I was saddened to see the headlines of the January 29 issue of the Royal Gazette with regard to the plight of Long Term Residents (LTRs). In a very Machiavellian way, this is perhaps exactly what some members of the PLP government and their most vocal xenophobic supporters were hoping for. It is my belief that the government is working on the proposition that the longer this problem is drawn out, the more frustrating it would be for the LTRs, with the result that many of them would leave. It is also no surprise to me that the vitriolic rhetoric exhibited at the public meetings last year was serious enough for many LTRs to rethink their position even if it meant moving to some distant country where they have no affiliation. Only last week Mr. Editor, I had the unfortunate opportunity to bid farewell to the family of a LTR. It really saddened me, because a 20-year-old member of the family already had Bermuda Status and another would have been entitled to apply later this year.

During the LTR meetings last year, I said then that the Minister should have at least asked members of the audience to be civil towards the LTRs. Instead, at one meeting, she gave a long universal but meaningless list of what a Bermudian is. This to my mind, was taken by many as tacit support for the on-going behaviour, consequently, many of the attendees interpreted the Minister's comments to mean that they could continue to `shout down' those supporting the LTRs. When shouting was not successful, the invective levied by a substantial number of those attending had the desired effect. In the end, the obvious occurred; many of the LTRs felt intimidated. Quite frankly, I have seen on television a holocaust survivor confront a man who was instrumental in putting the majority of her family to death; she was move civil to that man then many of the Bermudians were to LTRs.

But equally as tragic, a shameful explanation of these events by a certain sector of this community (some of whom are lawyers) was to follow. Many individuals who should know better explained that Bermudians were simply reacting to the treatment they had received in the past, at the hands of the previous government. This explanation, as far as I am concerned, relegated Bermudians to emotionally-driven thoughtless creatures with no philosophical human spirit who are incapable of grasping even basic fundamental social issues. It was conveniently forgotten that some of the most vociferous by their own admission had voted for the previous government in the past, and in fact one of the leading protagonists had spent many of his adult years in a foreign jurisdiction albeit, some of those years being spent incarcerated. The government is clearly deliberately stalling on the LTRs and many other issues.

They perceive the LTRs issue as one that will not gain them any votes. This position is the same one taken by the UBP which brought it such harsh criticism from whom? The PLP.

Witness the Warwick MP who is often touted as a leading light in the PLP who shamelessly said that during his constituency visits, no person he had spoken to brought up the issue of LTRs. The obvious implication being that the LTRs was not a pressing issue at least for him. One appropriate question would have been whether any of his constituents brought up the issues of crimes against tourists, child abuse or domestic violence. These are clearly pressing issues, which are troubling many in this society, but I did not hear any speech from that MP on those issues either. The utterances by that MP highlighted for me the clear line between a statesman and a politician.

Another troubling response from other PLP street-wise philosophers to the dilemma of the LTRs is to say that the entire matter of LTRs would be dealt with at the time of independence. Meanwhile the lives of the LTRs will be put on perpetual confusion with day-to-day anxiety their closest ally. The sad fact is that if or when Bermuda becomes independent, by divine intervention, many LTRs and Bermudians alike will have long left this earth. My only hope is that none of the anti-LTRs depart this life clutching to their breast the sad fact that they prevented justice being done to many human beings who spent the majority of their lives in this country and contributed significantly to the social and economic fabric of the Bermuda we have today.

The stock reply by the government and many of its supporters to many issues that the current government is failing to deal with, is to blame the previous government. I am sure that the very people whom it was designed to appease will bring this `blame game' to an end. I hold no brief for the previous government, but it is becoming rather monotonous and vexatious to hear this refrain, while in fact, the government's policy is to do nothing.

Although it will be difficult for them, my hope for those LTRs leaving our shores is that they will remember Bermuda for the contribution they made during their time here, rather than the treatment that eventually forced them out this country. It is the least and perhaps only consolation those Bermudians who believe in fairness and justice can hope for.

TYPICAL BERMUDIAN Warwick We can't all be gardeners January 28, 2001 Dear Sir, If all the Portuguese gardeners get up and go, who is going to do a decent job on our gardens. Botanical Gardens is a prime example -- all the parks are a hit and miss.

Bermudians are not gardeners, they cannot mow even a lawn properly.

BERMUDIAN Devonshire Don't turn away teachers January 29, 2001 Dear Sir, I was interested to read your front page article (January 23, 2001) concerning the problems surrounding the recruitment and retention of school teachers. In an ideal situation, our teaching profession would comprise of a fully Bermudian workforce; however, due to population constraints and the nature of the job this is unlikely ever to be the case. Bermuda is not unique in this regard when you consider that a country the size of the UK is facing a similar shortage of teachers. There are, in fact, over 400,000 trained teachers in the UK who are not working in the classroom. It is not difficult to understand how this situation has arisen. With a good university education, these people can secure far more lucrative positions in business and industry, and, furthermore, avoid the stress that teachers face on a daily basis. (On average a male teacher in the UK can expect to live for two and a half years after retirement). Similarly, good Bermudian graduates have wonderful opportunities to be successful, particularly in the international business sector.

Teaching is a special profession because it primarily relies upon relationships and these extend beyond those pertaining to just the teacher and the student. They involve people from all sectors of the community, parents, grandparents, student peers, siblings, sports coaches, counsellors, religious leaders etc. Ideally, therefore, the best source of teachers for Bermuda is Bermudians because they are fully integrated members of this community. (This was why the way that Mr. Warren Jones was driven from the system was such a disgraceful loss to Bermuda's education system). Each time an overseas teacher is recruited to the Island they have to not only adapt to the culture of Bermuda, but also to start building up this network of relationships; this takes a number of years.

Unfortunately, a number of teachers who had successfully integrated into Bermuda and built up a network of relationships which helped them deliver a better education to their Bermudian students did not have their contracts renewed last year. This, of course, would have been understandable if they had been replaced by Bermudians but in many cases they were not. It does not make educational sense to replace an experienced teacher, who has dedicated many years to Bermudian students, with another foreign teacher who will take several years to attain the level of expertise of his or her predecessor.

Furthermore, there is no guarantee that these replacement teachers will stay long enough to gain the experience. There have been several cases, particularly among Canadian recruits, where the teacher has determined within a matter of weeks that the conditions of service in their home country are more desirable than those in Bermuda. As a result, they have departed before they have had the chance to sample the delights of a cassava pie! One of the most consistent characteristics of successful schools is that they have a very low turnover of teaching staff. The constant changing of teachers can be a serious detriment to students. They cry out for stable relationships with their teachers, for many it may be the only consistency in their lives.

We should not deny them this and, therefore, we should be encouraged by the statement attributed in your article to Sen. Milton Scott when he said: "Subject to Bermudianisation, teachers we recruit from overseas will be welcome to stay.'' If we accept the premise that it takes a village to raise a child, then we should ensure that those enveloped in the culture of the village are not cast out to be replaced by those for whom the culture is alien.

Fortunately, we have a Minister of Education who has experience of the classroom and a Premier who, some would argue, showed considerable understanding of Bermuda's education system when opposition spokesperson.

Hopefully, they will recognise that a stable teaching force, comprised of teachers of proven ability is of paramount importance to the education of our children and, therefore, the success of Bermuda.

KEPLER Devonshire Willing to listen January 29, 2001 Dear Sir, I was very interested to read Warwick Voter's letter that appeared in The Royal Gazette on Saturday, January 27, 2001. I was particularly interested in the first sentence of the second paragraph.

One of the traits of the most successful organisations is to listen to feedback. Only by doing so, we can really understand where our weaknesses, or perceived weaknesses, lie.

I would be very grateful if Warwick Voter would call me, at his/her convenience, to give more detailed feedback on the areas in which the Airport can improve to met the needs of locals and tourists alike. I can be contacted at telephone number 299-4800.

MIKE OSBORN Acting General Manager Bermuda Government Department of Airport Operations 3 Cahow Way St. George's GE CX