Spot for a casino

February 11, 2010

Dear Sir,

I heartily agree with the letter of Chris Buchanan in today's Royal Gazette; we need casinos. Tourism is on the verge of collapse, and for the first time ever there is unemployment in Bermuda, it is time to wake up and smell the roses. When I go to Vegas I don't gamble, but I certainly enjoy all the shows and facilities that money from the casinos support. As for the idiotic decision not to allow cruise ships to open their casinos after 10 p.m., when all passengers are aboard, words fail me. We can't blame the Premier for this, he had the right idea. We desperately need a classy, I said classy, casino, and the ideal spot for this is where Waterloo House once stood, which is now a pile of rubble. Another prestigious landmark gone. Please let's get the lead out and get with it. Bermuda is in desperate straits, and this is a lifeline that I am sure we would never regret.

E. RABEN

Paget

Turks and Caicos do well

February 12, 2010

Dear Sir,

So Dr Brown, it's all the fault of the global recession. I don't think so, Mr. Premier. After all, Turks & Caicos seem to be doing quite well despite the recession. It's time to admit you have got it wrong. "Despite the international recession and some unfavourable publicity over the past year, the Turks and Caicos Islands still remains a strong brand as a tourist destination.

"This was amply represented by the just-released tourist arrival statistics from the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board which showed that combined long stay and cruise arrivals for 2009 increased by 12.5 percent over 2008.

"In 2009 there were 513,928 cruise passengers; a 21 percent increase over the 404,952 passengers who came to the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2008.

"Last year, there were 351,498 long stay visitors. This was 773 persons (or 0.21 percent) fewer than the 352,271 visitors who came to the country by plane in 2008. Despite the international recession and some unfavourable publicity over the past year, the Turks and Caicos Islands still remains a strong brand as a tourist destination."

http://www.suntci.com/index.php?p=main

SMITH'S

Noisy Rotarians

February 13, 2010

Dear Sir,

Rotarians invite excellent speakers to make an address to their members and guests at their weekly lunch meetings. Why is it that they then proceed to behave very rudely by talking and making noise while the speaker is trying to deliver his or her message? To compose it, and to present it, has probably taken considerable time from the speaker's busy schedule.

Here is an extract from rotary.org's website: Rotary Club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto Service Above Self.

I would think that the members (most of whom are business people) would have better manners than to be so discourteous to their invited speaker. It certainly goes against their avowed Club purpose to "provide education".

As one of the radio audience, I find it annoying, especially when I want to hear what the speech is all about!

UN-COMMON SENSE

St. George's

Where were the buses?

February 12, 2010

Dear Sir,

While I can appreciate Sen. Burch's position on keeping the Causeway closed yesterday, I do think he went a little overboard, pardon the pun, leaving it closed until 7.30 p.m., (not much point in having the airport open if the Causeway is closed!). However, I am at a total loss to understand why the buses were still off the road at 5 p.m. yesterday. Yes it was still windy, with the odd few strong gusts, but there was no reason whatsoever that the buses could not have been on the road. It was announced that Government offices would be open on Thursday, so everyone was expected to go to work. Most people made the effort and got into town somehow, but how were these people supposed to get home? I know of one lady, who is not young, who works all day on her feet at one of the department stores and gets the bus home to Southampton. How was she supposed to get home? The taxi fare would probably amount to half her daily salary (it cost me $12 just to get to Paget).

The Government website was no help, the last update they had on public transport was at 1.20 something. I called the number the website provided and a very polite lady advised me that there was to be a meeting at 4 p.m. to decide when the buses would resume service, but she did not know when or if service would resume. An announcement might have been on the radio (I did not have access to a radio) but the website was not updated. I went to the bus station at 5 p.m. and not a bus was to be seen. There were no announcements, no message on the electronic boards and no-one around to ask. I have been on the bus in much worse weather than that of 5 p.m. on Thursday afternoon and I think it's ridiculous that the bus service was not resumed in time for commuters to get home. The next time a decision is made to cancel the bus service, please spare a thought for the poor commuters that you are leaving high and dry.

ANNIE SOUSA

Paget

Wishing BDA success

February 17, 2010

Dear Sir,

The Bermuda Democratic Alliance is a well named coalition which has vowed to take race out of politics. This coalition party rejects the use of race or class as a means to political success. The BDA is destined to form a government that stands for equality of opportunity, social and economic justice, and transparency in its work for the benefit of all Bermuda's people. Let us wish it success!

OWEN H. DARRELL

Pembroke

The vision was lost

February 4, 2010

Dear Sir,

I was dumbfounded today perhaps I should not have been when a young student told me that, following the practice of older blacks, their schoolyard was divided into 'territories' and this determined where they could and could not go. Black youths have divided this Island into 'territories' of 'town and country', thus determining where black youths can and cannot go. They are black men who are killing each other. They are blacks who are disadvantaged by the salary gap. It is the black educational system that has deteriorated, and it has deteriorated because there was a time when black educators did educate black children. They are blacks who are the growing underclass.

There are very few young blacks who, like Scott Pearman, have been concerned enough to recognise the reality of our economic disparity as a result of the legacy of racism largely because there has been no support from a political leadership, which for 11 years has ignored it.

In 1834 when our ancestors were freed we suffered from both political and economic disadvantages. United by our common experience and painful history we desegregated public places and gained the vote. We even got a majority among decision makers, after 30 years. But that majority was divided and self-absorbed, and having lost its vision of justice for all, were indifferent to the economic disparity which had existed since 1834. Without a unified purpose and concern for the entire community of those who had been enslaved and economically exploited they did not even follow the United States by introducing either Affirmative Action or Minimum Wage. They did not see it in their own personal interest and the community, as such, had ceased to matter.

They failed to see what Walia Ming, in the Bermuda Sun, has seen, that the vast economic disparity gap in Bermuda ensures that there is neither equal rights nor justice for all, despite the deceptive rhetoric of "one man one vote, one vote of equal value", which is patently and unabashedly untrue. From the time of the formation of political parties blacks were no longer united in seeking equality and justice for all of those who had been economically disadvantaged and exploited from the time of slavery and continuing after 1834.

There is little wonder that the economic disparity and the divisiveness within the black community has led to both a growing underclass and an indifference to the humanity of that underclass.

It is we as blacks and our leadership which is responsible because we refused to acknowledge the legacy of racism and have therefore failed to address the economic disparity as a unified community but have accepted the divisiveness of Party Politics and an "integration" policy which has rewarded a few accommodating blacks.

Mr. Butler has said that young people (like so many in leadership roles) are indifferent to the reality of the legacy of racism. With the exception of a few thoughtful young people like Scott Pearman, the result is that not being challenged to struggle for justice for all who are suffering from the legacy of racism they are concerned only with themselves. There is little wonder that, in the words of Tom Vesey, of the Bermuda Sun, we have raised a generation that is selfish and antisocial with a disregard for the humanity of those fellow Bermudians who are most burdened by the economic disparity and the legacy of racism.

EVA N. HODGSON

Crawl