9 July, 2014

Dear Sir

I write to you today after having bitten my lip trying to stay quiet for a few weeks. I am, I will declare here, a PRC holder who has lived in Bermuda for close to 30 years. I am employed in an area of work that has traditionally been unpopular with Bermudians. I am not planning to steal anyone’s job or for that matter anyone’s “birthright” (whatever that is) anytime soon.

Over the last few weeks I have been saddened, but now am starting to get angry, at being treated as a political football by the Hon Marc Bean, Senator Marc Daniels, Sherri J (all of whom I know personally) and the rest. I shouldn’t have to pick up the newspaper every day to see my character being slandered and have to sit quiet while lies are told about me.

Let me take a moment to correct some of the “facts” as they have been presented by the above named, all of whom seem to think it okay to greet me on the street with a smile and a handshake but when my back is turned call me a “thief”.

1. I do not own property because the job I have has never paid me enough to afford one. This will not change if I am granted Status

2. When I retire from my current job I hope not to have to get another job but we will see how the Pensions issue goes. I may have to in order to live.

3. When I received my PRC there was no letter that I had to sign or anything said to me stating that I would not be entitled to Status, despite what they would have you believe.

4. Neither my wife (who holds a PRC) or my child (born in Bermuda) plan to apply for status as both have left Bermuda to live overseas.

5. Which part of the fact that the PLP gave me my PRC and left the option to get Status on the books is hard for these people to understand? It was not the OBA or the UBP.

6. YES I would like to vote in the country I have called home for almost 30 years.

In relation to the vote, previously my affiliation would have been with the PLP who gave me the PRC. Now of course they have made it very clear that I am not welcome and so will I vote for them if I get Status? What do you think?

I am of course aware of the need for politicians to find an “enemy” on whom to blame all the people’s troubles — especially if the ones pointing you towards the enemy are actually the ones who are to blame for the problem in the first place.

On a related note I was shocked to see Michael Scott appearing on the panel at the anti-PRC meetings. It was only the other day when I saw him at Immigration waiting to submit a whole pile of Status applications he has been paid to submit on behalf of PRCs. Wonder how I know that? I will let you work that out for yourselves.

But all of this is just my opinion, I might be wrong

REDBEARD