November 14, 2003

Dear Sir,

Approximately ten years ago I wrote a letter predicting what we are now seeing come to fruition with the youth of Bermuda. Bermuda, what is happening? And to what level of national embarrassment are we going to reach, before we do something about the 15-16 year olds who are clearly now running our country? How did we get to this point ? let me tell you. We allow people to come into our country, child rights activists, Mrs. Sheelagh Cooper and others, and remove the value system we once had that said "it takes a village to raise a child".

How does a country allow that old fashioned discipline to be removed in the name of "child abuse" and now we are going to use CS sprays and such to disperse the crowds. That, Mr. Editor, is abuse after the fact. Not that I have a problem with CS sprays, as in my view they are long overdue, but prevention, as I have stated in my letter of years ago, is better than cure.

What is more effective than a good licking as a young child? Yes, Ms. Cooper, I licked my children at home, in the street, grocery store, airport, anywhere that a good cut backside was warranted and both of them are very successful young well rounded adults with children who will also get disciplined when the time comes. I wish somebody had locked me up for such a crime. When I look at the success of my children, one a law enforcement agent and one on their way to university ? what a crime. When a child grows with discipline most times it will be disciplined in all areas of life.

Surely parents must see that these children lack morals and principles when you have to watch a newscast with young women, our future mothers and God forbid leaders of this country, groping at entertainer's private parts in a way that is most disgusting for any woman, let alone young girls. No fear of police authority is enough to wake up any country.

How can the leaders of this country allow this to continue without deterrents? No deterrents, no role models, court system is a joke; molest a child, stab and kill, shoot people, go to court, joke with the judge, go to Westgate Holiday Camp or get off on some sick technicality ? the law is now designed to protect the hooligan and the innocent have to suffer. Loopholes, loopholes everywhere you turn. Nobody is paying for any criminal activity and someone needs to be accountable for that fact alone. If this country does not take control of its youth, tomorrow will be a sad day. Teachers, will be no more, as the brave few have will be the last of the bunch, law enforcement officers already come and leave early, some of them due to lack of appropriate defence measures to protect not only themselves, but the people of this country.

And best of all, if we want to compete in the international arena in any aspect, be it banking or reinsurance, nobody wants to come to a country that is run by a few ill-bred losers with their pants hanging down to their ankles emulating prison inmates (with no belts to hold their pants up for those of you who wondered where this very "fashionable" trend originated), $10,000 gold chains hanging around their necks, Louis Vuitton toting young girls selling themselves for such materialism, lacking discipline and can't even spell "gold chain".

Nobody wants to come to a country where all crimes, no matter how serious, are treated with a slap on the wrist. What we now have as far as tourism is concerned is a country, overpriced, no activities for youngsters, unsafe, boring and run by soon to be revolving-prison-door-gangster-wannabe's.

How in the world does anybody tell somebody they can't control a child? Beyond my wildest comprehension. When parents recognise that cuteness stops at approximately three years old and is definitely not still in effect at 15, then all these social ills will take on a new light. All it takes is for one person to be seriously injured by the police and injured enough that he will think about that day till the end of time and the rest of them will fall in line. It is called Law and Order ? Channel 50 every weeknight.

Bermuda, somebody needs to get on the phone to Singapore and speak to the first available Government official who was instrumental in cutting that American child's behind for spray painting, let me repeat spray painting. Singapore needs to advise this little Island which is only as big as one of their airstrips how to enforce the law. That young man will never look at a can of paint the same again. Wake up Bermuda!

BERMUDIAN AND EMBARRASSED

City of Hamilton

November 16, 2003

Dear Sir,

I am still trying to digest the announcement by Dr. John Cann (Royal Gazette, November 14) that the TB Cancer & Health Association (TBC&HA) has to immediately stop dispensing insulin and other medication to diabetics because they do not have a certified pharmacist on hand. This charity has been dispensing insulin and other diabetic medications for well over 30 years without a pharmacist, so why the sudden ruling by Dr. Cann for them to have one. Could there be more to this than what meets the eye? Some hidden agenda perhaps? I surely hope not!

The TBC&HA is a charitable organisation that depends on public funding to support a very worthy cause. This public funded charity has saved the Bermuda Government hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past number of years, by dispensing diabetic supplies, absolutely free of charge, to people who cannot afford to pay for medication to control their diabetes.

Think of the other added expense that would be incurred by the hospital and Government if the TBC&HA did not supply these indigent diabetics free medication, consequently they would have to be hospitalised due to diabetic complications brought on by the lack of medicine!

Again I would like to know why is it suddenly necessary for the TBC&HA to have a certified pharmacist to take a pre-packaged vial of insulin off the shelf and hand it to a patient? What is the real reason behind this? I think it is grossly unfair and unnecessary that the TBC&HA will have to be burdened with the added expense of hiring a certified pharmacist to dispense pre-packaged insulin and other diabetic medication when we know this purpose was served by the TBC&HA for over 30 years.

As I said before ? there appears to be more to this than meets the eye ? and I certainly hope its not so some persons can capitalise on this situation. Every diabetic, every family member of a diabetic, and any other fair minded person in Bermuda should be outraged by this sudden, new turn of events. Let your MP and the Government know just how absolutely ridiculous this new course of action is.

Get out there and make your displeasure known. For too long we have sat back and just let things happen. We have not acted on important issues and concerns of this country. We have let the Government (present and past) get away with much too much, and we have only ourselves to blame.

Just remember, if you do not speak out about this and other issues, soon something else will pop up, and believe me, it will! If we don't take action, you will end up getting what you don't want! A petition has been started, so I advise all concerned to call the TB Cancer & Health Association to find out where this petition is so that you may sign it. Enough is enough! I have had enough surprises from the PLP Government! BHC! Berkeley! Cuba! TBC&HA! Oversized cars! To name a few!

PAT FERGUSON

Warwick

November 18, 2003

Dear Sir,

I think that The Royal Gazette should include a section in the paper strictly for those who are interested in political affairs, and leave the Letters to the Editor page strictly for letters. That way any letters that come in, whether they be about sports, news, political people, road safety or anything else could be read by people who buy a paper daily.

BERMUDIAN

Pembroke

Editor's Note: The writer correctly observes that Page 4, the traditional home of Letters to the Editor, now contains an increasing number of opinion columns as well. This increase is aimed at meeting readers' demands for more opinion and commentary in the newspaper but can cause delays in publishing letters to the Editor. We would like to hear from more readers on whether they would like to see more or fewer columns and whether readers would prefer them on another page.

November 17, 2003

Dear Sir,

I don't want to get mixed up in letter-writer Bill Cook's Middle East campaign, but I would like to point out one glaring flaw in his reasoning. He keeps writing about a cadre of Zionist sympathisers who exercise a disproportionate influence over the conduct of American affairs, as if they were a band of alien saboteurs loose in the US Government. In fact, these people are Americans, who have every right to climb to whatever heights in public life they like, influence whomever they wish and hold whatever views they wish.

It is not a crime to be Jewish in the US, nor is it forbidden to have Zionist sympathies. If Mr. Cook's idea were to be translated into language more familiar to Bermudians, it is as if he were suggesting that blacks, perhaps, shouldn't be allowed to exercise so much influence on the conduct of Bermudian affairs. No matter who the object of his dislike happens to be, he is giving voice to an ugly, deeply insulting and thoroughly stupid idea.

OBSERVER

St George's

November 17, 2003

Dear Sir,

With reference to your article in The Royal Gazette on Monday, November 17, 2003 "Top brass go gunning for Regiment no-shows".

Wake-up! Wake-up! Doesn't it tell the powers to be with 101 no-shows that the Regiment has served its' time and it's now time to move into the 21st Century. The press ganging of teenage males to become soldiers is against human rights in most countries.

They should get rid of the Regiment and invest the money into a better and modern Police force with a larger voluntary reserve constabulary to back it up. Away with these tin soldiers.

SAD SACK AND BEETLE BAILY

City of Hamilton