“The bottom line, Mr Speaker, is that (I want to say this before you gong me) what we have here is a different way of thinking about Bermuda. What I heard from my colleagues on the other side today was ... they seem to always be looking, in their way of looking at things, they always seem to be looking to penalise somebody. You know? Some group or other, whether it was non-Bermudians, whether it was whites, whether it was management, whether it was some sort of class struggle — all of that is part of their rhetoric and part of their outlook.”

Minister Bob Richards, March 1st 2013

It’s probably fair to say that everyone has at least one major hang-up. I have several. My biggest happens to be fruit and vegetables. At approximately 6 years of age I developed an intense hatred for them. I wouldn’t eat them, couldn’t stand the smell of them and was disgusted by the touch of them.

Believe it or not, I’ve even been to a hypnotherapist to try to figure out why I have this 36 year long hatred for them.

Even stranger, although I’ve managed to work up the courage to eat tomato paste, drink a fruit smoothies or have a V8, attempts to eat a tomato slice, swallow a grape or chew on a carrot, still produce disastrous results (all over the floor).

I also have political hang-ups. Like many others, the biggest one is the legacy of the UBP. It’s impossible for me to consider Bermuda’s economic and social inequality without considering the critical role the UBP played in preserving racial privilege for the white community.

There’s also considerable anger about the questionable role that blacks played in the UBP. For a party that was effectively integrated, it was highly ineffective at addressing issues of racism.

Prior to joining Bermuda College and university in Canada, I also had major hang-ups with whites. The school system I grew up in was segregated by choice. And because the neighbourhoods I grew up in weren’t fully integrated, the first 20 years of my life was mostly segregated.

Consequently, when you’ve had little direct experience with whites, your interactions end up being founded upon what you’ve learned from others (which was mostly negative, especially with older blacks and politicians).

Last but not least, I also used to have major hang-ups with foreigners. All it took was one bad experience with a foreigner to confirm every single thing I’d ever been told about them. For a short moment they were all mean racists who got paid obscene amounts of money, and every single one of them was trying to take my job and buy as much Bermudian property as they can.

As is the unfortunate nature of politics, some will seek to exploit my hang-ups. For example, consider the following statement made by Finance Minister, Bob Richards:

“And if I have to make it easier for rich white people to own property in Bermuda, that is fine!”

Richards’ statement is frequently presented out of context, because the intent is to have me believe that an ex-UBP, black surrogate wants to make it easier for rich, white foreigners to buy up Bermudian land. It’s only by reading his full statement that I’m able to understand that he actually proposed something that should be embraced instead of feared or resented:

“But, Mr. Speaker, the approach on this side is really simple. We will put into place policies that provide for the greater good. That is a basic philosophical point. We will put in policies for the greater good of this Island. We are not here to penalise any groups. We are here to grow the pie. And if I have to make it easier for rich white people to own property in Bermuda, that is fine! So long as Bermudians benefit. That is the difference between us and you guys. That is the difference. The greater good is what is our bottom line.”

A similar problem exists with the subject of white political leadership. White leaders not only have an uphill battle because of our history of discrimination and continued white privilege, but more so because it’s expected that the PLP would seek to exploit my hang-ups. As is the case with the deliberate distortion of Richards’ statement, it’s practically guaranteed that I will be encouraged to distrust a party with a white leader, even if he’s the most trustworthy candidate of all.

Whether it’s the UBP, PLP, whites, blacks, foreigners, etc there certainly is some justification for many of our hang-ups. Especially when looked at historically, some of us have completely valid reasons for being angry and apprehensive. But there comes a point when we have to recognise and deal with those hang-ups that distort our judgment. Should we fail to do so, we’ll be easy targets for those who wish to manipulate our hang-ups for their gain and often at our expense.

E-mail: bryanttrew@mac.com