Root of the problem

July 6, 2005

Dear Sir,

Regarding the violence aboard the MV last Friday:

One must hope that the United Bermuda Party now understands the damage it did to Bermuda when it allowed unhealthy inside pressure to force Police Commissioner Colin Coxall to leave this country.

Know your subject

July 12, 2005

Dear Sir,

Please allow me to address the letter dated June 15, 2005, authored by Myra K. Mercier and entitled ?Be wary of politicians?.

The author incorrectly assumes that those of us who support Independence do so because we believe it is will provide some magic formula to rid Bermuda of the economic and social problems that exist within it. I believe that those of us who support Independence do so because we truly believe that Bermuda can very successfully handle its own affairs, both internal and external, better than anyone else can. We believe Bermuda?s success is not due to its dependency status but on the calibre of its people. We believe those who oppose Independence give Great Britain too much credit for Bermuda?s success. We know it was Bermudians, via the Houses of Parliament, that created and implemented the legislation that exists today which has aided the success of Bermuda.

I would suggest that the author know her topic before she opens her mouth, because to speak on something about which you know nothing only brings your ignorance to light. Bermuda is in a precarious position economically because it is a single pillar economy. Any instability that one pillar, which if it occurred would be from outside influences, would create a disastrous economic fallout for all of Bermuda.

As far as the Bahamas goes and the tourists that visit, again she shows how ignorant she is. The Bahamas is currently one of the most successful tourist destinations in the Western Hemisphere, by far the most successful of any of the ?islands? including Bermuda. The Bahamas welcomes 5 million tourists each year. The author claims that the well to do do not vacation in the Bahamas. How wrong she is because the Bahamas is the playground, if you like, of the rich and famous. The author clearly has not heard of the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, which is in the process of a $750 million expansion and when complete will have more hotel rooms than the entire Bermuda market had during the height of its tourism success. She has not heard of the Atlantis? exclusive resort, The Ocean Club, which hosts top celebrities and the economically elite. She clearly has not heard of the Four Seasons Hotel, which recently opened in Exuma or the private home developments currently underway there, some 500 multi-million dollar homes.

She has no knowledge of the number of high-end hotels waiting to develop their own resorts in the Bahamas. She has no knowledge of the number of celebrities and the number of those listed on the Forbes? wealthiest persons lists that own homes in the Bahamas and visit on a very regular basis. The Michael Jordan Celebrity Golf Charity Classic is held in the Bahamas because it is where Michael Jordan spends a great deal of his time as do his fellow sports and entertainment personalities.

Ms Mercier talks about crime-ridden, unfortunately crime in Bermuda involves visitors and innocent victims to a much larger degree than the other islands mentioned by Ms Mercier. That has a much greater impact on the economy than do crimes committed as a result of illicit activity. There are many murders in the Bahamas, I believe we are just over 20 since the beginning of the year but I can also tell you that those crimes are directly related to illicit activity or are of a domestic nature. Crimes against tourists and/or law-abiding persons are not at all prevalent in the Bahamas, the same, sadly, cannot be said of Bermuda.

Bermuda is a beautiful country and a special place, it is my country of birth, the country I grew up in and it is and always will be my home but defaming another country in an effort to lift up Bermuda does nobody any good.

I would suggest to Ms Mercier that in the future instead of listening to hearsay, she should research and find out the facts for herself before she opens her mouth to speak.