Contradictions abound

December 31, 2009

Dear Sir,

As this decade ends, the contradictions in our community are becoming more and more pronounced. December 2009 has been the stellar month for this. A few examples:

• Michael Dunkley in the Senate "we need more policemen and they need more money"

• Matthew Taylor (Gazette 24/12/09) — "Bermuda is now the third most heavily policed country in the world... "

l Colin Coxall (same article) — "... are officers being deployed in the most effective way possible... "

• The Wor. Kenneth Bascome & Mr. Kim Swan — "... St. George's needs a fully operational police station... "

• Commissioner DeSilva (Gazette 29/12/09) — "we can't run two fully operational police stations two miles from each other... "

Even education is not exempt from the ills of contradiction:

• Grant Gibbons (Gazette 29/12/09) — "MP questions the need for more teachers as student numbers decline... "

• Craig Clarke (POA President) (Gazette 28/12/09) — "we need more teachers in schools and in prison... "

But perhaps the piece de resistance is the following:

• Bda Sun (30/12/09) — Mr. Simmons (Carlton) had recommended direct funding to the families of gang members to help them get out of the thug lifestyle.

• Gazette (31/12/09) — Bermuda's streets have been quiet over the Christmas period — thanks in part to high level gang members heading to Jamaica for a winter break.

The sooner we make "Bermuda is Another World" the national anthem the better. If the issues weren't so serious this would be comedy.

G. K. STOWE

Smith's

More than encouraging

January 11, 2010

Dear Sir,

I read with interest the remarks of the Hon. Dale Butler in today's Royal Gazette, with reference to the possibility of his becoming Premier of Bermuda. His mentioning that he would include members of the UBP in his cabinet, even going so far as to name members of that Party, particularly intrigued me.

A few years ago when I was Bishop of Bermuda, it was customary to invite members of the House of Assembly and the Senate to attend worship at the Cathedral prior to the opening of Parliament on the first Sunday of November. On one occasion I made the suggestion in the course of the sermon, that I thought it would be beneficial to the well being of the country if the Government were to offer places in its cabinet to members of the Opposition Party. I said that no particular party had a monopoly on wisdom. And so the talents to be found within each party could enrich the political and social life of these islands of ours.

This sentiment drew an audible expression of dissent from at least one person present! Although later others expressed some interest in the idea, nothing came of it. That Mr. Butler is taking up this idea is more than a little encouraging to me, and I hope that it will one day soon come to fruition.

THE RT. REVD. EWEN RATTERAY

Pembroke

Time to try new ideas

January 11, 2010

Dear Sir,

I read with interest your article "Hotel occupancy drops 11 percent"... Tourism has dropped in most part of the world however there are strong signs of recovery especially in the Caribbean as the recent Christmas/New Year holiday season showed and the forecast for the rest of the winter 2010 is good. Being involved in the tourism Industry for many, many years there are a few factors one should look at and be honest about the state of affairs to be able to move forward. The Premier Dr. Brown should appoint a Minister of Tourism and not do it himself, this is a full-time job for a qualified person with knowledge of the Tourism Industry and it would ease the workload of the Premier to concentrate on other issues plaguing the Island. Following over the years the many closures of established hotels is just right out scary... as the saying goes: "Something is not right here."

The article mentions the possible new constructions and it should be looked on with caution and talking about it now just diverts from the serious situation of Tourism in Bermuda. Bazarian's Park Hyatt in St. Georges, 100 Hotel rooms, 111 Residences, 30 fractional ownership units. St. Regis in Hamilton, 140 hotel rooms and 80 apartments (in the past two other companies tried, Carlson in 2004 and Ritz Carlton in 2007). These kind of projects normally are based on pre-sale of Residence suites and apartments to get the financing, hope it works.

Discounts on hotel accommodations will not cure an ailing Tourism Industry, it is a down ward spiral and dangerous slippery road for an upscale destination to offer deep discounts. Doing business in the Tourism Industry has changed and the economic down turn in the world forces the Industry to work together with Government, Banks and Unions to weather the storm. Tourism officials, hotels and all sections of the community must be more inventive, try new ideas, go out and fight for every business one can get, in many ways it is a wake up call for all and a good one as times are different and the past norms do not apply and business will not go back to the "good old days". A new look, new approach and move forward.

CONCERNED BERMUDA FAN

Puerto Rico

We can do better

January 5, 2009

Dear Sir,

Bermuda is now in too deep — there is too much at stake. Years of turning a blind eye to the drug trade now presents an almost insurmountable problem with multiple generations of families involved in successful 'businesses', without repercussions. Gangs and fighting was the first natural protection for dealers, now it is guns and shootings. One should ask — what next, and do we want that Bermuda? It is only by tackling the drug trade head on that we will see any change in gun related violence in Bermuda. It is time for action.

FAMILIES: It is time for families to come together, and say enough is enough — no longer can we accept that taking or dealing drugs is OK. No longer accept being in a gang is OK. No longer can we accept that having a gun OK. While I sympathise with families that have lost sons in shootings, all appear to know about and accepted the criminal activities of their children. On New Year's Day, the story of a Grandmother being targeted because her son was in a gang is petrifying. It is time for families to come together and say enough is enough and eradicate it.

POLICE: Police need to take a proactive and aggressive role and start to disrupt — sitting back and hoping it will go away just isn't going to happen. The concern is that Police know who a good proportion of the players are and have done nothing — it's time to act, get aggressive and do whatever it takes — random car to car, house to house searches until they have the evidence they need to prosecute. Until there are repercussions for illegal activity, it will only grow.

GOVERNMENT: Government needs to ensure that there is adequate help and support for those that want to stop taking drugs and safely get out of gangs. Addiction to the drugs that made a few greedy people so rich, and thousands of normal people crazy, is the root of the problem in Bermuda.

ROYAL GAZETTE: Mr. Editor I also hope that your paper does as much as it can to publish pictures and stories to bring shame on those involved with or accepting drugs, guns and gangs as OK. This is very powerful in a small community and would help determine that it is wrong and bringing down our country we love.

Come on Bermuda. We are better than this. We are amazing, beautiful and normally peaceful place that a lot of people desire and what to pay a lot of money to come and visit. Tourism employs more Bermudians of any industry. If this foolishness continues, we are risking our most important industry and the jobs of our brothers and sisters. We currently have no unemployment, and I refuse to accept a Bermuda where tourism died, and a large proportion of our own families are looking for work. Bermuda, let's stand together, and bring back the old Bermuda.

LET'S GO BERMUDA!

Pembroke

Our youth need love

January 8, 2010

Dear Sir,

I came across this writing and found it to be quite profound. The writer seems to know what he/she is talking about. This writing pertains to a life without love, and from what I see happening in Bermuda with our black youth, it is quite possible that they have not had the love they needed for a proper nurturing into adulthood. Many of us know the story of the young bull elephants that became rogue because there was no male love or structure in their lives, consequently, they became unruly and dangerous, attacking at will, and when adult male bull elephants were introduced into their lives giving them love and structure, they became well balanced young bulls. Unfortunately we have some leaders who were once young bulls who probably suffered from not having love and structure in their lives, hence their attitudes.

The following is all about what the lack of love can result in.

— Intelligence without love makes you perverse

— Fairness and justness without love makes you inflexible and stern

— Diplomacy and tact without love makes you a hypocrite

— Success without love turns you arrogant

— Wealth without love makes you mean and tight-fisted

— Poverty without love makes you a radical

— Beauty without love makes you capricious

— Authority and power without love lead to tyranny

— Labour without love turns you into a slave

— Naivety without love deprives you of values

— Prayer and worship without love turns you into a egotist

— Faith without love turns you into a fanatic

And last but not least, "Bearing your cross in life without love becomes a terrible burden and Life without LOVE loses its meaning.

I am sure that anyone reading the above will see someone they know in some part of it. No one is perfect, but we have to separate right from wrong — good from evil, and like the young bull elephants, it is evident our young black males (I have to say black, because they are the ones I see in trouble) who are murdering, raping, robbing, violating peoples basic human rights and committing many other crimes have not had the necessary structuring or love in their young lives from their parent or parents they should have and now, the chickens have come home to roost! Without a doubt ... we reap what we sow!

PAT FERGUSON

Warwick