Voter seeks constituency

March 19, 2003

Dear Sir,

Re: Changes - New Constituencies

Having read the full page advertisement in The Royal Gazette (March 19, 2003) from the Registrar General concerning the new constituencies, I felt it necessary to check out the Government's web page www.elections.gov.bm to see what new constituency I am now in.

Forget it, the site has not been updated since June 2002.

Also I am surprised to read in the advert that the electoral boundaries have changed, should it not be electoral boundaries?

HAMILTON SOUTH VOTER - I THINK!

It's about Jerusalem

March 20, 2003

Dear Sir,

No, it's not just about the oil. It's also about Jerusalem. By saying that this war is just about oil one casts, conveniently, all the blame upon the oil companies and by the spurious logic of the left, on capitalism. (Incidentally, to follow the logic, that casts the blame on the left which is the disgruntled beneficiary of capitalism, but that is a matter for another letter.)

Einstein once said that you can not prepare for war and make peace at the same time. He should have stuck to physics. No peace has ever been secured without preparation for war. Human nature, being what it is, means we will always strive to dominate our brethren.

Almost every corner of the world (except our beautiful island, places in Africa and a few others) is occupied by a race that supplanted another in order to live there, usually quite brutally. It is our way.

So in order to have peace one must be vigilant in one's own defence. If, as peace protesters vigorously claim, one believes in peace as an element of human survival, one should cultivate it. Like compassion, peace does not happen in humans naturally. It has to be contrived and built. Arguments have to be presented and people convinced. Occasionally a little coercion has to be used. It is a strange and beautiful idea and most people really don't believe in it.

As any Arab will tell you, the creation of Israel was in no way an argument for peace. Located, as it is, exactly where none of the surrounding nations wanted it, it is a provocation to natural and human inclinations for war. The fact that it was created by the west and that the west continues to support its bloody exertions is a further provocation. It is not a part of any effort to cultivate peace. The Israelis themselves will proclaim that they want peace, but they are interested in a convenient peace; a peace that gives them what they want.

War protesters now proclaim their demands for peace also. But their demand is also a convenient peace; a peace they can ignore later. The current thinking of peace is simplistic. You simply put down your gun. The thorny issue of sanctioning Israel for its behaviour is not part of that thinking. Many people like to say that its too difficult an issue. Who is right and who is wrong? Its so difficult to see, they say. I say that is hypocrisy. The west is always ready to supplant Arab leaders and work against them. A list of examples would go back over the past two centuries. Not even Europe, which supports peace so much it failed to intervene in Bosnia when Christians were killing Moslems, has suggested that some profound alteration of policy toward Israel should be considered.

Do you ever see peace marchers in Washington or New York demanding that the US stop supporting Israel in any great numbers? Does anyone seriously question America as it ships weapons and over $3 billion a year to Israel? Yet this, as any Arab, or ironically, any talking head of the right will tell you, is the central problem. It is a matter of respect. We, the west, do not respect the Moslems on the left or the right. I defy anyone to come up with an argument that we do. None of the West's actions in Arabia or Iran can support that. So they hate us and well they should.

The left, putative inheritors of the mantles of King and Ghandi have failed to come up with an alternative peace plan of any substance. By doing this they give the prerogative of action to the right. The left, in their confusion, have done this many times before. Don't count on them. Peace has to be cultivated. To do it you have to come up with a plan. It can not be based on warm fuzzy feelings about humanity. Humanity is a brutal, indifferent and will consider the convenient way of avoiding a problem rather than the long haul.

Peace is not a cheerful Clintonian idea that makes you feel good. It is dirty business and we are currently involved in the worst but most convenient way of achieving it. Saddam is our creature and we have to get rid of him. We created him out of our disgusting attitude toward the people how live in the middle east. Its not just about the Oil. Its about Jerusalem , our ancient and ridiculous obsession with it and all that represents. We will get the peace we want when we deserve it.

JOHN ZUILL

Pembroke

Forces of evil at war

March 26, 2003

Dear Sir,

I don't know how many Bermudians are supporting this war but,in my opinion, President Lucifer (George Bush) and President Satan(Saddam Hussein) are both cowards. President Lucifer may not be shooting up his own people if they refuse to fight for him but, he's got those American soldiers going out to bomb Iraq.

Now you can tell that President Satan is sadistic (the man killed his son & sons-in-law when they refused to fight for him). Yet, both of them hate each other to the fullest and not standing back-to-back with a gun in each hand ready to turn around and pull the trigger.Some Bermudians claim they didn't want their country to become Americanised by having McDonalds yet they kept KFC? Some of our rules are probably Americanised as well.

Bermuda is another world? No, Bermuda is another America mixed with British surrounded by people who have a British Governor. The Premier even added yesterday that Bermuda is ready for an emergency. Man,this country can't even stop a scud missile from hitting the island.

How the heck,is Bermuda ready for an emergency? If you ask me I'll say, `Man doesn't even know what the word peace means'.

WAR OR PEACE? YOU DECIDE

Bermuda

Shut out of own country

March 20, 2003

Dear Sir,

My name is Dan Lima. I live in Indiana. I was born in Bermuda, nearly all my family lives in Bermuda. I went to Dellwood School, worked at Lucas House and Holmes, Williams and Purvey. I married Debra Kneisler, a Bermudian, in Bermuda at St. Anthony's Church.

I still carry a Bermuda Passport and am a permanent resident in the USA, mostly not by choice. I came to the United States to get an education. I have a Doctorate in Philosophy in Psychology, and a Master in Business Administration, Nationally Certified Psychologist, Licensed in the State of Indiana as a Mental Health Counsellor and Social Worker, Advanced in Critical Incident Stress Management and was awarded the Nation Leadership Award for Business. I am presently the Director of County Operation for a Community Mental Health Center.

I say all this to let you know that I have tried for years to return to Bermuda and work there,have not been able to find a job. It seems that I might be overly qualified or not needed in the country of my birth and heritage, but the Island still hires people from other countries who are not residents.

My questions to you and others is: When the people of Bermuda try to better themselves, take their time and money to educate themselves, become persons of leadership and and bring the Island to a higher standard, why can't we come home and practice there? Why do we have too live in other parts of the world?

DR. DAN LIMA

Lafayette, Indiana

Solution for junction

March 25, 2003

Dear Sir,

Regarding the thorny problem of the traffic at the Collector's Hill/South Road junction, the chief problem appears to be with traffic coming out of Collector's Hill on to South Road, especially during rush hours. I suggest the following:-

Put a roadway straight down from Collector's Hill to South Road just east of the church, from which traffic would have a much better view both ways on South Road as it would then be a T-junction: Make that new stretch of road one-way down the way, and make the present two-way part of Collector's Hill up to the upper end of that new road one-way up the way.

DAVIE KERR

St. George's