November 10, 2004

Dear Sir,

I am appalled by the headlines in today's (November 10) newspaper: "Priest sexually abused boy, 15". This should have read: "Priest is accused of sexually abusing boy, 15". Who is responsible for allowing headlines which are incorrect?

I worked and worshipped with the Rev. Thacker during his time of ministry in Bermuda and know him to be a gentle, kind, non-judgmental man. At the very least he deserves to be treated non-judgmentally. He brought healing to St. Mark's Church at a time when there were divisions within the parish (the recent problems at St. Mark's Church are not the first problems that this church has faced!) and is greatly missed by many of his former parishioners.

ANN DUNSTAN

Smith's Parish

November 5, 2004

Dear Sir,

Re: "Gays to get human rights protection" in dated November 1, 2004. As one who has tried to get rights to my child for 14 years, and still to this day, my child's and my rights are violated every time I go to court. I ask Minister Butler, should I have to change my morality, and consider a transition to be gay, so that my rights would not be violated, in order to obtain a victory in the Courts? Whereby granting me the right to be a Father and my Child's rights to have a Father!

You want to implement laws, not to discriminate upon human rights, the very same system that discriminates against me, and my child. We long waited for "The amendments to the Children's Act 2002", too! However, I found out that they are not worth the paper it is written on. Where is the Justice? Where are my rights? Where are my child's rights? We need protection too! Why should gays receive rights and be protected, more than our children. No wonder society is in a mess!

PUT CHILDREN FIRST

Pembroke

November 9, 2004

Dear Sir,

Bahamas and Bermuda have much in common. Both were British colonies for some three centuries during which English became the main language and the democratic Westminster model system of government became established. Both have economies based on tourism and international business with the US being the main trading partner and both enjoy greater prosperity than any of the other Commonwealth Caribbean countries.

There are significant differences. Bahamas is in the Caribbean- Haiti being 50 miles away ? whereas Bermuda is 1,000 miles away from the Caribbean. Bahamas has a land area of 5,400 square miles compared to Bermuda with 22 square miles. Bahamas population is 300,000 and Bermuda 65,000. Ethnically Bermuda has a bigger white minority of some 35 percent whereas in the Bahamas some 10 percent of the population is white.

Being part of the free world depends on the rule of law which is a sophisticated concept dependent on there being effective checks on the exercise by the executive of its powers. These checks in turn are dependent on there being a freely elected legislature and an independent judiciary. Under Bermuda's constitution, the UK government has the ultimate responsibility of ensuring that the rule of law prevails. It appoints the Governor who has the final word in the appointment of the head of the judiciary, the police, the regiment, the director of prosecutions and the auditor.

Under its constitution the Bahamas is a sovereign nation solely responsible for the maintenance of the rule of law. In order to protect the independence of the judiciary and the police the Governor-General appoints judicial and police and other commissions as barriers against executive interference. The risk that these checks will not be effective arises from the fact that the Governor General is in practice appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister.

I am not sufficiently familiar with Bahamian politics to know to what extent Prime Ministers have abused their powers but I have cause to believe there has been such abuse. Certainly the temptation to do so is very real and the means are readily at hand for getting rid of judges and auditors and other civil servants that embarrass the government.

The Preamble of the Bahamas Constitution says: "Whereas the People of this Family of Islands recognising that the preservation of their Freedom will be guaranteed by a national commitment to Self Discipline, Industry, Loyalty, Unity and an abiding respect for Christian values and the Rule of Law". Often politicians use these sorts of flowery terms to make less painful what is to follow. A local example is the PLP social agenda. The opening section of the Bahamas constitution defines who shall have Bahamian citizenship and in effect says: "Every person who has Bahamian Status on 10 July 1973 shall be a citizen of the Bahamas ? provided that this shall not apply to anyone who possesses the citizenship or nationality of some other country." Presumably a similar provision would be in the Bermuda constitution should we become independent.

Another section of the Bahamas constitution of interest deals with amendments to the constitution, which are accomplished by either a two-thirds or a three-quarters majority vote in both houses of Parliament followed by a referendum supported by a majority of the voters. The proposition that Bermuda should become independent because of the success Bahamas has experienced since becoming independent is not sustainable.

This success is questionable and it is obvious that the smaller a country is the less viable it is as an independent entity. Some of the reasons for retaining our present constitutional position were set forth in the letter recently sent to the Premier by the international companies. The attack on that group for expressing its opinion by a coterie of bigots was contemptible. It was even more shameful that the Premier did not come to their defence since it was he who asked for their opinion.

WILLIAM M. COX

Devonshire

October 28, 2004

Dear Sir,

Our Premier Alex Scott is quoted stating that we are no longer slaves because our parents made it so and we are the living result of their journey to freedom.

Where is the human dignity in regard to the mentally handicapped who for the lack of funding at Hope Homes could fall through the cracks? There should be legislation in place supporting Hope Homes and any other organisation that takes care of our mentally handicapped.

Our country is sick and has lost its balance, its sense of direction and purpose.

We must get rid of some of our stereotyped and conditioned thinking if we are to understand and correspond with intelligence to the forces of change. We need to take another look at what we have and what we offer to our people. Many problems solve themselves readily if seen from a constructive perspective.

RAYMOND RUSSELL SR.

Pembroke

November 4, 2004

Dear Sir,

I wish to thank all those kind people who stopped to help me yesterday when I fell on the street by the Government Buildings. One lady in particular who stayed with me until I was carted off in the ambulance, and another person who got me a wad of paper towels from somewhere and the kind man who called the ambulance ? presumably on a cell phone.

As the ambulances were all busy at the time, a fire department truck filled with very helpful fireman turned up and gave me much help and also remained with me until the two very nice ambulance men arrived in their vehicle and delivered me to the emergency department of KEMH where the caring personnel saw to my needs as soon as they were free with other patients.

Bermudians really are very kind hearted and caring folks ? thanks.

JEAN BATH

Paget

November 9, 2004

Dear Sir,

On July 27, 2004 a story was published in entitled "Story of Confusion at Magazine Company". As publisher and sole proprietor of Destination Bermuda magazine I would like to advise all our readers and advertising clients that Destination Bermuda is alive and well.

At the time the article was published the local management of the magazine was in the process of being reorganised and Destination Bermuda Magazine Ltd., a wholly owned Bermudian management company, was liquidated. This company had no interest in the magazine other than managing local accounts and I am now pleased to let all interested parties know that as part of a successful Destination series of magazines, the 2005 edition of Destination Bermuda will have increased circulation on American Airlines' twice weekly flight from Miami and on USA 3000 new routes to Bermuda. These new distribution outlets will increase our annual readership to 400,000-plus.

The next edition will celebrate our 15th year of publication, I would therefore like to take this opportunity of thanking all our readers and advertisers who have supported us in the past, present and hopefully in the future.

CHRIS RALSTON

Publisher ? Destination Bermuda

November 12, 2004

Dear Sir,

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, well, the advertisement by A.S. Cooper's on Page 2 in today's Royal Gazette, is worth more than a thousand words. Here we have two of the most beautiful little girls, one black, and one white, holding hands with the sweetest smiles and angelic looks on their faces, creating a picture that must have warmed the hearts of everyone who saw this ad.

Too bad that life here in Bermuda, or anywhere else for that matter can't be as beautiful as the picture of these two lovely children. And too bad that life for the seniors who marched on Parliament today had to end with the insensitive and ill thought comments of Minister (Dale) Butler? comments that were totally uncalled for.

Has the Minister become so insensitive to the everyday person that he would make such a remark? And for those who do not know what the remark was, it was said on the ZBM evening news that Minister Butler made the remark that the seniors should come to the House every week, but to come on Thursdays, knowing full well that the House sits on Fridays! Did he think that was a smart thing to say? What was he thinking? What a ridiculous thing to say!

Frankly, I am baffled by Minister Butler's irresponsible and callous remark. I can truthfully say that I never expected this sort of comment from him. I thought he had more respect and caring for our seniors. It was bad enough that the Premier did not come out to speak to the seniors, especially after all the grandiose promises he made to them in the Throne Speech. But then again, they were only promises and he is a politician ? plus promises are broken everyday. Actually Minister Butler could have saved some of the day by being more sympathetic to the seniors, but no, instead he committed a gross faux pas!

Now we have another sad day in Bermuda. We have Ministers insulting and disrespecting seniors, and a Premier who does not care. A Premier who claims to be "The Man," but is not man enough to face the seniors of this Country. The same people who helped to put him where he is today. Where do we go from here? I have said it before and I'll say it again. If the PLP were in the baseball business, they would have struck out a long time ago because they have hit so many fouls it is no longer funny! How in the world can anyone trust them anymore? I certainly can't, and I know a lot of other people who feel the same way.

I know they won't admit it, but they (the PLP) have bitten off more than they can chew and they are choking at the bit! Running a country is not an easy job ... you need people who know what they are doing in order to have things run smoothly and correctly.

People do not care who runs the country as long as it is run right and not just for the advantage of a certain few! We got tired of that a long time ago but it seems that we have jumped from the frying pan into the fire! Grandma was right when she said: "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't!"

PAT FERGUSON

Warwick

November 1, 2004

Dear Sir,

I refer to Mr. Guilden M. Gilbert's letter of October 22, published on October 28, concerning the issue of voting for or against Independence by way of a referendum or a general election. I am happy that Mr Gilbert agreed that Independence should be decided upon by way of a decisive, democratic direct referendum. Mr Gilbert said "..in principle I agree ? that any move toward Independence should be by way of a referendum". Mr Gilbert then went on to confuse the issue by saying "maybe it should be used in conjunction with a General Election".

A General Election should not be held "in conjunction with" a referendum. They should be kept as far apart as possible. It may favour the agenda of some politicians, but it does no favours for Bermudians who must make the decision of their lives for their future. In a referendum, you do not vote for politicians and hope they keep their promises after they are elected. In a referendum, you vote yes or no to a straight question. There should not be any third party politicians in between to muddy the waters.

Prior to such an important vote, of course, it is necessary to consider all the "ifs" and "buts", and look at all the potential negatives (and positives, if there are any). Mr. Gilbert confuses "scare tactics" with economic "common sense" and "historical reality". He criticised my comments which drew attention to many potential dangers of going independent.

Going independent is a leap in the dark towards less accountability, more corruption and higher taxes by already over-powerful, egotistical and greedy politicians. Our current Premier can't wipe the smile off his face in anticipation of becoming an all-powerful "Prime Minister", never mind whether his exalted opinion of himself matters to anyone else, or regardless of what the majority of Bermudians think about Independence. Does he really care what we think? Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Mr. Gilbert should look closely at the sad record of desperate, mismanaged "tax-and-spend" socialist governments around the world which have resorted to devaluations and foreign exchange controls, thus stealing away the freedom of movement of their citizens and taxing their hard-earned assets into oblivion. I can recollect a British Labour Government once imposing a Draconian limit of ?25 on anyone leaving the country and a tax up to 100 percent on overseas investments. And look at Cuba. Where are we going with all this?

Mr Gilbert should ask himself: Could independence bring us more government corruption? In a recent 146-nation survey by a respected global graft watchdog group, the chairman Mr. Peter Eigen said: "Corruption in large-scale public projects is a daunting obstacle to sustainable development and results in a loss of public funds needed for education, health care and poverty-alleviation." Could Bermuda, under independence, slide towards being just another banana republic, without even the bananas?

It's worth remembering that "if it's not broken, don't fix it". Mr Gilbert did not provide a single constructive comment about the positive sides of going independent. I can't think of any economic reason why we should go independent. Does he want Bermuda to be independent but poor (excluding the politicians of course) as the foreign corporations begin their massive exodus?

The recent headline news in this newspaper made it clear what way the international corporate community, the economic lifeline of Bermuda, thinks about Bermuda going independent. They can leave Bermuda in a heartbeat. Even discussing the matter of Independence now seems to me to be totally unnecessary, untimely, economically suicidal and a waste of money. There are many more important and grave issues in Bermuda which have needed attention for many years.