racism or that those discussing the problem are racist. Race is a highly emotional scare word which works effectively to end discussion.

There was a time when it was thought unwise to discuss religion or politics in polite company. Today race is a subject which is difficult to discuss in any company. The problem is that race and politics combine in Bermuda and those who discuss almost anything touching on politics in Bermuda today are eventually branded as racist, yet we must all discuss both politics and race if we are to make any meaningful progress.

Politicians far too often find it easy to score points or to defend their own poor positions by abusing the Legislature to shout race. Once they stoop to that, an issue becomes so emotional that it is difficult for logical or constructive discussion to continue.

If we cannot accept that people have differing opinions on most subjects and if we cannot function without reducing everything to race then we are headed backwards in 1995. Bermuda has some hard decisions to make this year. The major decision is Independence or not, but there is also a decision which will influence our children for the next 30 years -- whether or not to scrap the unpopular and highly questionable education plan. Bermudians are entitled to opinions on both of these subjects, and indeed any other subject, without being branded as racists.

As an example, it is totally illogical for the Hon. Gerald Simons to attack this newspaper's editorials on education and the mega school as racist when they are basically in defence of young black men. Perhaps Sen. Simons has been severely wounded by the public's rejection of a schools plan which was largely his baby, but that is no cause, once again, to shoot the messenger. Not everything conceived by politicians or Government departments is best for Bermuda. The real racism lies in degrading others by crying race to excuse one's own shortcomings.

But Sen. Simons seems to be suggesting something much more disturbing. He seems to suggest that black Bermudians and black run institutions should be assessed using a lower standard than that used for whites. Surely Sen. Simons knows that to do that is the ultimate insult to blacks.

We know that this newspaper has the public's support in opposing the education plan and the mega school and that is bound to deeply distress Sen. Simons who has already been defeated at the polls and removed from the Education portfolio. But crying race is normally left to some other politicians who have little hesitation in making it clear that they are willing to use that particular card in almost any instance.

This schools plan has been about race since the beginning because it was provoked by a need to help young black men. The plan then drove the only properly integrated secondary school, Warwick Academy, out of the Government school system. It is clear that the end result of the new system will be segregation, academic segregation at Berkeley Institute which will be the elitist school and racial and social segregation at the mega school will be virtually all black and teaching mostly those who cannot afford private education or cannot gain entry to Berkeley.

Clearly Government is desperate to defend a universally unpopular education plan. The Ministers who have created this monster are under extreme pressure and must long for some approval, any approval. Desperate people can do desperate things.

Crying race is, of course, one of them.