Don’t blame the youthAugust 18, 2006Dear Sir,I would like to respond to R. Magnum’s personal opinion on how to thwart violence in Bermuda by imposing harsh conditions on our island’s youth.

First and foremost, it is unfair to assume that the majority of the reasons behind the recent escalation in violence are in the hands of our island’s youth. We can’t let these all these children be our scapegoats. It would be an incorrect assumption that if we lock them up and throw away the key, then our violence problems will be solved.

The recent violence is not necessarily in the hands of our youth, but most importantly it has roots that run very very deep in our island’s history and culture. I also don’t believe it is a correct assumption that the voting age should be raised to 21. It is a great lesson in responsibility to choose a political party that they wish to see guide the future of their Island. But it is important to note that it is these so-called “responsible adults” that are shaping our youth today.Only when we, as the adults, choose to set the correct example in responsibility will we see a change. But only then. We can’t burden our youth with this responsibility; it is unfair to do so.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

Southampton

Noise is making us sickAugust 19, 2006Dear Sir,Did I at some point hear a murmur about abolishing the 2-stroke engine? Or was it a scream, barely audible over the cacophony of V-50’s, Big Macks, leaf blowers, jetskis, midnight cruises, open-air entertainment, generators in parks, remote control models in nature reserves, dawn-time street hoovers, pile-drivers, chainsaws and the myriad other sources of Bermuda’s noise pollution?

In a land which once offered a taste of the Peace which passeth all understanding, the silence on the subject is deafening. A light joke by the Environment Minister in her State of the Environment Report hardly addresses the seriousness of her statement that “Noise pollution is becoming increasingly adverse to human health”. The word “noise”, after all, comes from the same root word as “nausea”. It is truly sickening.

This is how serious the problem really is. A study of New York City school children showed that children assigned classrooms in the half of the building facing the elevated train track were 11 months behind in reading by their fourth year, compared to those on the quieter side of the building: “An 11-month retardation in the course of only four years of school is disastrous,” comments author Diane Ackerman, “—And we wonder why the drop-out rate is so high in New York (about the same as Bermuda).”

She cites another study that showed that exposing children to chronic noise “amplified aggression and dampened healthful behaviour”.

“As civilisation swells, even sanctuaries in the country could become too clattery to endure, and we may go to extremes to find peace and quiet: a silent park in the Antarctic, an underground dacha.”

Well, guess what — we were once that far-flung sanctuary; now even we are leaving in droves in search of an escape from our clattery existence. There is a general sense of tension, of anxiety—a dis-ease in the air. We’re making ourselves sick.

Is there a doctor in the house?

How about Ewart Brown. He is:

a) Minister of Tourism, and as such in a powerful position to effect changes that would be good for the industry, for the individual tourist and for the resident. It’s peace and quiet they’re all looking for, Dr. Brown, not more cars and boats and planes. How perfect it is, then that he is also

b) Minister of Transportation, and as such can take measures (Draconian though they may have to be) to control and eradicate the worst noise-makers on our roads, even if it means confiscating vehicles on the spot, obliging riders to walk. Speedy Moniz used to do it in the days when adults understood the very high value of peace.

c) A doctor, and as such educated about the medical consequences of noise exposure, especially in children, and bound by the Hippocratic Oath to heal the sick. And a good doctor knows that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

We all might need to remember that Aesop, whose fables have withstood the test of time (about two-thousand five-hundred years), counselled: “A crust of bread eaten in peace is better that a banquet partaken in anxiety.”

CHICK-OF-THE-VILLAGE

Somerset

What am I missing?August 18, 2006Dear Sir,On August 16, Bermuda was addressed by the Premier over the airwaves about the problems of gang warfare and crimes committed by “young black men”. He didn’t seem to offer much in the way of concrete suggestions beyond the suggestion we were all responsible for calling the authorities if we had any information about crime.

The following on the TV news the next night a young man was interviewed about an upcoming Christian inter-denominational meeting to discuss the problems facing Bermuda at this time and he announced that one of the main topics would be the addition of “sexual orientation” to the Human Rights Bill. In the gospels nothing at all is said about homosexuality — a lot is said about the sins of fornication and adultery, not to mention to love of money, greed, drunkenness and gluttony.

We hear that most of the young men incarcerated in Westgate are black and a very large percentage of them were deprived of any kind of a father figure in their young lives.

Am I missing something here? Why is the church so outspoken about what two consenting adults do in the privacy of their homes, and so silent about the needs of children to have both parents living with them and providing love, guidance and security? Why is not there dismay about the number of illegitimate children? Why aren’t the parliamentarians working full out to ensure that all fathers fully support their offspring? Why aren’t the churches thundering from every pulpit that marriage should come before children?

I cannot understand the reluctance of our leaders to acknowledge the real reason why so many young, black men are floundering or failing. What chance do these little boys have when Dad is non-existent in their lives and their mothers are alone in having to struggle, and often failing, to provide even a roof over their heads, much less love and guidance? Their sisters stand some chance as they see the efforts of their mothers and can emulate them. The boys need their fathers, or they usually have no example to follow.

I notice in the Mid-Ocean news this weekend that Alvin Williams also addresses the problems that arise as a result of the lack of two-parent black families. I am sure that the vast majority of Bermudians feel as I do about the root cause of the ‘problem of young black men’. Why are our so called leaders so silent about it in both the government and the churches?

JENNIE WATLINGTON

Pembroke<$>

Give fathers a chanceAugust 16, 2006 Dear Sir I write in connection with The Royal Gazette’s <$>recent article “Fathers aren’t always absent by choice”. I also refer to the Letter to the Editor from “Musing” of Pembroke, published on Saturday August 12.

It is absolutely true to say that fathers aren’t always absent by choice. This is a letter of support and a rally to action for every Bermudian father who is fighting an uphill struggle to maintain reasonable contact with his child.

The commonly-held perception that Bermudian fathers are largely “dead-beats” is wrong. The fact is this; a worryingly large number of fathers in Bermuda, both black and white, have been denied their basic rights as a parent. Through my involvement with Childwatch in Bermuda I know that fathers (and grandparents) are suffering what amounts to the loss of their children as a result of a legal system which fails them coupled with too many mothers harbouring personal vendettas.

Bermuda — open your eyes! There are many women who which to see the father of their child brought to his knees, even if his sole “crime” is that he doesn’t wish to co-habit with the mother. Bermudian fathers’ spirits are systematically eroded by the effort to continue fighting for their right to see their children when they are crushed from the start by Courts who, historically, favour the mother and effectively write-off the father as little more than a long-term ATM.

I am offended by “Musing’s” remark that Bermuda lacks a “few good men”. Why? Because my own partner IS a “good man” and, moreover, wishes to prove he is a responsible father. He is a professional Bermudian who works hard, is conscientious and concerned for his children’s welfare. Despite this, he has been prevented from any contact, even by telephone, with his children (aged 13 and 11) for two years. They live overseas with his scheming ex-wife. The miserable extent of the “contact” he is permitted with his children is this: pay your child support on the dot every month at the Courts. There is no legal reason for non-contact, simply a petty grievance on the mother’s part. His frustration and sorrow is profound. This man represents just one example of the growing injustice to fathers in Bermuda.

I agree that “no woman should be expected to raise children alone” but believe me there are Bermudian women that actively wish to do so and sometimes for small-minded reasons.

A child that grows up lacking a father’s caring attention is a child studies prove will be disadvantaged in moral/social behaviour and more likely to do jail time. Alcoholism, drug addiction and drug dealing, gang violence, domestic disputes and unemployment. Bermuda — look at what you create!

I urge fathers whose paternal rights are being ignored to contact Eddie Fisher of Childwatch on 234-2858 (and come to meetings held every 2 weeks) or Alvin Goulbourne at the Fathers Resource Centre on 505- 3237.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Hamilton Parish<$>

It’s about toleranceAugust 10, 2006Dear Sir,I would like to respond to Colwyn Burchall Jr.’s letter of July 17.

Bravo, Colwyn. Your argument was concise and well stated. I for one challenge anyone to provide me with a direct quote from the New Testament wherein Jesus Christ (the man who is the Christian saviour) actually condemns or even mentions homosexuality, positive or negative. He has lots of things to say about compassion, tolerance and not judging people, but absolutely nothing about homosexuality being a sin.

Perhaps I could also suggest that all these so-called Christians actually sit down and read their Bible (the New Testament, which is the Christian Bible) and stop relying on vain, hate-filled men in pulpits to tell them what God meant.

PAT BROWN

City of HamiltonCar pooling neededAugust 21, 2006Dear Sir,I would like to weigh in on two issues that were mentioned in the news recently.

The first issue has to do with traffic congestion on Bermuda’s roads, as mentioned by the Transport Minister in last evening’s newscast. One of the ways in which this situation can be ameliorated is by government embarking on a campaign to encourage car-pooling. This has helped to alleviate traffic congestion in other major cities and could also help to make a huge difference here.

If one stands beside Johny Barnes in the mornings and observes the cars that are passing, heading into the city, one will observe that most of these cars have only one occupant. Many of these motorists work at the same place and some even live close to each other. If some of these motorists can be encouraged to car-pool, this would inevitably lead to a reduction in the number of cars on the roads, travelling into the city of Hamilton in the mornings.

As all of us should be aware, traffic congestion in Bermuda predominantly affects motorists and commuters travelling into the city of Hamilton in the mornings, and out of the city in the evenings. Traffic congestion is not a real problem elsewhere on the Island.

Besides alleviating traffic congestion, car-pooling would also have other benefits. With gasoline prices where they are at today, it could potentially lead to huge savings where the purchase of fuel is concerned. It would also translate into less wear and tear on the vehicles of the individuals who are participating in the car-pool.

The second issue is that mentioned by the Leader of the Opposition recently concerning the length of time it takes police to respond to incidents.

I want to start off by first saying that it is my humble opinion that Police response time in Bermuda is commendable, when compared with the response time of police in other parts of the world. One way in which the response time of the police (and indeed other emergency services) to reports made by members of the public can be reduced is if all residents are encouraged to have house numbers prominently displayed at their gates. You would be surprised to know how many homes in Bermuda have no numbers displayed to assist emergency personnel in locating residences. This sometimes leads to great delay in the arrival of responders to these reports.

Bermudians need to know that such a simple aid (having a house number prominently displayed) assists law enforcement & other emergency personnel and can mean the difference between life and death.

E. DONALD

Devonshire<$>

Stop singling out JamaicaAugust 22, 2006Dear Sir,Ref: ‘Back off, BFR’, dated August 21, 2006

Why do people who are opposed to independence reduce themselves to insults? Are there no independent countries other than Jamaica?

What has Jamaica done to Bermuda?

How about providing more options? South American countries, Eastern European countries, Africa or even North Korea come to mind.

Why do the anti-independence group have the right to relocate to Britain or any other EU member independent country, while others do not? Are there no other places to go?

Why do the Pro people need to leave, the anti-Independence people have the same options, go to the EU or Britain or even the Falklands Islands.

Better yet, why don’t we all relocate, Bermuda just might be better off without us or them, or whichever side you’re on.

BDTC

St. George’s