Protect bus drivers

December 21, 2009

Dear Sir,

There have been too many recent instances of violent assault at the Hamilton bus terminal on our bus drivers. These incidents not only physically and mentally hurt the drivers but the passengers are also traumatised. We are seeing young men with behaviour problems and explosive emotions that they can't control misbehaving and causing conflict. Mr. Editor, as usual, drugs addiction and drug induced psychosis is behind the violent outbursts. Government needs to put a full-time guard on the route where most of the problems occur.

CHARLES SPANSWICK

City of Hamilton

Be sensitive to our needs

December 16, 2009

Dear Sir,

It should be our objective to fulfil our obligations to society by correcting social injustices. The recognition of the equal worth of all people in the sight of God should compel us to take steps to improve the situation to those who are victimised by prejudice, persecution, and oppression. We must be sensitive to human needs. Every person should have a right to defend himself. If justice is sent to be done a change in policy is needed to allow one to appear before Cabinet to defend oneself.

RAYMOND RUSSELL

Pembroke

Cooper was off the mark

December 22, 2009

Dear Sir,

Your columnist, Sheelagh Cooper, has missed a number of important points in her "Opinion" today.

However prior to making my point, let me tell a story about a family. On the day their first child was born, the father lost his job and was out of work for 18 months. The father managed to scrape by, growing vegetables and raising chickens, both for the eggs and also for meat. He finally got a job with local government and stayed in that position for 25 years. Eighteen months after getting this job, they had a second child. They rented accommodation and did not have a car or a refrigerator.

If anything was required for the household, it was not purchased unless it could be paid for in cash. Without a refrigerator, food was purchased on a daily basis. To get to the stores, they would walk and to get to work, ride a bicycle or catch the bus. No washing machine or drier was in the house so clothes were washed by hand and hung out to dry on a line. Obesity was not a problem because walking was an exercise practised every day without the children realising it. The children did not sit around watching television and were kept occupied playing football, cricket, taking the dog for a walk. Youth programmes did not exist in those days and the reason for that was there happened to be a war on, the Second World War. People were bombed out of their houses, children going to school were fired at by German planes, however many survived although a lot of them were killed. School in those days for the children was only for half a day, because a lot of evacuees flooded the area and they had to be educated too.

These children were given three things in life, love, and education and discipline. Now I am not a criminologist, however, I do have something which is missing with a lot of people these days, and that is what is old fashioned common sense. Unfortunately, there are a lot of so called do gooders in this world who call discipline abuse. There is a very big difference between the two. Children who are told "No!" and given discipline from an early age, and I mean two years of age, will grow into responsible citizens. The time has come when discipline needs to be exercised in the home and then later in the school. When we get back to good old common sense, we will eliminate a lot of the problems we have today. This will not occur overnight and it will take some 20 years before we will see the benefits of exercising discipline with love. The first step is to remove the wimps from this world, second restore discipline and three make sure the children are given an education. By the way, the family I talked about, was mine.

ANTONY SIESE

City of Hamilton

Looking for leaders

December 13, 2009

Dear Sir,

Permit me via your medium to convey some sentiments in what I must term "an open letter to Parliamentarians". Having endured this past Session and its poor standard of debate I feel constrained to comment. With every oration in the House commenced with the words "Mr. Speaker, I will only be brief... " the fundamental misunderstanding of an elected member's role is displayed. Parliamentarians, your constituents sent you to the House to speak, to advance those causes in which you share common beliefs. If in so doing your can be brief then so be it but to start in that vein creates an image that speaking in the House is somehow to be discouraged. It is what you do!

It seems to me, and I might add to many others, that the main feature of any day's debate is the interminable congratulatory and/or obituary statements. These pathetic ramblings congratulating everyone from the cat that got the canary to genuine achievements in society seem to have become the raison d'être for so many MPs. The voices of many Parliamentarians would never be heard but for this period. It is an embarrassing feature of our Legislature and speaks to an absence of gravitas that is made almost frightening in these difficult times.

There are no skilled orators in the Legislature any longer. A Horton shouts regularly at the nation, a Swan (or is it a country boy from St. George's?) rivals his volume while "thinking it not robbery" about anything. Add to that Hunt whose family somehow makes it into every debate, a shrieking Roban, a snide Moniz, an E.T. whose metaphors are simply "out to lunch" and Dame Lois could be forgiven for thinking that it has indeed now become "kindergarten".

It is possible to do better, sir. First, the men and women who are serving must become students of their game. Learn the rules, read more than whatever they're reading now and when next they travel, abandon the Mall and find a sister-Legislature somewhere and watch them at work for an hour. Then, prepare for the debate. And by prepare I mean research, make notes, be ready to defend and propose. Preparation is not tying the Dogs Act to the Dockyard cruise terminal, nor is it bringing legislation in need of grammatical changes.

Lastly, sir it is time for the best and the brightest to again be in public service. Imagine, where Dr. Gordon, Wesley Tucker, Dr. Cann, Dr. Stubbs, Ann Cartwright and E.T. (the real one) once sat, we're reduced to back slapping rhetoric more akin to the playing field than the House. talk of crystal balls and country boys is not a worthy heir to these men and women of distinction. This necessarily means by-elections; there are at least six in the Government alone who should be spending more time with their families sooner rather than later. They should lead by example and make way for the Young Turks we all know are chomping at the bit to improve not just the standard in the House but to set a new tone for the Country.

Their February 5 return looms and a Government sedated by its statistical lock on power, an Opposition who just will not listen to the clarion calls on why they continue to lose and the other guys whose suits are their only front bench material will trouble themselves with the little matter of the Budget. A friendly wager, sir, I bet not one of them, on either side will say the words "new revenue source'. Of course not, they will want to be brief.

A.S. SIMONS

Paget

How to solve the problem

December 17, 2009

Dear Sir,

The primary objective of an efficient police force, yes, I wrote force, has been well documented for many years. Since 1829, I believe. It is the prevention of crime. The success of any police force depends upon it. To prevent crime, Police must have control of the streets. For the past 25 years this has not been the objective of the Bermuda Police. It has not been proactive. A succession of "social worker " type police officers have run the unit into the ground. Being politically correct does not serve the public. Having politically correct and "nice" and allegedly educated senior officers is not the way forward, especially if they haven't been at the sharp end. I note that the new Commissioner will be taking the streets back one at a time. Who let them go? He knows. It was his job as a junior officer rapidly rising through the ranks to secure the streets. I hope he knows how to do it but I have my serious doubts. I doubt that many senior police officers know where the streets are.

Taking them back will not be easy but it can be done. Serious crackdowns on dangerous road practices and seizure of illegal/ modified vehicles would be a start. Foot patrols in all "dodgy " areas must be implemented with serious backup in the area. Hiring of police officers who are wannabe social workers should cease immediately. Any officer who is serving and wants to get a better education should be told to do it on his/her own time and should not be given any special duties/favours/arrangements to fulfil those ambitions. The Commissioner and all his staff officers must be seen on the streets during the hours of darkness supporting the front line men. They must understand what they face. To the best of my knowledge the only time most of them get out in the dark is when they drive home.

Other plans must be put in place. There must be a continuing flow of overseas undercover officers present in Bermuda. There are other things to do and you don't have the space here!

However, when you take back the streets there will be casualties. Some "innocents" will get swept up and maybe, their mums and dads ... sorry ... a slip... their mothers and grandmothers will be upset. Tough luck ... we are 22 square miles in the middle of nowhere. We have to be tough.

Mothers and grandmothers and all family members must get a grip on their families. Church funeral parades and weeping and moaning after the event are correct but you could have avoided the deaths and you know it.

Corruption must be sorted. Yes ... there is some and it is more apparent than most Bermudians think. A quick word too for our well paid, expense account housed, senior executives who are privileged to live here. Most of you are brilliant and an asset. However, there are those in your midst who regularly abuse controlled substances in your elegant homes. You contribute to the escalating problems so when you meet to "water fountain" Bermuda's woes, grip hold of one of these guys/gals by the neck and get them sorted. No more drugs.

Please be aware that the public education system will never be fixed in the foreseeable future. An uneducated public is the only way politicians control absolutely. Just blame everyone else. That's a large part of the crime problem... but that's another story.

Please, Bermudian public don't be fooled by some politicians, in power, who say that "if things were different we could change laws quickly ". That only means let us be independent and then we can really have power and run the country like a dictatorship. To the dedicated Police Officers who lay your lives on the line daily I wholeheartedly support you. You know who you are and can sleep with a clear conscience. You are a dying breed, which is a tragedy. Before I close, it does seem a trifle strange, or is it me being ...? The one guy who is sworn to oversee and look after us had armed bodyguards a few years ago. Why was that then? Did he know something we didn't? I have over 25 years of overseas and local police experience. I have the right to be heard but, unfortunately, I can't sign my name as I don't believe there are that many out there who are capable, and have the desire, to protect me and my family.

PARA BELLUM

Smith's