Standing up to a bully

March 6, 2008

Dear Sir,

I was pleased to read the reply by Bishop Ewen Ratteray to Mr. Dale Butler's nasty proposal that the Anglican Church should fund scholarships as compensation for hardships inflicted on blacks during the era of the slave trade. (You will note that Mr. Butler stipulates that the compensation should be in cash). And I was frankly disgusted by Mr. Butler's "shocked" reaction to the reply.

Perhaps Mr. Butler is more used to dealing with corporate entities who, regardless of any pious sentiments they may express, simply look upon contributions of this sort as one of the costs of doing business. I believe he considers himself something of an historian, so I don't know why he is so shocked at the Bishop's perfectly reasonably reply.

He should be aware that the church has had centuries of experience dealing with individuals — and governments! — trying to extract money from it on various pretexts. That is not to say that the Church may not, in due course, decide to fund scholarships.

However, it will not be hustled into doing so by Mr. Butler's alleged "disappointment" but, as Bishop Ratteray said, it will make a contribution in its own way and in its own time, and will no doubt pray for guidance as to the form that contribution should take.

Bishop Ratteray's legacy will be his example in standing up to a bully.

AGNOSTIC

Flatts

Supply and demand

March 19, 2008

Dear Sir,

John Lundin from Hawaii writes to The Royal Gazette concerning Bermuda and how it is ripping off the US tax system. I quote Lundin as follows: "Whether you want to admit it or not, Bermuda is the 'poster child' for American corporations who 'cheat' on their taxes." Once again the ignorance of someone who has the myopic American attitude to Bermuda, and as best 'Google' can tell me has never lived or worked here, demonstrates the crass stupidity of the comments.

Insurance and reinsurance is the mainstay of Bermuda corporations and Lundin might like to note that all catastrophic claims against Bermuda insurers and reinsurers (9/11, Katrina, Rita etc. etc.) have been paid and no deduction has been made against any income subject to tax in the US. Consequently most Bermuda insurers and reinsurers have a triple A claims paying ability.

On the other hand, many US based insurers and reinsurers have gone under and not paid their claims and left American insured's and the IRS out of pocket.

Lundin might also like to know that the lack of catastrophic insurance bandwidth in the US is the reason Bermuda is so successful. The US did not have the smarts to supply the demand, so now they want to destroy the suppliers with baseless innuendo. What I will admit is that "Bermuda is the 'poster child' for efficient corporations who ensure that US insurers and reinsurers don't fall flat on their faces and deny not only their customers, but the IRS."

PHIL CRACKNELL

City of Hamilton

Struggle central to history

March 14, 2008

Dear Sir,

In principle I agree with Minister Butler's challenge to have black history taught throughout the year. But when Middle School youngsters have not even heard of Roosevelt Brown, which means they have not been taught the importance of universal franchise and the effect which it took to achieve it, it is n to currently happening.

That struggle is central to our modern history. It was a symbol of much that had gone before, and is the foundation of whatever has happened since in both are political and racial realities.

Until teaching Bermuda/Black History is indeed enshrined, even if we eliminate the term "Black History" we need February as a History month, if only to give your reporters and others a reason to do the kind of research and reporting which was done in February.

Everything around us makes it very evident that those in the black community still have to unlearn much that has been "learned".

No other race, or socially defined group, have ever had to contend with centuries of propagandizing the widespread and deeply entrenched belief that they are inherently, genetically, inferior to every other race, or socially defined group, or the face of the earth and had to endure policies and practices that ensured that they were treated in such a way as to imprint their inferiority in both their own minds and circumstances.

EVA N. HODGSON

Crawl

P.s. Sir Henry Tucker's defender "Well informed"(RG March 13) would have had so much more validity and value if they had been prepared to take responsibility for their opinion by securing their name as Julian Hall did.

So many anonymous statements and opinions lose so much value when it is eliminated by the cowardice, and failure to take responsibility or be accountable as is implied by anonymity. Historically it is important to remember that it was W.L. Tucker's effort to broaden the franchise that motivated Roosevelt Brown to establish the Committee for Universal Adult Suffrage (CUAS).

Is there a survey?

March 16, 2008

Dear Sir,

My husband and I are often off the island and recently on returning I have noticed that the Immigration Officer or the Customs Officer will ask what the purpose of our trip was. Is there a survey going on to find out what the Bermudians go away for? I have never seen anybody writing anything down as a way of ticking off different categories of reasons why we go away.

I cannot imagine any reason why the officials should know why we went away. It could be for pleasure, it could be for medical reasons, and it could be for sad things like funerals. I would very much appreciate an answer from the Immigration Department to tell me why I have to give them my personal information

My husband and I have been away for personal or business reasons and nobody has the right to ask us where we have been and what we have been doing. This is a free country and we can move around as we please.

L.L.

Pembroke