June 18, 2004

Dear Sir,

Although not mentioned in account of the Independence forum held at The Bermuda Industrial Union on June 15, I was the fifth forum participant with Arthur and Eva Hodgson, Pauulu Kamarakafego and Chris Smith.

Given the mean-spirited, thoroughly misleading report carried in your paper the next day, I am glad I was not identified. With perhaps ten minutes maximum of discord in three hours of highly constructive participation by all attending, why would choose to ignore all that was positive? Couldn't it have mentioned that the forum drew over 100 people, with at least ten percent white participation ? to say nothing of one overseas white guest participant?

Couldn't it also have been mentioned, as our fine chairman Calvin Smith stated, this was the first time any whites at all had come to these forums and he hoped many more would come in the future, both to this series and to the one also being conducted by the newly formed Foundation for Bermudian Studies?

Finally, as Premier Scott said in February, it will be necessary for all Bermudians to study possible Independence in all of its aspects. This forum was an excellent example of people from all walks of life attempting to reason together. It is disturbing that a quality newspaper such as has not joined this effort in responsible citizenship.

TCD made my day

June 18, 2004

Dear Sir,

Today I had to register my bike, I arrived at TCD at 11 a.m. and left a very happy camper at 11.08 a.m.

The clerk, Mr. T. Trott, was excellent and very professional ... I might add handsome too! All of this in record breaking time. Thanks TCD, your efforts are appreciated.

At least one government department has drastically improved!

Keep up the good work!

Disgusted by 'shock' ad

June 18, 2004

Dear Sir,

I, and many others I know, was disgusted by an ad on page 30 of today's that read "FCUK FATHER"S DAY". The local owners of this Reid Street store should be ashamed of themselves firstly for embracing a line with this name but more so for this style of "shock" of advertising.

No doubt they will be the first to complain when they are exposed to children using the kind of language this play on words encourages. I have always considered myself to be a reasonably progressive person but do we really need our kids to see this crude and tasteless pornography on our streets?

Admit your mistake

June 16, 2004

Dear Sir,

In countries like Iraq and Rwanda you can expect injustices to be perpetrated on individuals with little or no recourse. Bermuda however, holds its head high as being civilised and answerable with a legal system that extends all the way to the British Appeals Courts.

Dr. Shaun O'Connell has been fired from the Bermuda College after 20 years of service for the uttering of a single allegedly derogatory comment. Even the College has not suggested that there was anything more to the incident than that one comment and it has now been accepted that the comment made was not one of a racial nature.

Why then, has the College compounded its mistake by refusing to rehire Dr. O'Connell, even considering that the original complainant, Mr. Ahad, has been shown to be somewhat imaginative with the truth. C'mon Bermuda College. Admit your mistake and right the wrong.

Independent thinking

June 18, 2004

Dear Sir,

Let's go for Independence! Brilliant! Why not? Just think our Government Ministers would be able to travel first class all over the world meeting real Government leaders on an equal footing. Forget that our Government Ministers are only the equivalent of small town councillors in any other country.

There are other advantages though. It would no longer be necessary to worry about meeting budget targets for travel and other escapades. We could fire the Auditor General and then no longer worry about the questions he has been raising. The BIU could continue to avoid submitting annual financial statements and any evidence to support their issuance of a Performance Bond for the Berkeley Institute building project. I imagine that it is tiring for them to have to keep stalling and proving phoney excuses.

Another bonus would be that Government House would become vacant and then we could appoint a suitable crony to occupy that place and perhaps provide him with the title of President.

On second thoughts, that might be a stretch considering that our total population could fit easily into a Premier League football stadium. I have heard on the grapevine that there are one or two optimists touting for the position of President already. The only disadvantage I can envisage is that we might have to lose the Queen's Birthday holiday and I am not sure just how the various unions would react to that. Let's go for Independence anyway!

CERVANTES

Paget

Two wonderful days

Dear Sir,

On behalf of Youth Vision Promotions, I would like to the following people for helping us to make Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29 a wonderful and joyful day for us and the kids: ER Aubrey, Fan Stan Pizza, International Sport Shops, Bailey's Bay Cricket Club, Dandy Town Family and Friends, Mr. Merkel Smith, Jr. Mr. Damon Edwards, Mr. Lorenzo Simmons, Mr. Otis Minors, Mrs. Lambe and the other lady (sorry, I don't know her ? the Youth Vision family name).

DESMOND CROCKWELL

LEO-YVP

Not enough money

May 13, 2004

Dear Sir,

I want to address the Independence question and I want to give you something to think about. I know most people will say that Independence is an emotional issue, but if you think of it that way, without taking into account the financial consequences life may fall apart very quickly.

First let us look at what this Government and the last haven't done. Mostly because they didn't have enough money. How about that bridge from the west end to Spanish Point. Neither party could afford it. This is not a difficult project. Longer and taller bridges have been built all over the world, but we don't seem to have enough money to start a project of that magnitude.

We've also talked about a new container ship dock. Nothing has happened with that, yet we have two places to choose from. The Naval Annex and Kindley Field. Unfortunately both of these choices would require bigger and larger roads as well. So we need more money.

These are both projects that Bermuda needs and we haven't even started on them because we don't have enough money.

How can we go independent and incur new costs when we can't take care of our elderly, and we have unemployed. Think about it. With more money being spent on embassies and consulates to represent us overseas it will mean less money spent at home.

If we can't put enough money aside now to fund these needed project how can we support ourselves in independence when we will incur so many other costs.

GPS for everyone!

June 18, 2004

Dear Sir,

Ewart Brown still has not said when Government is installing GPS in all of its vehicles.

Set an example

June 7, 2004

Dear Sir

I only have a few lines to say concerning making the GPS mandatory in taxis. Why do the taxi drivers have to put up with this? Are they not privately owned? To me is seems to be a lot of control over private business. Maybe the GPS should be allocated in all Government vehicles!

The Minister of Transport should set an example and start with all the Government vehicles and maybe sometime in the future. The taxi owners would welcome the idea.

Army deserves better

June 6, 2004

Dear Sir,

Reference: The Salvation Army cutting cost (dated Friday 24/4/04 in , page 10) because the Health Minister did not grant them a decent amount in the Budget! I love the Salvation Army and feel sorry for them!

The Health Minister, Mrs. Patrice Minors, stated earlier this year that the Salvation Army might lose the contact to run the emergency housing shelter! GOD HELP US!!

For years the Salvation Army have done so much for Bermuda and of course, the rest of the world ... and you, Minister Minors, are thinking of taking them out of the picture! That hurt me and I even cried when I read that ... to think [that you would even think of doing such a thing and treating them that way!

Whoever you choose, even from overseas, cannot and never will be able to do what the Salvation Army has done!

Gold bracelet found

May 27, 2004

Dear Sir,

Found in the City of Hamilton: one gold bracelet. Kindly telephone 295-2423 after 8 p.m.

EH

Built to last?

May 27, 2005

Dear Sir,

I see by today's that 100 homes are to be built and not like normal Bermudian homes.

Well, if they are the US style homes that are panels of wood nailed together, then when the next high winds or hurricanes hit you can say goodbye to them. They won't stand up to what you've just been through. They will be blown away just like they are in the States.

They may look good, but they are what we call 'jerry built'.

Trimingham's ploy

June 1, 2004

Dear Sir,

Mr. Trimingham's ploy to increase by ten-fold the number of visitors to the Bermuda National Gallery doesn't fool the SLP. His apparently uninformed, unbalanced, witless tirade against the BNG was actually a masterpiece of understatement, overstatement and outright baiting designed expressly to draw the somnolent and otherwise indifferent into visiting the Biennial.

Only to the uninitiated does his "send up" piece appear to be a truly staggering display of small-mindedness. On deeper analysis it becomes a brilliantly designed and flawlessly executed sleight-of-hand, crafted to give even the most complacent Southampton socialite pause and release a soft flutter, a brief frisson of excitement in her otherwise soft, quiescent breast. "Art," she blinks, and so bestirs herself to Hamilton to see the fuss.

Furthermore, he has told us exactly what boring art is not in the Biennial, and who thinks their work is beyond comment and analysis, and so saved us from the misapprehension of thinking the Biennial as yet another tiresome showcase of ego. Mr. Trimingham laments their absence loudly, effectively skewering them for not having the wit or humility to submit to an unbiased jury from abroad.

Mr. Trimingham is neither the pompous anachronism nor the merchant anti-Christ he'd like to most people to think, but is rather the sort of scribe with anarchistic tendencies one usually finds in small border towns with lots of defensive people in them. As an agent-in-place of the Bermuda National Gallery, he has done rather well.

Hill a true champion

June 6, 2004

Dear Sir,

The UBP did not roll out the carpet for Mr. Hill when he represented Bermuda proudly and won that bronze medal years ago. And now in the year 2004 the PLP has pulled the carpet out from under Mr. Clarence Hill!

Did someone say: Mr. Clarence Hill should be a "PRESENT DAY ROLE MODEL TO QUALIFY?"

Dear Mr. Hill, you are a "role model from the past to the present moment!"

When you rolled up your fist, worked hard, had the confidence to represent Bermuda and won the bronze medal ... you were a role model.

When you had a roller-coaster ride with the law, you were showing to us [that even "role models" could be weak and fall, fall hard and pay a high price!

Now, Mr. Hill, you are a "role model" in showing to us [that you have been uplifted and getting stronger by making that positive spiritual step!

Your Creator made you and if you allow him, plus use all your knowledge and common sense He has blessed you with, you will be a "top role model" to remember!

Hate crimes

June 17, 2004

Dear Sir,

I am astounded to read that the thugs that attacked another 15 year old are considered children in the eyes of the law. Crimes involving sexuality should always be considered adult crimes and the penalties should reflect so.

The thugs possessed black masks and used a lethal weapon to attack, unprovoked. This is not something that is in the nature of human beings but taught. Only when people are mature enough to understand what homosexuality is can they learn to hate others of that nature. These thugs knew exactly what they were doing: attempting to murder a peer who they labelled as a homosexual. This is the ugliest of hate crimes. Bermudians should realise that this is no different than a racial hate crime. The fact that the thugs possessed masks shows that this attack was premeditated. There is no excuse for this behaviour.

Magistrate Tyrone Chin was quoted as stating, "I do not think he understands the seriousness of this". I am asking the Magistrate to make this young adult and any others that provoke hate crimes understand the seriousness of hate. Please treat this as an adult crime with adult penalties to show that the citizens and residents of this beautiful island nation will not perpetuate hate and hate crimes.

Treated with disrespect

May 30, 2004

Dear Sir,

I felt compelled to write this letter to you about a matter involving Bermuda's Finest. An incident occurred just a short while ago, where I was treated with such disrespect by a Police officer.

When we are approached by officers of the law, we should expect and receive nothing less than respect. In my case the officer shouted at me, tried to intimidate me and showed a lack of sensitivity. No one is above the law and the law should be the first to recognise that.

I understand that their role is to uphold the law and may not always be pleasant. However, their approach should be one of respect and sensitivity which is one avenue toward improving relations between the public and the Police Service.