It is clearly more than appropriate to remind our elected Government that under our present Constitution it is deemed discriminatory to treat persons differently attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed. It is also appropriate to remind our current government that under the UBP government many white businesses on the Island were treated with utter contempt by the then government in power. This being the case it is therefore appropriate to clear the air with government by telling them that two wrongs do not make a right.

Publicly stating that you are promoting black businesses on the Island is a flagrant breach of the current constitution, but not only is it that, it is creating irreparable long-term damage to the Island. May I remind the current government that all of you and your fat cat supporters who own several houses and or apartments paid for under a stable 20 years of booming economy, it is the next generations of Bermudians both black and white that should be the focus of your attention. There are of course many fat cat UBP supporters who are unfazed by your deliberate steps to create a black Bermuda. Like both sets of fat cat supporters there is always the escape to other locations in the world. This Government's concerted efforts to pay back the establishment is both futile and damaging to everyone in Bermuda and a step backwards in the process to achieve harmony across the board. These actions will eventually undermine the current infrastructure and ultimately create no opportunities for any future generations. For the good of Bermuda it is time to stop this utter stupidity.

HAMILTON People in glass houses October 18, 2000 Dear Sir, My pen has been quiet for some time, but my many readers continue to ask for letters. As I have an issue that I would like to bring to their attention and, at the same time, remind Michael Dunkley about the actions of his former UBP Government.

In a recent Royal Gazette he spoke of the present Government's lack of action in dealing with crime and in particular drugs and the tourism industry. On the issue of crime generally, most has been drug related. I am sure the Government has been searching for ways to deter this scourge rather than putting a deaf ear to it because crime has a strong affect on our day-to-day lifestyles.

Worse than that, it is getting our young children involved and they are our future.

But I want to remind Mr. Dunkley that it was his Government that built a very costly and comfortable "security hotel'' for visitors. There was a projected cost of $50 million dollars, but we the people (Government) were never told what the actual cost would be -- as with other capital projects. We are still wondering who or what the Prison system is rehabilitating when all there is at the hotel prison is a revolving door for its visitors. On the issue of hotels and tourism, let me ask Dunkley does he know how many hotels and guest houses were closed over the years because of the drop in visitor arrivals? I am sure he must remember that this was our main industry before offshore companies, or didn't his parents inform him? If he doesn't know, he must either be blind, deaf or just plain stupid! All of the above closures took place during his Government's tenure, and consequently the loss of many jobs by Bermudians -- or did his Government care? Today, the Hon. David Allen has thrust his whole self into trying to rejuvenate the tourist industry in an effort to secure jobs for Bermudians.

Yes, he has spent some money doing this and it is accountable -- unlike the UBP Government that spent millions and gave no account of the people's money.

I am sure Mr. Dubnkley knows that one has to travel to meet travel agents and the people who we are trying to attract. The same thing his Government's people did, so what's the big thing about this practice -- it is common.

When his Government travelled all over, it was fine and, if he cannot remember, he can always ask his friend Jim Woolridge, dressed in his yellow shorts and blue jacket.

There was a time when the so-called travel agents visited (I am sure at the people's expense), many friends were invited on the same ticket.

What irritates me about Mr. Dunkley who is looking for attention, is the fact that what was normal for the UBP, is downright extravagant for the PLP Government to do. This little boy has yet to stop and think. What kind of message is he sending or trying to send? His drumbeat is way out of tune.

A footnote, let me remind Mr. Dunkley that there are many young people coming out of school and they will not all reach high pinnacles in life. But at the same time the country has to provide or try to provide a working life for them.

If a Government does not try to put its people to work, it is automatically asking for big problems in the future. Mr. Dunkley needs to take a long, hard look at this country, stop complaining about what someone in the Government is doing or not doing. He needs to look into himself and ask the question: what can I do for the betterment of myself, my children and the future of my country? Let us all take a good look. Remember, as more and more young people sit about the streets, this is wasted energy. And when it is compiled, it becomes a human bomb that will explode in time as history has shown us.

WENDELL HASSELL Sandys Indebted to the past October 18, 2000 Dear Sir, The grant of status to foreigners has been the topic of debate lately and I hope you will permit me to put in my two cents' worth.

It is important to remember that Bermuda was settled entirely by immigrants.

So all of us Bermudians today owe something to those intrepid forebears of ours who picked up their roots and packed up their belongings to make a better life for themselves and their families by moving here.

How many of us can say that we have all four grandparents who are Bermudian? Not many, I think. I, for one, count myself a Bermudian, going back on one side of my family to the late 1600s, but three of my grandparents were not Bermudian. My maternal family were emigrants from Norway to the United States and my paternal grandfather was a recent (1920s) import to these Islands from Newfoundland.

Where would all of us be without the imagination and ideas of these newcomers to Bermuda who built up our economy, contributed to our community and made us what we are today? Raking salt, growing onions? Hopefully not, but we must recognise that it is due to those people who believed in Bermuda enough to want to be Bermudians that we are such a successful people today.

It is agreed that Bermuda must carefully monitor its population growth, but we have to be able to include among our ranks those people who have given up their homes in other countries and continue to contribute so much.

JUST ANOTHER MONGREL Somerset Setting the record straight October 19, 2000 Dear Sir, In the article `Minister vows `no pecking order' on test results', published on 18th October 2000, you reported that I declared Government would never publish school level results in the future.

In fact I said that if publishing results by school was misleading and unfair to the school, because the sample size was too small in some instances, then we would not publish them. We wish to inform parents, not to mislead them.

I added that schools were using the test results to discuss with parents the strengths and weaknesses of each student and that this was a more appropriate way to utilise standardised test results than setting out a "pecking order'' of school performance.

I did not, however, rule out the possibility of publishing school level results in the future and would be grateful if you could set the record straight.

I now consider the matter resolved and do not intend to debate it any further -- rather I will be directing my energy and the resources of my Ministry towards improving the quality of our education system. The most important outcome of the Terra Nova tests is that the results are used constructively by teachers and parents working together in the best interests of the students.

SEN. THE HON. L. MILTON SCOTT, JP Minister of Education A chilly reception The following was sent to William LeDrew Collectors of Customs, and copied to The Royal Gazette .

Dear Mr. LeDrew, On August 26 of this year three of us arrived at Bermuda from New York on US Airways flight 950. The flight was rather turbulent and our friend, unlike us, had never visited this beautiful Island before. I mention the turbulent flight only because our friend had spilled a beverage on the customs form and, although certainly legible, was rather smudged. The Customs agent was extremely hostile, not wanting to deal with us because of the indistinct form, passed us over to her supervisor and when we attempted to explain to the supervisor that the turbulence, while writing had caused the problem, he would not deal with us either and passed us over to his supervisor, all of whom incidentally displayed no name tags. We were treated as though we were criminals rather than tourists, our only crime being wanting to arrive at the Fairmont Princess expeditiously. I do not think that we visitors to your island should be treated in such an unwelcomed, hostile manner. Tourism, I am certain, is well appreciated on your island as it is elsewhere in the world including New York.

While my husband and I have been to Bermuda several times over the years this is the first time that we were treated in such an unwelcoming, discourteous manner and it is additionally unfortunate for it to have happened with our friend who was a first-time visitor. I think it far more prudent for the customs agents to treat vacationing visitors to Bermuda with more courtesy, hospitality and cordiality, that is, if they want people to come to their island.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

RITA TINKA New York City