FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2 December 2011


On behalf of Democratic National Alliance (DNA), its executives, candidates and volunteers, the Member of Parliament for Bamboo Town Branville McCartney extended his heartfelt sympathies to the hardworking men and women affected by yesterday’s fire on historic Bay Street.

“First and foremost, my family and I join the rest of the nation in giving thanks to the Almighty for being omnipresent, omniscient and gracious in keeping His people safe. We can replace buildings and monuments, but we can never replace lives; we are eternally grateful and humbled by His mercy on The Bahamas during such disasters,” McCartney said.

The second major fire this year has proven to hit the capital more severely, targeting especially the hardworking citizens of The Bahamas and the historic district of Bay Street.

The Pompey Museum encompasses our ancestral linkage to slavery, our beginning as a people, and to think that generations will not experience a visit to the historic monument is a tradegy within itself. We have indeed lost a treasure that can never be replaced.

“Like most Bahamians, some of our earlier memories as children were visiting the Museum on school field trips, to see up-close artifacts used by our forefathers. Now, that will never happen again; there’s no other place like the Pompey Museum,” McCartney said.

More precious than these artifacts, however, is our ability as a resilient nation to not allow this fire to deplace those economically affected.

From businesses to straw vendors, the DNA prays that this fire has no long-lasting affects on people’s livlihood and that other Bahamians take this as an opportunity to be our Brothers’ Keeper. We must be poised to show that The Bahamas is not a nation of party ties or color affiliations, but rather a nation unified by our pride, service and love. We are Bahamians first!

The DNA believes it necessary to give special thanks goes to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, fire fighters and reserves, and all other persons, who readily and efficiently extinguished the blaze from causing further damage and harm.

Again, we thank God for no loss of life and may He continue to bless this nation as we recover and move forward together.