The following is a response to Khalid Wasi’s letter of March 12, 2016, when the question was posed: what is the political objective of both parties?

Dear Khalid,

Our community is incapable of resolving substantial differences of opinion or priorities.

While you refer to historical legacy and politics, in grand terms, it seems that matters between Bermuda residents almost always come down to “we and they”, “I win, you lose” or “I lose, therefore you win”.

How sad, and increasingly so. Why not we, especially for questions of island-wide concern, learn together to create win-win outcomes. All too often, the very fundamental issue of trust is virtually absent.

Our community’s ability to resolve major differences of opinion, or even minor ones, will happen only after we’ve fully grappled with what “we and they” is all about.

Why this hasn’t happened is shamefully regrettable.

Khalid, your terrific ability to cite historical facts and identify important developments is laudable. Let’s, however, work on getting sufficient people involved in a conversation that will end only when we’ve arrived at “it’s just us — and we are building the Bermuda we yearn for, for us and for the generations to come”.

Strong parallels can be seen between present civic and political goings-on in Bermuda, the United States and elsewhere. This is an opportune time for all to think beyond personal and group aggrandisement and to think for the whole, to think for our entire community.

Such thinking and conversations must happen. There is no one else to look to. We are they. Actually, nothing could be more important for us in Bermuda now than to look at our history, our sociology, our actions, ourselves and work through whatever it takes to become ... us.

DELMONTE DAVIS