Apology due over ‘accidental birth’ remark
On October 14, 2014, the One Bermuda Alliance announced Georgia Marshall as its candidate for the by-election that was taking place in Constituency 33.
She was unsuccessful in her bid for Parliament, as she was defeated by PLP candidate Jamahl Simmons by a vote of 462 to 326.
On February 16, 2015, the One Bermuda Alliance announced that it would be appointing Mrs Marshall to the Senate.
OBA Senator Georgia Marshall, Senate Chambers, July 2015
“My Bermudian status is as a matter of adult choice. Maybe I’m not the same as that member because that member’s Bermudian status is an accident of birth.”
It has been outlined and it quite obvious to most that Senator Marshall has not been wading in the political waters for a long time.
Even Premier Dunkley has conceded that “Georgia is relatively new to the front line of politics”.
That is absolutely no excuse for the disrespectful and distasteful comments that refer to those that are born in Bermuda as “accidental birth”.
An apology is warranted in the circumstances.
Definition of Accident
An unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.
Why on earth would this senator say such distasteful, disrespectful and utterly offensive words? It may seem to some as if Mrs Marshall’s words were a quick slip of the lip.
Lips and Brains
The great Julian Hall once said, “Somewhere in the head that holds the lips is a brain.”
Many think that Senator Marshall’s telling words perhaps provide an insight into how some in the OBA government truly feel about those of us who are born here on our own island home.
There are numerous examples of this consistent attack on the people of Bermuda by OBA officials:
• March 2013 Premier Craig Cannonier forced to offer an apology to the people of Bermuda due to remarks calling Bermudians “Xenophobic” from senior OBA officials. Senator Michael Fahy refused to apologise
• April 28, 2014 Former OBA senator Toni Daniels penned an op-ed, which included this statement:
“Real Bermudians are black. They live in black neighbourhoods, their children go to public school, their partners are other real Bermudians, they don’t go away to school or university, they belong to the union and they support the Progressive Labour Party.
• May 27, 2015 Senator Marshall openly attacks the Bermuda People’s Campaign and Bermudian media on television with totally baseless allegations. She was later forced to apologise
• July 2015 Senator Michael Fahy, who ironically happens to be the immigration minister, wrote this remark in an op-ed: “ ... there aren’t Bermudians with a birthright ...”
Attack on Bermudians
There is an almost constant campaign from the OBA to diminish the inherent pride of Bermudians. As evidenced earlier, we are constantly told by the OBA in no uncertain terms how they view born Bermudians.
Minister Fahy, who acquired Bermudian status himself, seemingly is forever advocating that Bermuda should be repopulated with anyone but born Bermudians. Recently, it was revealed that he ruled in favour of a non-Bermudian to be hired over a Bermudian.
Not only that, he launched a thinly veiled verbal attack on Bermudian Ombudsman Victoria Pearman.
In the House of Assembly on July 3, 2015, his decision to do so was openly defended by Premier Michael Dunkley. With all of this in mind, it seems so clear why Senator Marshall can openly air her true sentiments about Bermudians without apology.
ERON HILL
