OVER the years when I have engaged various protagonists on the opinion pages of Bermuda's newspapers, I have always known when whomever I am contending with has had enough. The letter writer who calls himself Veritas no doubt has arrived at that point ? although his political and racial ego is not going to allow him to admit it.

Having failed to defend his negative opinion as to why Bermuda should not become an Independent country, he has now resorted to discussing whether or not I have entered a period of male menopause and has attempted to denigrate two books that I suggested he read.

Well, I do confess that I have gone 50 and now fall into the age when such things are supposed to happen to men. But it is not clear to me that all men go through some type of change of life. I know one thing, I have not suddenly developed the urge to chase after young women who are around the age of my daughters, who I am sure would immediately get on their dad's case with a view to putting him on the right path (I know that would be most true of the one who now lives in America).

Nor have I brought a boy's toy such as a motorbike on which I could try to relive the joys of my youth. But I did do one thing a few years ago on a whim: I painted my car a shocking pink. Now maybe there are some who would question where my mind was at that time. However, now things are back to normal, I now drive a car that blends in with the other cars on the road.

Disappointed that I have not read the type of books he would like to see me read, Veritas now seeks to guide me into a direction he considers that I should go by bringing up a host of black conservative writers that are on his must-read list. Too late! For you cannot change this free black mind into a Negro clone, a term I will talk more about later.

Veritas brings up the book in an effort to further bolster his criticism of the books and . He states that renowned African-American intellectuals Henry Louis Gates and Cornel West share his view that these books are anti-Semitic and racist and misogynist respectively.

I am very familiar with their writings. But in the process Veritas is criticising the renowned historian Dr. Jon Henrik Clarke since he wrote the foreword to the book .

So I have ask this question. What if there were no disagreement between white academics on various subjects or issues? Are not such arguments part of the dynamism that underpins the academic world?

I know the source of the increased divide between African-Americans and the Jewish-Americans. For years Jewish money has funded many African-American civil rights organisations and other civic and social groups.

But if you take their money there is a price to pay. You are not going to be able to say or do anything that goes against the interests of your benefactor or those that sponsor you. Jewish money also funds many of America's great universities where Mr. Gates and Mr. West holds fellowships and/or tenures.

If someone else funds your institutions and research, what does that mean for the state of black self-determination? And what, for instance, will be the positions of Henry Louis Gates and Cornel West on, say, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? Are they going to publicly bite the hand that feeds them?

I think I might know who Veritas actually is. And while he says I have not changed since writing my column for the and now the I see that he has changed.

would have thought that the hero of Bermuda's reactionary political right would now be reduced to writing under a non-de plume? But he retains his arrogance and for that reason this ongoing exchange between myself and him will continue. No quarter will be asked for on my part and none will be given to him. So when he does withdraw he will do so under fire, metaphorically, of course.

Now let me turn to some of the comments of one of my other recent detractors (, June 10). The term "Negro Clone" is used to describe a black person who embraces the Eurocentric viewpoint of the world. He is often the only one there among his circle of European friends and there is nothing wrong with that. I am not against interracial friendships. But when a crisis occurs you can see the real state of such relationships.

This is what recently happened to the unfortunate Ayo Johnson when a question arose as to whether race was involved when he was denied entry to a velvet-rope VIP room at a night club. He found out that none of his white friends were prepared to back him on this issue.

Well, he is not the first black person (and he certainly will not be the last) to experience this revelation. But at least he is in a position to put the situation into some kind of cultural perspective ? for unlike America, very few if any white Bermudians join black Bermudians in their struggle against racism in this country.

This is not a desire to punish white people, Buffalo Souljah (who is one of the contributors to the Limey in Bermuda web log), this is just stating a fact about the true nature of race relations in this country.

When you speak of building bridges, I ask the question, who in fact is building these bridges and why are we still talking about this in the 21st century? And for the record, Buffalo Souljah, I follow no one blindly, not a political party or a Government.

was proved ten years ago when I, among other Progressive Labour Party supporters, opposed the then-Opposition's call for its supporters to boycott Premier Sir John Swan's referendum on the question of Independence for Bermuda. I believe then and I still believe that the question of Independence for Bermuda transcends party loyalty and even support for the Government of the day.

And when you call upon me to emancipate myself from mental slavery, you insult the memory of Bob Marley and what he stood for and sang about in his music. It was all about anti-colonialism, self-determination for African peoples living both on the African continent and in the West. His songs talked about unity among ourselves first before there is any talk about building bridges to any other people.

There is no doubt that a concerted effort is being made to discredit the prospect of an Independent Bermuda. Very few people are now willing to take a public stand in support of the issue.

I hope to encourage other Bermudians to take a pro-Independence stance, for I have never doubted that this is a quest that is well worth fighting for.