Setting a good example

March 4, 2004

Dear Sir,

After surviving the depressing outcome of island Independence from one of the oldest, Haiti, to more modern failures, it was a ray of sunshine to read of the success story of a small community very similar to Bermuda.

The Isle of Man is independent and home to about 76000. It was ruled by a miscellany of Kings, Dukes and private families until bought by the British Government in 1765.

Its parliament, Tynwald, was established by the Vikings and has the distinction of being the oldest continuously established parliament in the world. On behalf of the Queen, who is known as Lord of Man, it is the sovereign authority of the Isle of Man in just the way Westminister Parliament is of the United Kingdom. Its existence makes the Isle of Man an independent nation, a member of the British Commonwealth in its own right, and enables the Many people to make their own laws and set their own taxes. As an internally self-governing dependent territory. The Isle of Man is neither part of the UK nor Great Britain but, within the status as part of the British Isles, does rely on the British Government for assistance in areas such a defence. The right of the Tynwald to set its own taxes has led, in recent times, to the development of the Isle of Man as a major financial centre with around sixty banks and building societies established there.

This flourishing little country seems to provide a perfect model for Bermuda to emulate ? but is it not just about what we have already?

Why will they leave?

March 18, 2004

Dear Sir,

I think the letter from Free At Last was quite disturbing.

I do not advocate independence as I think Bermuda is far too small. Should a country the size of a small suburb, be entitled to have a vote at the UN?

But the picture of gloom and doom painted by this writer is exactly why some Bermudians feel they might want the right to be rid of the likes of him or her. Dear Free At Last, do you truly believe that only white people are able to make responsible decisions and are the only ones to keep poverty from descending on Bermuda? Pathetic!

Why will businesses desert the Island? They are doing business now with a black government. Most of the people in the world are non-white. The biggest economy looming over the world is yellow or have you not noticed? Better practise your Mandarin wherever you go.

Why will the hotels in Bermuda close down? The "islands to the south" have much more tourism than we do now. I notice you didn't mention The Bahamas and their tourists. Hey, isn't there a black government in Barbados? The Dominican Republic has 25,000 hotel rooms, and they are as dusky as can be.

Why will the white Bermudians leave? Do they not love the land they were born in? It is their country too. If they abandon Bermuda, then it means nothing to them.

As for a president for life, living in Government house. That is the biggest insult. People get the governments they deserve. Democracy prevents Presidents for life! Just because Haiti makes mistakes doesn't mean Bermuda will!

Instead of talking rot, Free at Last should be trying to figure out how to take part in the future of Bermuda, whichever path it takes.

Keep it simple

March 19, 2004

Dear Sir,

Mr. Calvin Smith made a number of valid observations, many of which I support, in his letter on Independence in today's .

However I disagree with his assertion that Independence is too complex an issue to resolve by referendum.

On the contrary I argue it is too complex an issue to bundle with the choice of government. I would further suggest that the PLP government with its slim 51 percent popular majority considers a referendum is too risky to deliver their desired result.

Independence is not a political issue, it is a national issue. Like the Constitution, it transcends party politics and should be allowed to be determined on its merit, separate from all the other baggage.

For all its posturing on the issue of one man, one vote, the PLP is well aware that in choosing just one of 36 representatives, my electoral vote is worth only 6th of a vote for choice of ruling party.

The same dilution applies to any issue tied to an electoral vote. A referendum by its nature is a true one man, one vote system. Specific rules of quorum and majority can be applied to ensure that the resolution arrived at is truly representative of a reasonable majority of the electorate. The issue, decided in isolation, is less likely to be skewed by party politics.

JONATHAN DYER

Hamilton Parish

Getting a bad rap

March 16, 2004

Dear Sir,

I was trying to come up with another good reason why we have young people in gangs, young people riding to their deaths at high speed around the island, and all the other antisocial activity going on around us especially for the past ten years or more.

I believe I have come up with one of the unfortunate reasons, and that is, rap music.

You see young people plugged into their rap music, which is more garbage than music. You hear car radios blasting out this atonal river of offal, and you know that it's making its insidious way into the minds of these people, the foul words and trashy sentiments taking root and destroying what sense they have. The result is chaos in their minds, chaos in their lives and disrespect for everyone, young or old.

The popularity of this sound is an unfortunate state of affairs, but that is what the US music producing industry has given birth to ? and of course, the huge amounts of money generated from this base source is incredible. Despite the local complaints that everything is too costly, our young people seem to have too much money these days, so they can afford to enrich the "rap stars" until they are so rich they don't know what to do with their cash.

It's too bad our people have bought into this foul "entertainment", can't say I admire their taste.

FOR CLEAN AIR

Smith's Parish