February 14th 2013Dear Sir,What a wonderful insightful compassionate “Alarm Bell“ talk, from Michelle St Jane of KAIROS Philanthropy, rang out at Rotary on February 12. Using meaningful, understandable words to express how fast asleep Bermuda has become to the tragedies of the man in the street (a terrible old-fashioned expression, but well descriptive), to their problems and apparently invisible to The Powers that be. They should, like all of us, take the responsibility for making sure that we balance our energies equally with the materialistic bottom line, and the expenditure on our children, to see that they are trained and guided through their schooling with the highest and best expenditure so to come out a person that is valued and who values themselves, with money well spent.It starts at birth and that is where we should look, our most valuable asset, our children, for they grow up! Either they become dependent and despondent when we fail, or successors to contribute to the future and the environment in which they live, wherever that may be. If we do this it would be nothing but gain. The youths of today that are failing are our failures, thank God for some shining examples of what good nurturing, education, and spending can do. To make sure they have had the best teachers to guide them in the right direction, is the dividend we should be seeking, not just for them but for all, because “it is the right thing to do”.We must try to ensure that every child in Bermuda grows up with the very best education that can be had. Failure must not be an option, for we see clearly what failure brings today. It is not too late for some, but we must start now, and as I have said in many of my letters we should gather all the brains we can, together, and form what I called “a brains trust “, a group of people who have proven themselves worthy in all aspects of their lives to be chosen, a group who have demonstrated an acumen for their wisdom, compassion and understanding of the problems in Bermuda today.A monthly transparent discussion for ideas, thoughtful contributions, debates and knowledgeable advice sought from the very best in the world, whatever the cost, it would be worth it, and in the end save thousands on the expenditures that we spend to keep the wayward in line. A wake-up call for all of us. We go home to our warm beds and a hot meal when on the way home we see huddled in doorsteps or sleeping on benches, our brothers, with temperatures that are too cold for our pet cat or dog to be out in. What a disgrace to this tiny lovely little island, so wealthy, perhaps so greedy and so definitely blind!One knows that in many cases these people do not want to go to The Salvation Army, because by this time they have become cynical and disillusioned. Like Michelle says, we have put our priorities in the wrong place, in the wrong order, they should be at the beginning, spending money, lots of it, finding the very best teachers and putting the highest curriculum in place so our children graduate with the best and feel valued and can take their place wherever they wish, we owe this to them. Rather than spending millions on the prisons and the Police, redirect that money to the kindergartens in Bermuda — it starts that early. Spend it where it will benefit all of us to have youths growing up who do not want to misbehave, as they would have too much to lose. If we help them to have it, we all benefit. Well done Michelle, a great conscience-pricking, powerful talk.Diana Williams