January 11, 2012Dear Sir,One of the reasons that I find comments about the Progressive Labour Party like those made by Allan Marshall and Craig Cannonier so frustrating and infuriating is because I urged the PLP in the 1960s when they were formed to address the segregation and racism and they would not. They were so anxious to compromise with the white community which segregated us in the naive hope of getting white labour to join that they would do nothing to upset whites. Of course whites did not join they are segregationist. If the PLP had listened to me, they not only would have gained the Government much earlier than they did but the remarks of Allan Marshall would then have validity. Of course segregationist whites welcomed blacks politically because they could never have won the government without blacks. They certainly have not shown any interest in “integrating” anything else apart from the political party.In any case, when the discussion comes up about the United Bermuda Party being integrated and the PLP not being integrated people like Allan Marshall should be honest enough to admit why we are segregated into black and white communities in the first place. For those who really do not know: In 1834 when slaves were emancipated (as a result of the insistence of Great Britain) white Bermudians promptly introduced all kinds of policies and practices to ensure that blacks were segregated both to propagate the concept that they were so inferior that they should not be allowed to be near white people except in the service role and also to ensure that they never would have opportunities to partake in the economic benefits of the Island to further ensure their inferior position.It should be obvious to the most unintelligent among us that whites only want to “integrate” politically so that those blacks who are (stupid enough?) so inclined will help them to gain political power. When one hears all of the promises of the One Bermuda Alliance, one needs to remember that when Bermuda was prospering the UBP did nothing, absolutely nothing, to ensure that Bermuda’s young black males were given opportunities anything like those that whites took for granted. Closing the Technical Institute was just one small reminder that blacks were intended to remain ignorant and in servile roles. Of course whites even liberal whites do not want to hear people like Mr (Rolfe) Commissiong or myself talk about race. They only want to hear from people like Allan Marshall and those in the OBA who will blame the PLP for the racism of whites because they are whites who have successfully divided us in the first place. For those who want to hold Mr Commissiong and the PLP responsible for our racial divide, do a little experiment and consider what kind of country we would be today if at Emancipation blacks had been given the same opportunities as whites! What a different country we would have today!EVA N HODGSONHamilton Parish