Time for Bermuda pins

March 11, 2003

Dear Sir,

I am writing in regards to the lovely political pins our politicians seem to be always sporting. While it is important to show political affiliation for the respective parties, I would like to see our politicians wearing the flag of Bermuda pin. This would suggest to me that our MPs are saluting the entire island not just members of their own party.

Is it to hard to ask our MPs to show inclusiveness as opposed to exclusivity?

LOVE OUR ENTIRE ISLAND

Devonshire

The Senator responds

February 20, 2003

Dear Sir,

Re: Letter by Kim Swan 20th 2003

With reference to the above letter by Kim Swan let me be clear that I am not writing an apology. If an apology is required, I expect Mr. Swan to apologise for trying to "hoodwink" the Bermuda public.

On February 19, 2003 on the motion to adjourn Sen. Swan expressed righteous rage at a comment I was supposed to have made during the debate on the GPS on June 26, 2002. It took eight months for Sen. Swan and his Senator colleagues to realise they were angry.

No doubt Sen. Swan will claim that his recent outburst of anger was triggered by a reprint of a letter by me in response to that of a letter writer who used the statement to attack myself and Minister the Hon. Renee Webb. But if that was the case, why didn't he express his outrage when I first responded to the attack. Why did he await a reprint of my letter that just happened to be appear less than a week before the Senate was to resume? Is Sen. Swan trying to convince the Bermuda public that it took eight months and three letters to make him realise that he should be angry? If any member of the public believes that, I have a bridge to sell them.

Clearly, Sen. Swan is continuing the UBP campaign to capture the minds of that minority of black Bermudians who are immersed by their admiration of anything and everything white. Even Sen. Swan exhibits this characteristics. In the opening remarks of his letter, he accuses me of using a racial insult on him, a black man. How can one black man hurl a racial insult at another black man unless the insulted black man does not identify as black?

In any event, I am prepared to welcome Sen. Swan to join the fight to remove the racial disadvantages still endured by members of the black race. As I mentioned in the Senate in response to Sen. Swan's expression of faked rage, "Blacks comprise 55 percent of the Working Population but only 33 percent of the high paying Administrative and Managerial jobs". If we want to avoid the racial polarisation Mr. Swan accuses me of creating, this long standing disparity needs to be addressed with all deliberate speed.

Can we count on Sen. Swan and his Senate colleagues to prevail upon the businesses, whose interests they represent, to do all within their power to correct this situation? Should he refuse to do this, my next comment about his behaviour might well be, "to bad you were never black".

SENATOR CALVIN SMITH

Pembroke

Listen to young people

February 26, 2003

Dear Sir,

It is very interesting that everybody speaks as if they are experts, but no one is prepared to do anything about the problem. Recently, the focus has been on our young people and their behaviour. We all want to build bridges to communicate but no one will actually step up on that bridge.

Research has found that young people who are bullies as students in primary school grow up to have criminal records by the age of 30. Research also shows that the victims of such abuse may become very violent themselves or turn their anger inside and become depressed or suicidal. Knowing this, it is time that our schools begin to look at our children's behaviour very seriously. Teachers and counsellors should ask questions such as "why aren't you outside or on the field playing"? especially during breaks.

Adults should listen to our young people. We should be careful how quickly we put labels on a child. Telling a child that they should not tell tales stop us, the adults, from hearing the "cry for help". We should also be prepared to help that child with his or her schoolwork. Become a tutor or a confidante. Talk is cheap. Action speaks much louder. A child who is misbehaving may be looking for someone just to say: I care". Building bridges is good, but walking the bridge is very important

YVETTE SWAN

Warwick