Is it okay to seek revenge?

October 16, 2007

Dear Sir,

I would like to share with you my interesting drive home yesterday from work. As I drove along the beautiful South Shore Road, I became excited, confused, depressed, confused again, had a revelation, and finally had a wish.

I was excited because of the PLP's latest idea of "levelling the playing field" by forcing companies to hire black Bermudians. Their thinking behind this is that since blacks have been discriminated against in the past, they deserve to be pushed up the corporate ladder whether they deserve it or not. I was excited about this because, being of Italian descent, when my grandfather came over to the United States from Italy, he was discriminated against too (the Irish and many other groups were as well, I might add). I figured that since "my people" were discriminated against, I deserve something for free. I thought, "Where do I go for this free handout? Please let me know!"

After I drove a couple of more miles I started to get a little confused. I thought to myself, "If the PLP is trying to 'make past wrongs right' by discriminating against whites, doesn't that equate to the old expression – two wrongs don't make a right?" I was confused because my parents always instilled in me that this was a truth. I was wondering could my parents be wrong and Brown and Company be right? Is it really OK to bring down one group of people to bring up another? Is it really OK to seek revenge?

Then, after driving a little more down South Shore Road, I became depressed. I became depressed because I thought about the Attorney General's words: "Mr. Timothy Marshall, a recipient and beneficiary of this unequal status quo, and a lawyer, should know better………. " This depressed me because as I thought of his words, it came to me: "Hey, I'm white. Where was my beneficiary? My parents couldn't afford to pay for my education. I was a product of the public school system, I put myself through college to earn a Bachelor's Degree and I put myself through graduate school to earn a Master's Degree. Hey, I'm white: Did I miss the boat and not get a free ride? Where is this "white" boat because I still have loans and bills to pay! Is there anyone who is white and can lead me to this boat? I need to find it because I am still working today and trying to provide for my family!"

Then I became confused again because I thought about all of the atrocities that humans have done to one another in history: the African slave trade (you can't even come close to putting a number on the amount of people who were taken from their families and forced into slavery); Hitler killing approximately 6 million people (mostly Jews); Stalin killing approximately 20 million people; Idi Amin killing approximately 300,000 people; and the list goes on and on and on.

Does this mean that we should discriminate against one another because of our ancestry? If this is the case, shouldn't we hunt down the black people whose ancestors sold blacks into slavery and discriminate against them? Shouldn't we hold all Germans accountable for the extermination of millions of Jews? What about all the atrocities done to the Chinese and Japanese by both parties? Should we discriminate against both these groups of Asians?

What about what happened on 911? Should we hold all Muslims accountable for what happened to innocent people in the United States? What about the white people whose ancestors helped black slaves? What about Abraham Lincoln's descendents? Should they be discriminated against too? Or should they be given a "get out of jail free" card? Where does it all end?

I then came to a revelation. I felt like Isaac Newton must have felt when the apple hit him on the head. You see, I always thought the first thing Bermuda needed to do to "level the playing field" for black Bermudians was to redo its education system. However, when I finally got home after my long journey from work, it occurred to me that what Bermuda needed to do first to "level the playing field" was to encourage strong family values.

My parents taught me that I should respect all people and to work hard for whatever I wanted in life. I don't make big money but I know in my heart that I am successful because I have a loving wife and respectful children. When you have a strong family unit – a mother and father who are faithful to one another and who are firm but loving to their children – and you add a good education system – you will have a "level playing field".

When you have both of these in place there's no need to discriminate against people for past wrongs because you will learn, through your family and your schooling, that the only way to get ahead in life is to respect one another and work hard in what ever you may do.

Finally, I had a wish. I wished that this Government would stop playing the race card and start empowering all people who live here on this beautiful island by teaching that discrimination against any one group of people is just plain old wrong!

WISHFUL THINKING

Southampton

Devonshire

Zoom's lost opportunity

September 28, 2007

Dear Sir,

After having had a second poor travel experience with Zoom Airlines we decided to include The Royal Gazettein our sending of this complaint to make it more effective.

Customer service representative,

It is frustrating to be writing yet another (2nd) letter to Zoom Airlines, especially when our second time travelling with Zoom was a second chance for Zoom to redeem themselves after our initial bad experience.

After sending our first letter of discontent (dated 07/07/07) we decided in the interests of competitively priced travel to Bermuda, to give Zoom another shot. This time we booked the flight bound for New York leaving London on August 18th. From New York we intended to fly the very same aircraft right back to Bermuda. This itinerary was approved by Carol Kimber and Paulin McLean in phone conversations and e-mail correspondence prior to the on-line booking. The ground staff in New York were very helpful however our bag didn't make the trip to Bermuda until over three days later. We were not assisted by Zoom until two days after our bag had been missing. This event is surprisingly not the root of our complaint.

Our return trip was scheduled to depart Bermuda on August 26th (bound for New York) but was cancelled. No representative of Zoom called to let us know the status of the flight, or how the cancellation might affect our onward travel from New York to London. After calling Zoom on the 26th to get an update and organise travel for the following day we where told by a gentleman by the name of Eric that all would go according to plan just twenty-four hours later. However later that evening we received a voice message from Eric in Canada who demanded that we pay an additional sum of money as our Bermuda, New York, London should never have been booked and therefore there was going to be additional administration charge to ensure we would make our flight.

The request for additional funds at this stage was outrageous. We went to great troubles to ensure with what we thought were the appropriate Zoom representative that the connection, Bermuda, New York, London was acceptable before booking this ticket, and it made us extremely frustrated when we listened to Eric's untimely demand. In the place of his demand should have been an apology for the massive inconvenience and financial loss that we already incurred in being delayed.

After receiving that voicemail we decided to go back to the source, Carol Kimber. However she was not available as it was a bank holiday in the UK. When we tried to call Eric back the number he had provided us with was not a direct number to him but instead to the answering information service that makes it impossible to speak to someone.

Upon arriving in New York we were told at the check-in that the flight to London was already over sold and that we would 'have to' overnight in New York and then fly back to Bermuda the following day and then finally on to London. There was never any voluntary action on our part as the Zoom letter suggests. This stay meant that we were going to miss yet another days work in London at a great cost to us.

The stay at the Airport Ramada in Jamaica, New York was not made any more enjoyable by the terrible food our vouchers entitled us to. We received these for dinner and breakfast, but were left without any vouchers for lunch the following day. (Please find the enclosed the receipt for this meal.)

For our losses and inconvenience, as well as additional expenses (being in Bermuda for three days without clothes, and additional meals) we would expect to be fully reimbursed and offered full round-trip tickets from London to Bermuda. Also we would expect to receive the additional offering laid out in Zoom's letter to detained passengers which was valued at $250.00 per passenger.

See below.

Expenses to be repaid by Zoom:

Item Cost (USD)

Clothes and toiletries for 3 days in Bermuda $350.00

Lunch in New York without voucher $19.78

Lost wages for 2 days x 2 persons $950.00

Zoom letter $500.00

Total $1,819.78

We look forward to your response.

MATTHEW CARR

CC: The Royal Gazette,

The Minister of Tourism, Bermuda

A word of warning

October 18, 2007

Dear Sir,

Please allow me the space to issue a warning to everyone who wears a seat belt while driving. Be very careful! Do not put your hand on your seat belt strap if there is a Police car near you, because they will give you a ticket for driving without a seat belt! Let me explain.

Yesterday morning, October 16, I was driving up Queen Street when a Police car turned off Reid Street as I drove past. On Church Street they pulled me over and the officer informed me that I was being issued a ticket for "driving without a seat belt".

I was so surprised I had to ask him to repeat himself. I told him that I had been wearing it since I had left home in Warwick. He claimed that he had seen me put it on when I saw the Police car. I told him he was completely wrong, but he ignored me, took my licence, and wrote a ticket. When I refused to sign the ticket he told me I could fight it in court, and agreed that it'll be his word against mine.

My only thought is that I must have been adjusting my seat belt, which we all do when they become tight or uncomfortable, and the Police incorrectly assumed that I was putting it on at that time. So now I have to pay a $50 fine, or I can waste even more time and money trying to fight this ridiculous charge against the three officers in the car who will obviously back each other up.

So it looks like the Police can make false, bogus charges like this and there is nothing that we, the law-abiding public, can do about it. If that's the case, no wonder the Police will never get any assistance or cooperation from the public in solving crimes. They better not ask me for information!

So be warned, Bermuda drivers. Don't touch your seat belt strap while you are driving, or it'll cost you a trip to Magistrates' Court.

ANDRE SIMONS

Warwick

First PGA, next the NBA

October 17, 2007

Dear Sir,

First the PGA Grand Slam, then the WPGA, then tennis (Wimbledon, US Open etc.), then the NBA in Bermuda. If it can happen for golf, why can’t it work for these other sports events as well?

NBA FAN

Pembroke