A few weeks ago a young white male pleaded guilty to using racist words against the Police. The words were terrible and inexcusable and I think virtually all Bermudians know this, even those whose minds remain clouded by racist thoughts.

I say that because I believe all but the most twisted know in their heart of hearts what is right and what is wrong, regardless of whatever path they choose to follow.

On September 2, the PLP website called on the UBP to condemn the "racist rant" by the young man before he was sentenced. The court will judge the specifics of the case, but of course the words should be condemned because they say as clear as a bell that there is much to be done to improve race relations in Bermuda.

But the call to condemnation by the website author has nothing to do with advancing the cause of racial well-being in Bermuda. It has nothing to do with building on worthy race initiatives by organisations such as CURE or CURB to broaden understanding among our people.

The call, rather, was an example of the commitment by some in the governing party to a corrosive form of politics that subordinates everything, even Bermudian unity, to political gain.

Let's put aside the fact that the government crosses the line in all sorts of endeavours – rules and time-honoured practices be damned – and just focus on the politics they were playing on September 2.

The use of race to manipulate voter thinking has become a specialty of the government leadership. It is their default position, something they fall back on time and again to deflect voter judgment on its policies and performance as a government. Ultimately, when the time comes, it aims to reduce elections to a straight-up vote on racial lines.

I must say it works. With the PLP positioning itself as "the black party" and labelling the UBP as "the white party", the arithmetic of Bermuda's population gives the PLP a huge electoral edge. I don't expect its race-based politics to end anytime soon, even if it does nothing to unify Bermudians or bring positive pressure on the government to solve outstanding challenges such as education reform, public safety or the efficient delivery of government services.

The UBP is not an innocent party in this. By failing to defend its record and values over the past decade against an onslaught of misleading language and rhetoric, it has been outflanked on the central issue of Bermuda politics. The consequences of that failure are dire not just for the party but for the people of Bermuda who need viable choices at election time.

Overt race manipulation began to move to the centre of PLP politics in 2003 when Dr. Ewart Brown said a vote for the UBP was a vote "back to the plantation". This to my mind became a seminal statement, freeing up others to make race-baiting comments without fear of reprisal. Lovitta Foggo in the 2007 election repeated the plantation statement while many others used similar language – I remember the word "shackles" being used a lot and also the UBP leader being described as someone who wanted to whip and lynch blacks.

With Dr. Brown's example looming large on the landscape, racially charged language has worked its way deep into the fabric of the governing party's communications apparatus. There are examples all over the landscape: Senator Burch on live radio calling a person he disagreed with a "house nigger", and the Premier's dismissal of media queries as "plantation questions".

More recently, the people who protested against the Premier over the Uighur decision were described as a "lynch mob". PLP spokesman Wentworth Christopher followed this comparison with a statement that a white woman who wrote a letter of complaint to Minister Walter Roban had a "genetic predisposition" that gave her an "anti-PLP bias" – a thinly coated way of saying she was anti-black.

That the PLP leadership did not condemn any of these racially abusive statements or rebuke those who uttered them indicates the shameless hypocrisy behind its September 2 statement. But that is what you get when you play race for political gain and not political reconciliation.

It is a shame because I agree with the Premier's statement that telling the truth about racism can lead to a better Bermuda. But if the truth-telling exercise is corrupted by a cynical political agenda then we are damaging not enhancing our chances for a better, more cohesive future for our people.

One of the unfortunate consequences of the current PLP leadership's extreme politics is the stunting of political dialogue and participation. People who would like to contribute to the political health of the island are turned off, inhibited or intimidated by the propaganda machine that essentially says: If you are black and don't vote PLP you are a "house nigger"; if you are white and don't vote PLP, then you are "old" Bermuda and want to turn the clock back to the terrible days of segregation and white domination.

White leaders are positioned as devils who want to return to the days of lynching and whipping. Average white citizens fear that if they criticise the government they'll be labelled racist or that insinuations to that effect will be made. Blacks too are intimidated to the point that many will not speak out.

I for one am sick and tired of this nonsense. I do not criticise the Premier because of the colour of his skin, nor do I have a genetic disposition to do so. I comment and offer solutions because I love Bermuda and believe it is being mismanaged and the rule of law disregarded. I am extremely concerned about Bermuda's situation, but I am aware that as I try work to effect positive change there is a good chance I will be labelled a racist by PLP propagandists.

I urge all of Bermuda to wake up and reject this brutal form of politics. The use of race to gain political advantage is harming all of us. I urge the practitioners of race politics – blacks and whites – to find a more constructive way to use your talents. In your heart of hearts you know you're on the wrong path.