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