October 31, 2012Dear Sir,According to the article in today’s Royal Gazette, Bermuda has been downgraded again — this time in friendliness. The question is what will the next downgrade be, the entire Island? Say what you may about the old Government and their way of doing things, but at least we were number one in hospitality, friendless, international business and we were proud to be Bermudian (including some of those who now scream foul against the old regime and the current One Bermuda Alliance). Granted, the previous Government didn’t do everything right and because they let complacency set in, they lost out, but regardless of their loss, in the eyes of the foreigner, Bermuda and her people were the bee’s knees. Not so today. Today Bermuda is almost like a third world country. You have people that look at their own people with hostility and arrogance, and my goodness, even the little girl behind some telephone somewhere doesn’t know how to answer a call and has an attitude. Now you are faced with this feeling of entitlement, blatant disrespect, people don’t care if you are nine or 90 they will curse you to kingdom come. I was called bats**t by an ill-mannered, foul mouth son of a very vocal defender of the ruling party on the Facebook site called Bermuda Election 2012 and mind you, you wouldn’t want to read some of the volatile garbage that is written on this site. We need a reality check here in Bermuda Mr Editor.Yes, Bermuda has lost a lot in the past 14 years. It has lost dignity, respect, honesty, sophistication, character, spirituality, cohesiveness, and last but not least, Bermuda has lost its way. This downward slide has occurred all because a selfish few thought it was “their turn” — “their payback time” — “their get the man time” and in the meantime, because of their thirst for wealth, status and power — their own people are the ones now suffering from this drastic fall in standards and some don’t even realise it. That is the sad part. Mr Editor, this could go on for another three pages but I think I will end it here, but I will say one thing in closing. As long as we have a Progressive Labour Party Government in power, my feeling is that we will never reach the top again. Too much damage has been done by this Government and the trust is not there. Just as in 1998 we said we needed a change from the United Bermuda Party, we now need a change from the PLP in order to save this Island from the mismanagement of the Brown/Cox administration. The PLP Government is not capable of rectifying the colossal damage they have inflicted upon this Island and its people. They are a failure and need to be voted out.PAT FERGUSON