it was in this Parliament that past and present Member’s of this government daily slaughtered the character of God’s messenger and hope for the people, that messenger and hope was Sir Lynden Pindling. Madame speaker, it was in this House that past and present Member’s of this government as if it was a sport snuffed out the light of glory in the hearts of the Bahamian people the glory they had for Sir Lynden Pindling. It was in this place and outside too where lies and slander, like hot coals, was heaped on Sir Lynden Pindling, the man who led all of us including past and present Member’s in this government, to the promised land.

Madame speaker, how vividly I can recall the Member for North Abaco saying at a rally that if it wasn’t for him Sir Lynden would be in jail, which was just the culmination of what was also being said over the many years that the Chief Is A Tief. Madame speaker, how painfully I can recall even now, this never proven allegation, which I must state remained unproven at considerable expense to the public, being used over and over again by Sir Lynden’s detractor’s for the sole purpose of demonizing him before the country and the world.

Yet the Member for North Abaco was the man who had the gall to recently say we should unite behind him to resist the outside attacks from the U.S. Treasury against our Financial Services Sector when it was him who led the charge in this country against Sir Lynden in concert with the charge being led by the US Government during the 1980’s.

No Madame speaker, this day and this tribute to the Father of our nation can not go by without the Member for North Abaco and others being made to hear of their utterly vile and deceitful behavior. And quite frankly Madame speaker, while I pray that the memories of all the good that Sir Lynden did is forever in their minds, I more strongly hope that what they did to him burns like a branding iron in to whatever conscience they may have left.

Yes, Madame speaker, there are times when an apology to the direct victim of scurrilous attacks just won’t do. For it was in this House that past and present Member’s of this government butchered with extreme prejudice the political life of Sir Lynden Pindling and while only God knows, maybe those heinous attacks are the indirect cause of the specific reason we find ourselves speaking today to a grief stricken nation.

Madame speaker, the personal attacks that Sir Lynden Pindling was made to suffer at the whim of those Member’s past and present in this government was grossly unfair, unjustified and a rank display of indecency which has in fact set the tone of how Parliament has been conducted since 1992, where it is attack and counterattack. Madame speaker, I can remember vividly at the first Parliamentary Session after the FNM won in 1992, the Member for North Abaco in his naturally uncouth manner, with his foot up on a chair, harassing Sir Lynden to the point of him leaving the chamber to the voice of the Member for North Abaco saying, “go on leave, now the rabbit got the gun, you had your day and your way, farewell and goodbye.”

Madame speaker, then it was the agonizing and protracted Commission of Inquiry of 1993 that went on for years clearly designed to mar forever the legacy of Sir Lynden Pindling and scar his family, friends and well-wishers with misery and unspeakable grief. But the most disturbing display of the pain Sir Lynden had to suffer was the devilish approach by the Member for North Abaco in bidding Sir Lynden farewell in July of 1997, when he resigned from this Parliament.

Madame speaker, what manner of man would invite an outgoing Member of Parliament, his family, friends and the nation to a celebration, just to make a mockery of the ultimate in contributions made to this country, such as the contributions made by Sir Lynden Pindling? Madame speaker, only a perverse minded person invites you to what should be a celebration just to have the wicked pleasure of insulting you. Madame speaker, I was pained in my heart by the Member for North Abaco’s behavior that day. And yet over the years he’s always sent me to higher heights of shock and disgust at the ill-mannered things mixed with guile and a small dose of platitudes that he has said about Sir Lynden Pindling.

Madame speaker, I won’t even bother to mention the gutter remarks made to Sir Lynden over the years by the Member for Marathon, who acted as if he had a quota of insults that he had to dish out to Sir Lynden virtually every time this Parliament met. Madame speaker, all of these things and so much more, I’ve reflected on during these recent days as I thought about the relationship over the years that past and present Members of this government had with Sir Lynden Pindling, the political Father of us all. Which also reminded me of the words of Jesus Christ when speaking to what was basically God’s Government on earth and I quote:

“Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that kills the prophets and stones them which are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not! Behold your house is left desolate.” (Matt. 23 v.37-38 King James Version)

Madame speaker, as this scripture and history has revealed, many a prophet down through the ages have been sent by God to gather His people together. But then god-less persons who become drunk with the human power that votes, mandates and legislation gives them inevitably kills and stones the message of the prophet over and over again. And subsequently there is a void, or as the scripture says, the house is left desolate.

But Madame speaker, for those who believe they know better than God does and those past and present Members of this government who launched the most vicious, devilish and personal attacks on Sir Lynden Pindling, be reminded that when one kills the prophet’s message, you subsequently kill the spirit of the people needing to hear the message.

Because if we can agree on any truism in Bahamian life, it would be that Sir Lynden Pindling was God’s tie that binded us all together. But now he’s gone and for those who fancied blaming Sir Lynden Pindling, they cannot blame him any longer for the social ills of past and present days. For like Jerusalem, personal attacks and dirty politics has stoned and killed the prophet’s message.

Madame speaker, that is why I said earlier that this is one time that an apology by the perpetrators to the direct victim will not suffice. The people of this nation must likewise be apologized to because while the prophet’s message was being stoned and slain by dirty politics, a part of every Bahamian, the indirect victims, died also.

MEMORIES OF PINDLING-TRIBUTE TO LADY PINDLING

Yes, Madame speaker, the indirect victims, Bahamians big and small died in part because Sir Lynden Pindling was no ordinary man and there are many stories that countless of thousands of Bahamians can tell of their personal experience with him. Madame speaker, I can recall vividly having lost in my second attempt to wrestle a Constituency seat from the UBP-FNM in 1977 and receiving a call from Lady Marguerite Pindling some five or six days after the untimely death of Mr. Shadrach Morris, the then Member-elect for the Grants Town Constituency.

Madame speaker, Lady Pindling said to me, “Mr. Roberts, I know it is a difficult time for all of us with the loss of brother Morris, but the question of who is to be his successor has been raised.” Lady Pindling went on to say that several of her lady-friends in the Grants Town Constituency had expressed an interest in myself. I expressed surprise as several influential persons who had lost their seats in the then-recent General Elections were being touted as possible successors to Brother Morris. Lady Pindling asked if I was interested. I said give me a day or two to check the political landscape. Lady Pindling got back to me before I could get back to her with the names of the ladies concerned and I went to visit each of them. Madame speaker, the rest is history. Yours truly was selected to carry my Party’s banner in Grant’s Town for the General Elections of 1982 and subsequently thereafter until the present.

Madame speaker, I did say that Sir Lynden was no ordinary man and that is because not only was he the consummate politician, but also an astute and keen visionary, who saw ahead down through the decades of time. But not only that Madame speaker, he was also incredibly blessed with good fortune and good taste in having brought to reality the axiom that “behind every great man there is a good and gracious woman.” This truism was displayed to me personally during the encounter I had with Lady Pindling about my initial representation in Grants Town and on so many other occasions in my association with the Pindling’s.

Madame speaker, how often is it that two visionaries are located in one household and destined to bless a family and a nation? Sir Lynden Pindling was blessed in a very special way with his selection of Marguerite McKenzie as his wife and major component of his support system. They trusted each other and complimented each other’s abilities and to that and having called me by encouragement to serve the Grants Town Constituency, I salute Lady Pindling, for she has served her husband unconditionally, her family relentlessly and her country unreservedly.

But Madame speaker, that is only one of the many personal stories that I can tell, but as I said there are countless stories that thousands of Bahamians can personally tell about the phenomenal personality of Sir Lynden inclusive of Lady Pindling as I have just done and likewise of person to person contact with Sir Lynden himself.

Madame speaker, beyond being a brilliant and dynamic public figure, Sir Lynden was also an extraordinarily simple man who had a great love for identifying with the small man, the ordinary men and women of this country. Madame speaker, I am reminded of an incident of going into a Bank and the manager who knew me personally called me over to talk with him. Madame speaker, we chatted for a while and the conversation drifted into a bit of politics.

Madame speaker, he then proceeded to tell me of an incident that happened a few days prior where a relatively young and ordinary looking Bahamian male came into the Bank with a cheque made out to him for a few hundred dollars that he wished to cash. The cheque was drawn on the account of Sir Lynden Pindling. Apparently none of the employees knew the young man and he had no kind of identification required by Banking Institutions.

As the story continues Madame speaker, the young man then asked to see the Bank Manager, which happen to be the person relating the story to me. Upon hearing the young man’s story and refusing his request to cash the cheque, the Bank Manager was asked by the young man if he could use the telephone to call Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling, so as to get confirmation as to his identification as being that of the bearer of the cheque. The young man then proceeded to dial a number and then said to a person on the other line, “Chief, would you be kind enough to verify my identity to the Bank Manager so that I may cash the cheque you gave me?”

Madame speaker, the young man then handed the phone to the Bank Manager and the Bank Manager said, “Can I help You?” The voice on the other end of the phone said, “No, but can I help you?” The Bank Manager told me that he recognized the voice as being that of Prime Minister Pindling and he asked him if in fact the young man in front of him was the bearer of the cheque and Sir Lynden replied in the affirmative. The cheque was approved for payment.

Madame speaker, the Bank Manager asked me, “How is it that a plain ordinary Bahamian could have access to the direct line of the Prime Minister of our country?” I replied that I never had the Prime Minister’s direct line simply because I never asked for it. However Madame speaker, the fact that plain ordinary citizens had direct access to the then-Prime Minister was affirmation that he saw it as being natural and necessary to have contact with the plain ordinary citizens of the land. That was the measure of the man Sir Lynden Pindling. He kept in touch with the ordinary man because to him the ordinary man was not just ordinary, he was also very special.

Madame speaker, one of the most lasting memories that I will forever cherish and that I would like to share with the nation for their edification is what turned out to be the last exchange that I had with Sir Lynden Pindling. Madame speaker, it was my privilege and honor together with my friend and colleague, Garret “Tiger” Finlayson, to have spent just over two hours with Sir Lynden the Saturday before he died. Sir Lynden and Lady Pindling were scheduled to join us on a cruise to St. Petersburg, Russia but had to cancel on the advice of Sir Lynden’s doctor.

Madame speaker, Sir Lynden was very keen to learn about our experience of visiting Moscow for the first time. He had apparently never visited Moscow nor St. Petersburg and was very keen to do so. Madame speaker, after talking about our cruise experience, we got on to an extensive discussion of the recent Blacklisting of the Bahamas. Madame speaker, I was absolutely amazed, though I should not have been, at the depth of knowledge Sir Lynden had of this matter and his concern despite his present condition, for the well being and well fare of the thousands of Bahamians employed in the Offshore Financial Services Sector. Sir Lynden’s last words were, “The ball is now in the government’s hands, I hope they do not drop the ball again.”

Madame speaker, that is a serious concern because we are at a crossroads at this present time with the risk of all we have accomplished as a Nation under the tutelage of Sir Lynden Pindling, being washed away because of the many problems facing us today. Madame speaker, we have plenty to lose. But sometimes we forget how far we have come as still a relatively young Nation. We forget many things Madame speaker, because we have achieved so much under the guidance of Sir Lynden Pindling.

PLP ASCENDANCY

Madame speaker, the principle of majority rule had been one for which the PLP under the leadership of Sir Lynden Pindling, had fought long and hard. In the early years of its inception, one of the Party’s objectives was to see that there was implemented with the greatest possible dispatch, a positive programme of preparedness by which Bahamians could be trained to assume and manage their own affairs at all levels.

Madame speaker, the record shows that June 8, 1956 saw the first election of PLP representatives in the House of Assembly. Those representatives were; Lynden Pindling, Milo Butler, Randol Fawkes, Clarence Bain, Cyril Stevenson and Sammie Isaacs. Madame speaker, four months later in October 1956, the PLP took its first flight for freedom and for fifteen days pleaded the cause of the Bahamian people in London on the doorsteps of the Colonial Office.

Madame speaker, the political and social conditions of the Bahamian people at that time was as follows:

· Only a few men could vote

· Only those men who owned land could vote

· A man who owned land could vote as many places that he owned land

· Every company that owned land could vote

· No women could vote

· Twenty one years was the qualifying age to vote

Madame speaker, step by step and devastating blow by blow, the PLP led by Lynden Pindling agitated in unison for the dismantling of the political and social bondage that the black Bahamian masses was experiencing at that time.

Madame speaker, it was not until January 10, 1967 that the PLP was able to show that it could put up and not have to shut up. It was on that day that the Bahamian masses achieved majority rule as a result of the General Elections. It was Sir Lynden Pindling who God had prepared for such a time as that to lead this country into what was the wisest decision that the Bahamian people could have ever made.

Madame speaker, it is not by coincidence that since the 1967 Elections it was Sir Lynden who spearheaded and shaped our march to national excellence by exhibiting a resolve and commitment to democratic principles. That commitment during and since the 1967 Elections was evidenced over the years by the vibrancy of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy, the maintenance of a free electoral process and the furtherance of the rule of law. At least Madame speaker, this was clearly evidenced from 1967 up until 1997.

Madame speaker, a dynamic thrust for educational change in our Bahamas came with the Election victory of the PLP. The PLP White Paper on Education provided for the implementing of broad parameters, inclusive of teachers, parents and students. This thrust was supportive of and consistent with the high ideals which the PLP Government advocated such as; self-help, equality, the dignity of labor and service, responsibility and co-operation.

Madame speaker, under the Pindling led PLP Administration a high school was built every 18 months and a Public Primary School was added to the landscape every 20 months. And in fairness to the present administration, while we built the schools they did manage to paint them. In the field of medicine, the Pindling Administration provided scholarships for a countless number of persons. The number of medical doctors, inclusive of many specialists is one that a country of our size can be justifiably proud of and healthcare expenditure grew from $6.3 Million in 1967 to $87 Million in 1992. That Madame speaker, is a mind-boggling increase of 1500% under the watch of Sir Lynden Pindling.

Madame speaker, and not to neglect the education of Accountants, that profession exploded from small numbers in 1967 to an appreciable level in 1992 as did the legal profession to such an extent that the legal profession is now considered to be self sufficient.

Madame speaker, the second and complimenting plank of the PLP Government was the economic development of the entire society bar none. Madame speaker, the establishment of the PLP as the government in our nation brought about a new outlook on economic development. The objective was directed towards opening up greater economic and thereby social opportunities for all Bahamians in juxtaposition to a greater flexibility of the economy. Hence Madame speaker, bringing about the concept that had given Bahamians the utmost of dignity, the concept of Bahamianization.

Madame speaker, the fact that it was the PLP under Sir Lynden Pindling who ushered in Bahamianization, will never be removed from the memories of Bahamians, though some try to remove them from the annals of Bahamian History, because anyone born before the year of 1992, will be the living testimony to what the history books may not say; that it was because of Sir Lynden Pindling’s leadership and the PLP that an opportunity was attained for Bahamians to experience a life worthy of living on any part of God’s green earth. Sir Lynden Pindling has given extraordinary and yeoman service to the people of the Bahamas. Simply a common man, who was never afraid of long hours or hard work. Sir Lynden has truly brought the Bahamas a mighty long way.

Madame speaker, that is why it is of major concern where we are headed today in a nation guided by a government with myopic and obscure objectives. It is of major concern because what was started by Sir Lynden Pindling for the betterment of Bahamians has been disfigured and in fact is experiencing decomposition under this present government. And that is a tragic feeling to be experiencing when we reflect on how far we had advanced as we mourn our loss of Sir Lynden, while at the same time celebrating God’s gain.

Madame speaker, within the PLP’s ascendancy to power remains etched in stone the achievement of Independence. Madame speaker in a speech given by Prime Minister Pindling on September 18, 1972, he said the following:

Madame speaker, later in 1973 with characteristic boldness and clarity of vision, Sir Lynden led us on the march to our date with destiny and full sovereignty as a nation. It will be remembered that at the time there were those who opposed nationhood. They were amazingly unashamed to assert that we as Bahamians were not yet ready to control our destiny. Not withstanding these doomsayers, Sir Lynden resolved himself and his government to decisively obtain this noble objective and our new nation was born. It was a dignified and ordered transition. As a result of this sure and steady foundation, our nation became and remains today the model to which our neighbors in the Caribbean look to emulate.

CONCLUSION

Madame speaker, what will always be eternally sad about the ending of the life and times of Sir Lynden Pindling is that past and present Member’s of this government never understood that it was not about how Parliamentarians felt about Sir Lynden Pindling, nor how those in this government could try to make anyone feel about the man.

It was always about how the people truly felt in their hearts about Sir Lynden Pindling, which has been clearly shown by the heartfelt sorrow presently engulfing this land like a spirit. But Madame speaker, this government and its maximum leader will come to understand the pain Sir Lynden experienced over the mistreatment of his social message and life’s-work because their time is rapidly coming. They will come to understand how all the pain felt.

Yes Madame speaker, those who trashed Sir Lynden’s name and his message that he had for the people, even in the last years of his life and as a Statesmen; those who did such a thing is destined to find out how painful it was for Sir Lynden because the people truly loved that man. Sir Lynden’s presence on the landscape of our national life has forever changed that vista for the better forever. Sir Lynden will be remembered with deep gratitude and boundless respect in every Island, Cay, reef and rock of this Commonwealth.

Madame speaker, on behalf of the people of the Grants Town Constituency and my family, I extend my deepest sorrow and condolences to the Pindling Family and I give all the glory to God for having blessed me with living during the magnificence times of Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling. From every Bahamian, I say, “Thanks Chief, it was one heck of a ride.” May his soul and all the souls of the mercifully departed rest in peace.

THANK YOU.