Too many potholes

Dear Sir:

The "scenic route" to Bermuda's South Shore Beaches is becoming more and more dangerous every day. There are deep potholes from Warwick Camp to past Elbow Beach Hotel entrance. A caller to Shirley's radio talk show defended the Government Works Department by saying that a portion of North Shore Road at Crawl had just been re-paved and was now perfect. "They can't be everywhere at once," he said.

He added that due to the bad weather in Bermuda for the past two months, the Works Department haven't been able to do any other repairs. Well, the deterioration to our roads didn't just happen a couple of months ago! On my way to Hamilton each day, I haven't seen any work done on the South Shore Road from Southampton to the Paget traffic lights during the past five years, and there have been some pretty good spells of fine weather during that time.

Two of the worst stretches are along by Mermaid Beach and again east of where Harvey Road meets the South Shore Road. Car drivers are zig-zagging to avoid the potholes! Summer will be upon us before we know it, and I hope no tourists are injured riding their bikes on this dangerous road.

What does Cuba gain?

March 12, 2004

Dear Sir,

With regard to the diatribe offered by Louise Jackson over the cultural relationship Bermuda has with Cuba, if she had done her homework she would know that the US speaks out of both sides of its mouth. On the one hand the US claims to have an embargo on economic relations with Cuba yet it is Cuba's largest single source of agricultural and food products, fifth largest source of imports and seventh largest overall trading partner.

In 2003 Cuba imported more than 300 different agricultural products from the US valued at $343.9 million. This is another example of the US preaching do as I say and not as I do. This is so typical of the US Isn't it ironic that the US would make statements about Bermuda's cultural exchange agreement with Cuba yet remain silent with regard to the major economic trading partners of Cuba ? Venezuela, Spain, China, Italy, Canada, Mexico and France? Could this be a case of the US using bullying tactics on a country who it believes they will yield to them?

Recently the Bush Administration tried to blame Jamaica and the Bahamas for the shipment of narcotics into the US when these jurisdictions are only transhipment points. What the Bush Administration needs to do is to look within and realise that if it seriously wants to deal with the problem of narcotics it needs to reduce the demand from its own citizens.

Instead of spending tens of millions of dollars trying to stop the production of cocaine in Colombia it should spend those funds at home trying to get rid of demand. The major problem I see with the US is that it would rather blame others for its internal problems than try to clean up its own house. What we need to remember is that this is a Presidential election year and consulate positions are given to those persons who have served the winning candidate's party well over a number of years.

So, could these comments by US Consul General Denis Coleman be deemed to be nothing more than political rhetoric? At the end of the day what economic or cultural advantage does Cuba gain in any agreement with Bermuda?

Strap law is outdated

March 15, 2004

Dear Sir

Let me start off by saying that Bermuda is a beautiful place to live, and in my opinion, the best place to raise children. However, I am continually shocked at some of the antiquated practices that Bermuda still participates in. This weekend my daughter brought home the school code of conduct for every Government school on the Island. I was outraged at a particular paragraph that read . . . "Corporal punishment may be used when appropriate... in accordance with Education Rules 1974... No student shall receive more than four strokes of the cane or strap..."

This is 2004. I can speak forever about the pros and cons of corporal punishment, but the real issue at hand is much simpler than that. We live in a much more complex and diverse society than we did in 1974. Parents have different beliefs and ideas on how they raise their children. If a parent wants to use corporal punishment as an effective means of discipline, then it is only the parents place to do so.

It is unfair that the government school system infringes on the rights of parents by physically touching a student. At the very least its an ancient abuse of authority. This law, like so many, should be changed to meet the needs of a more educated and civilised society.

A note of thanks

March 15, 2004

Dear Sir,

I would like to express my thanks to everyone who participated in the third Peter Grayston Memorial Walk which was held on January 25, 2004. In spite of inclement weather, about 150 people walked the route. Many thanks to everyone who helped ? The Bermuda Bakery Ltd. for the pastries, Lindo's Market for the oranges, to the many kind ladies who baked the delicious cookies, Dave Morrison and family who made sure we had water at the end to quench our thirst.

Yves Paul from "Positive Results" got us started with some warm up exercises. Once again, we thank David Hill of "Storm Design" for designing our posters. Appreciation also to the friends who acted as marshals en route. PALS has benefited by over $10,000 from generous donations ? a wonderful tribute to Peter! We look forward to another successful walk next year.

A clarification

March 17, 2004

Dear Sir,

This letter in response to the article titled "Independence, gay marriage are hot topics on Bermuda blogs" written by Tech Tattle and published in on Wednesday, March 10. This article about web logs ("blogs"), has ruffled my feathers a little. I wish to make it clear that the website I have started called Envirotalk.org (www.envirotalk.org) is not a blog at all and I am not a "blogger" for that matter.

I admit that at this early stage the web forum may effectively be a "one woman show" as the author of the article states. In this respect it may seem similar to a web log, which by definition is for the expression of one person's thoughts only and may have an option for the additional comments of others.

I feel the article was misleading because Envirotalk.org is a message board, designed for any number of individuals to actually start discussions of their choice regarding the environment. I may be the sole person writing most of the material on the site at present but I am hoping to get more people joining and starting their own discussions.

Envirotalk.org is for anyone who has even the tiniest interest in the environment here in Bermuda and wants to get more involved. It is certainly not a website created for the diffusion of my ideas only.

We still have a way to go

March 12, 2004

Dear Sir,

May I be permitted to respond to Ramadhin Smith (R.G. March 12) who bothered to call my name specifically? I know little, perhaps nothing, about banking or finances but I am very certain that if Mr. Philip Butterfield was made CEO of the Bank of Bermuda he was eminently qualified (perhaps ten times more than necessary). There are a number of black Bermudians who have made the necessary sacrifices, overcome the obstacles of racism, worked hard and become qualified in their fields.

They have not all had the good fortune to be appropriately rewarded with an appropriate role and salary. But if called upon I congratulate all of them, named and unnamed, not only Mr. Butterfield. If Mr. Butterfield's appointment is the issue as an indication of the extent to which racism has been modified so that a qualified black person can be so recognised, I would need to congratulate all of those black people who have kept the struggle for racial equality sufficiently alive that the folks at the bank were finally prepared to make such an appointment.

Those who have been most active in the struggle and in bringing about these changes would probably never be so recognised. Mr. Butterfield has been the beneficiary, even though he was not here to participate in the struggle.

We are being told repeatedly how far we have come and that now all is well. However, as long as a qualified black person, appointed to an appropriate role and responsibility is seen as something special and an occasion for "Halleululas" rather than as a matter of course, we need to recognise that we still have a very long way to go and racism is still alive and well and very pervasive.

We still have a very long way to go and so few black people are now willing to participate in this struggle of the economic disparity, even in the most innocuous manner, that I am not in a very congratulatory mood. However, not to be totally pessimistic, I would encourage all young blacks to sacrifice, work hard, quality themselves and if they do not upset the white economic structure they, too, may benefit. But sacrifice, determination and hard work are the basic essentials, as I am certain was true for Mr. Philip Butterfield.