Not pictured
May 27, 2009
Dear Sir,
The "same" is the whole point of Then and Now by Theresa Airey.
In her defensive letter of May 26, she does not tell us why the only place where it was not important is on page 146 and 147. Could she not find a single black skinned Bermudian with a smile to represent "Now"? She is not the first "outsider" to find our Island "special" and at the same time to completely ignore and so demean those of us with black skins. In fact there are a great many "outsiders" who fall into that category.
As many black skinned Bermudians as there are in our "special" Island, she could not even find one for page 147.
EVA N.HODGSON
Crawl
Demand tourism answers
May 22, 2009
Dear Sir,
Let me see ... tourism arrivals fall 27 percent (yet again)! And much more than $100 million of taxpayers money was spent over the last five years to achieve this fabulous result!
Are Bermudians living in the "Twilight Zone"? Bermuda requires urgent professional help, in many areas!
How can one man wear three hats ... Premier, Tourism Minister and Transport Minister? Bermuda ... Ewart Brown is not a Tourism Professional ... he is a medical doctor!!
You need to "Stand-up", make lots of noise and demand answers and reforms ... it's your money that is being wasted & your future, that is on very "Shaky Ground"!
BRUCE MCCLARRON
Arizona
Finding alternatives
May 22, 2009
Dear Sir,
As I have written in a number of letters, none of which I have seen published, and predicted, tourists are shunning Bermuda. This is a shame. The financial services industry employees relatively few citizens. Again, as I have written and predicted, until Bermuda seriously addresses education for that industry (and places necessary inducements on foreign corporations to favour citizens) will the country have a pleasant future.
The Premier's erratic, even Aminish (not that he's assassinated anyone, yet), behaviour must be of concern to foreign corporations. They want a nice, quiet place to churn money.
As I have written and predicted, Bermuda could be headed the way of Nantucket. The trouble is: Nantucket is close enough to the mainland to support some level of commuting of service staff. Bermuda has not that luxury. Bermuda has to attract sufficient tourists to employ citizens in service occupations for the foreseeable future; unless and until an industry can be built based on the native skill set and levels of citizens. I do not know what those might be. I would wager, however, that the standard of living from such might not be too high.
Given that Bermuda, that I could see, has no indigenous power, agriculture, water, or exportable good, a self-sufficient community in the 21st Century sense is highly unlikely. Steps must be taken now, if not already too late, to educate the citizens toward some other area of export, if not financial services.
India did this in a few years. It now poaches much of the IT industry from the US. Bermuda could do the same (I have already volunteered to teach in that area, should a four-year college be established). There really is no other choice, if something like the accustomed standard of living is to continue. The alternative is well described in "The Lord of the Flies".
ROBERT YOUNG
Connecticut
Not a fair deal
May 22, 2009
Dear Sir,
Is Peter Woolcock the only person to see the irony of Government's gesture in releasing the BIU from its $6.8 million debt?
His cartoon in today's Royal Gazette speaks volumes. By Mr Furbert agreeing to give a 48-72 hour notice before striking, Premier Brown has handed the BIU a bonus for doing what their Collective Agreements probably require them to do in the first place. How bizzare is that!
This is not a fair exchange.
WHO'S KIDDING WHO?
Warwick
Items are still useful
May 21, 2009
Dear Sir,
A timeshare has been refurbishing its cottages and sending to the garbage hundreds of used pillows, linens and kitchen utensils and pots.
These items are for the most part still in good condition. I would ask all guest accommodations to donate these items instead of sending them to the dump. In a separate plea to food establishments, most goods which have expired, still have a shelf life and can be donated to many organisations. The US, Canada and the UK are re-nowned for these type of donations.
RECYCLER
St. George's
P.s. I have called a local organisation to alert them to collect these items before being dumped.
Gang unit needed
Dear Sir,
The increase in gun violence is an example of how the Police Service is unfortunately in over their heads. This is through no fault of the Police officers. Their training is for an earlier time which is no longer the norm in Bermuda. A trained and dedicated Gang Unit should be in place to combat the violence. There should be a database which tracks all gang members and their activity. The government must proactively get in front of this problem and address this situation aggressively.
The time for a SWAT Team has already passed. This programme should have been put in place at the first uptick in violent crime. Stopping drugs and guns at the airport and at sea is a daunting challenge. Bermuda has no Coast Guard or anything in place to stop vessels from transporting narcotics or drugs into the country. These measures are expensive but will be cost effective in the long run. The States has thousands of experienced retired law enforcement officers which would be an invaluable service to utilise.
SCOTT R. NICHOLLS
Staten Island, New York
Glorifying the gangs
May 26, 2009
Dear Sir,
Why are we surprised at the recent events? When we glorify gang culture in movies and music, it is going to become part of our society.
Back in the Pleistocene Period, when I was a child, there were dire warnings that Superman movies would make all children leap off roofs. It was believed that this would be the effect of a movie seen maybe once or twice a year. Most kids didn't. Maybe one or two who got high off sniffing glue did, but the majority knew it was fantasy.
Now when it is pounded into our children's heads from our car speakers, when almost every movie sends this message of almost the celebration of violence and that all problems can be resolved if you just go out and shoot someone dead, with as much blood and screaming as possible, when you can buy video "games" that let you can actually do the shooting yourself, is it any surprise that it becomes acceptable?
Throw drugs into the mix, and you have a pot just about ready to boil over.
I don't pretend to know how to stop this. I am not sure that there is any solution. However, as parents, it is the choices you make that your children will, for the most part, copy. So if you think smoking a spliff while driving your kids to school is OK, if you think watching violent movies with your children is OK, if you think dressing them up like little gang members is OK (bling, expensive sneakers, tattoos), don't complain when they become what they have been taught.
My heart goes out to those parents who do try to bring up their kids in a responsible manner, but those kids still get sucked in by peer pressure to become something they may not even want to be.
ST. GEORGE'S
Parents must act
May 24, 2009
Dear Sir,
Please afford me the space to voice my opinion on the violence and illegal activities being experienced in Bermuda today.
It is my opinion that parents who know their children (and I mean children of all ages) are staying out late night after night for no apparent reason and who are involved in illegal and violent activities are contributing to the Islandwide problems we are presently facing and are the reason why it has gotten as bad as it is.
Are your children too big or too old and are providing most of what you have via illegal means that you put the blinders on and turn a deaf ear to their wrong doings?
Are you the parent who blames the Government, the Police, your neighbour who complains, the lack of work or the lack of education for your children's behaviour?
Is it the love for your children that makes you ignore their wrongdoings or are you afraid of your children?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you must look in the mirror because the problem starts and ends with you. If you cannot control your children and are turning a blind eye to their unsociable behaviour, then you are the cause of the problem. If you want to stop this madness and want to really show love for your children, then you must look at yourself inwardly and decide if you want your children, you, your neighbourhood and your country to be constantly living in fear of being killed be a stray bullet because you do not want to do the right thing to stop your child. If they are not listening to you, then this island will experience worse.
If we think that a few gunslingers cannot stop this Island from functioning, think again. They break in your house in the daylight hours and they shoot guns in the streets in the daylight hours. It gets closer to home every day. This does not concern you? I am concerned about your innocent neighbours that are living in fear of reprisal if they speak out against the illegal activities in your neighbourhoods. I am also concerned about the people who cannot visit their loved ones at the hospital when it had to be shutdown because of the shootings. People who could not see their dying relatives for the last time and men whose wives were having babies and could not be there for them. I ask all parents who are protecting their children and their illegal social behaviour to take a long hard look at yourselves and look deep into your hearts and ask yourselves how long, how many lives, and how far are you willing to allow this country go down the tubes before you expose your unruly children?
You are the only ones that can do this for the long term. If you want your children to respect you, they may have to be mad at you for a while first. They will get over it just like they expect you to get over it and live with what they are into.
Parents, you can stop the madness.
GERALD BEAN
Paget
We're coming back!
May 27, 2009
Dear Sir,
I have the opportunity to read the Gazette on line daily, and in spite of decreasing tourists, drug busts, murders, and general "doom and gloom" attitude in the business/retail community, we're coming back for another visit.
I don't want to qualify myself as "old" but my first trip to "the Rock" was on the Queen of Bermuda! I remember the first traffic light in Hamilton, the Talbot Brothers, etc. I was even foolish enough to propose to my wife in Bermuda, and for some strange reason, she said "yes" and 29 years later, we're still in love with each other and with Bermuda.
The question arises as to why we keep on coming back year after year.
Very simply, we know the island, the people, the same restaurants, and the smell of that last curve of flowers that hits you before you get to the first South Shore beach. In the middle of a cold winter here in Kansas City, we warm our souls with our annual 'Bermuda Party' where you must wear something related to the island (OK, TMI—too much information!). I can't repeat all the stories here, but somehow it all involves losing brain cells drinking that innocent libation served in a martini glass at Swizzle Inn.
We have less then a month to go, and I already know where I'm going once I get out of the airport.
We have gone through the 'bad and ugly' part of life, and now it's time for some 'good' times. I just thought I'd give you a little advance notice.
MIKE NEWBURGER
Parkville, Missouri
Children deserve better
May 25, 2009
Dear Sir,
"But let judgment run down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream." – Amos 5:24
I boldly declare that the woes of the curriculum of the Bermuda Public Education System will forever be with us until Bermuda rectifies its wrongs of the past.
I became Bermuda's first internationally qualified curriculum coordinator in 1978 – 30 years ago. I have never had a job commensurate with my competencies, skills, qualifications and abilities. Is this fair? Is this just?
Bermuda's curriculum development has been in the hands of Dr. Helen Stemler, a foreign curriculum consultant, Dr. Gina Tucker, the former Senior Officer for Curriculum, Instruction and Evaluation, Mrs. Maxine Esdaille and is presently in the hands of Mrs. Kalrita Conyers-Steede who has a background in business education.
Shouldn't our children be afforded something more than a failed curriculum in a failed system?
I rest my case in the hands of a God of Freedom, a God of Justice and a God of Equality.
"Shall not the judge of the whole earth do right?" Numbers 4:16
MURIEL M. WADE-SMITH, Ph.D.
Smith's
