Funny how things change

June 4, 2007

Dear Sir,

It has been brought to my attention that UBP ran an ad in your publication today using the slogan “It’s a matter of TRUST”. I find the UBP’s use of this slogan very interesting, especially since it was the slogan used in the recent election success of the Free National Movement (FNM) (www.freenationalmovement.org) here in the Bahamas. I do not, however, find it surprising that the UBP would use this slogan because one of its senior members has spent quite a bit of time in the Bahamas meeting with FNM officials. I would suggest that the Bermuda electorate review the FNM web site because I have a feeling that much of what the FNM did will be used by the UBP in its attempt to win back the Government.

For some time now the UBP has been trying to align itself with the FNM but it seem to forget that when the PLP won the Bermuda Government in 1998 it was the Prime Minister and FNM Party Leader Hubert Ingraham who flew a contingent of his Government to Bermuda to celebrate the PLP victory.

The UBP has never had anything pleasant to say about the Bahamas but here it is using election slogans from a Bahamian political organisation. Funny how things change. What this shows is a total lack of originality on the part of the UBP because they cannot even come up with their own slogan.

GUILDEN M. GILBERT, JR.

Nassau, Bahamas

Amazing progress?

May 30, 2007

Dear Sir,

Any progress made by this Government is amazing but the “spin” put on this project by two eminent members of Government in Ruth O’Kelly-Lynch’s article on Friday 25 May, 2007 is the “amazing” part, not the progress. A number of issues have been raised by local residents, to little effect, but let us deal first with traffic. Our senior politician, in his glib way, said that “This building does not mean 96 new cars because the people who move in here are already living in Bermuda so, many of them already have cars.” For this remark to have any validity at all would mean that everyone who has bought a unit would now be living to the West of Loughlands and coming into Hamilton on the South or Middle roads. In other words, none of these people now lives to the East of Paget!

* Is this what they are saying?

* If so can they prove it?

* Will they try to prove it?

* Do they realise that it will affect everyone (no matter where they now come from) who lives to the West of Loughlands and uses the South and Middle Roads through the Paget traffic lights?

* Do they care?

* Are they saying that all 96 units have been pre-sold? If not their point about “affordable housing” is of little value. At $450,000 — no doubt plus — perhaps it is of little value anyway. And what of other pertinent issues that have been raised but not answered (no doubt because answers might not be forthcoming or embarrassing) such as:

* Sewage. It is already a relatively heavily populated area with some five (still operating) hotels in Paget alone, plus the Bermuda College.

What is being done to cope with the additional load? Don’t tell us that because they already live here — somewhere in Bermuda — they will not produce any more sewage in Paget!

* Schools. Paget is not oversupplied with schools — is one to suppose that our Senior Politician will tell us that these remarkable new Loughlands people either do not have children or they are beyond school age, or, because of the ghastly standards of the public school system their children are being educated abroad? Pull the other one!

One cannot blame Mr. Lopes for seeing an opportunity to make a legitimate profit. One can only hope that:

1. Everyone has come out of the deal with, just that, a legitimate profit; and

2. Belco gets all it’s currently advertised road works completed before Loughlands comes on line — otherwise God help us!

COPERNICUS

Paget — East of Traffic Lights

Value our young people

May 29, 2007

Dear sir,

Please allow me space in your newspaper to express my concerns of our young people. Today’s youth are more violent, rude and some are out of control. This behaviour must be addressed, Mr. Editor, summer is fast approaching and schools will close for I believe ten weeks. “Have we made progress in addressing youth/gang violence?” “Have we addressed this so called war between town, country? “Have we seen the end of it!”

I don’t think so, because each year around this time, it raises its ugly head, and I believe it will rise again, and we need to prevent this, “How?” some may ask, I say, let us focus all our efforts and a lot of resources into our young people, for we need to insure their self worth, we must begin to trust them and show interest in them, we must compliment, encourage and support them for this will stimulate them to work towards goals and personal ambitions. We must allow them to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses and have a sense of responsibility for themselves and other people. Young people need a sense of security for this will free them from fear, doubt and uncertainty and we must allow them to enjoy themselves, for feeling secure will allow them to enter more confidently into relationships with others. We must let them know how valuable they are even when they fail, give them space to live a responsible life under their own will. They will be able to meet challenges, solve problems and improve their own knowledge and abilities.

Mr. Editor, we need to change youth behaviour in order for them to understand the meaning of authority and show them how to act and then encourage them to move towards that direction. They also need self discipline, which can be done by promoting respect, over confinement.

The shame of imprisonment, destroys self respect, it also stated that when the system offers no help to troubled youth especially those with no strong home support they turn to their peers for reinforcement. So young people especially males desperately need role models to guide and direct them into manhood. They want advice and guidance but will not listen to just anyone but will listen to someone they respect, otherwise we will not be able to reach them.

They will need to know how to relate to people with compassion and love, how to use their abilities and talents in order to make a positive impact on our community. If you do not think that these young people are not important enough, then we should not be surprised when they end up in gangs, in jail or in trouble. This is why we continue to fight for youth centres, and to introduce our programme, and the reason why the West End Youth Community Club exists, to keep our young people off the walls, out of gangs, jail and trouble.

GERALD FUBLER

Sandys

Love is the principle

May 25, 2007

Dear Sir,

The Human Rights Act now being considered ensures the human rights of all Bermudians without regard to sexual orientation. Rightly so since every person is entitled to equality under the law. Individuals like Island Gal and Great Great Granny Dee (April 27 and May 21, 2007) are entitled to their opinions under the right of free speech, but they must not be able to deny human rights to others because of their religious beliefs. The terrible wrongs committed by religious extremists in Iraq in the name of God is frightening and must not happen here.

The Old Testament is the history of the Jewish people, the story of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but it is not Christian. How could it be since Jesus who founded Christianity was not born until after all of the writers of the Old testament were dead.

The Old Testament contains the revelation of God in legal terms (the law) as the writer understood it. The book of Leviticus contains instructions about exactly how animal sacrifices were to be offered as a penance for sin and about how men should cut their hair and beard. We do not live by these instructions anymore. Do we choose to pay attention to only those with which we agree?

Jesus, who was born a Jew, revealed that love is the guiding principle in all things. When asked by his disciples “which is the greatest commandment” he instructed them “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind . . . and your neighbour as yourself,” asserting, “On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22.37-40). This means that we must pass the Human Rights Act so that those of different sexual orientation have the same human rights as others do under the law.

ELIZABETH KITSON

Pembroke

God is with Dr. Brown

May 29, 2007

Dear Sir,

This is an open letter to Dr. Brown, our Premier. Dr. Brown, I do not know you, but I am writing to encourage you and to tell you to stay strong and stand proud. God is with you. Though they slay you, put your hands in God’s hands. God will take care of you. My prayer group has decided to keep you in prayer, for no man deserves the kind of treatment your enemies give to you. They never say anything good, I mean nothing. They act as if you have never done anything good for Bermuda. I have seen murderers and dope dealers, rapists and thieves who have not been vilified and scorned like you have. We are going to hold you up in prayer. We watched you humble yourself before God and all of Bermuda right after you became leader. We saw you on your knees being anointed with holy water and prayed over and we saw you blessed as Bermuda’s leader in the name of Jesus. Nobody can turn you around.

Dr. Brown, I say to your enemies that gang upon you everyday, to Dunleavy, Pat Gordon Pamplin, Grant Gibbons, Mrs. Jackson, and all the others who treat you as if you are not human and do not have loved ones, watch yourselves. Dr. Brown is not perfect, but no human being is. He works hard and he is doing his best. What you are trying to do to this man is a sin before God and man. You are like bullies in the school yard. The Bible says that the evil you spin will come back to you triple. I feel sorry for all of you and your families because you will inherit the whirlwind. God will take care of you too.

ALWAYS PRAYERFUL

Warwick

Cox between a rock...

June 1, 2007

Dear Sir,

The newspaper article — “Cox defends untendered $1m emissions contract’ — The Royal Gazette June 1, 2007 — reads loud and clear that once again Minister Paula Cox finds herself firmly jammed between a large rock and a very hard place. Everything she said was filled with generalities and ambiguities. Her discomfort was obvious. “—Generally contracts over $50,000, usually it’s a Cabinet policy that we tend to advocate them going to tender.” Followed by, “If you are going to abrogate that rule there has to be a good reason —”

Translation: Minister Cox knew what should have been done — knows that it wasn’t done, maybe doesn’t know why it wasn’t done, or, for that matter, whether it was going to be done. But she can’t say so publicly because she is a member of Cabinet. Then she says: “Generally, the rule is, over $50,000 you go to tender — but there is a rationale, if the case is made and it’s defensible by the Cabinet — to have an exception.” Well, was it or wasn’t it? And, why doesn’t she know?

At the very end of the article, the beleaguered Finance Minister is asked what was new about Premier Brown’s agenda. She answered: “I think it’s a different style of leadership. He has ushered in a wave of change. I think he is more action orientated and impatient to see results sooner rather later.” Translation: I’m having a hard time with this question — after all, I don’t even like the man, and, as we all know, when he wants certain things to happen he’ll happily get his way.

That’s what I mean about a rock and a hard place. It is a well-known fact that Finance Minister Paula Cox is the person who bestows legitimacy upon the Brown government. Her reported comments in the RG article tell me that she is in an untenable position. Inevitably, Minister Paula Cox is going to have to choose between her principles, her sense of duty and the questionable, devious policies of the Brown administration.

POPULIST IN PAGET

It is time to leave

May 31, 2007

Dear Sir,

I have had enough of my Country. There, I’ve said it. I am a Bermudian married to a foreigner and it is sad that my wife has to feel like an outsider in my country because of our immigration laws. If we decide to leave Bermuda to work/live in the States as we can’t afford a house here she would need a visitor’s visa to come back to Bermuda as her spousal letter would be void. What if there was an emergency or if someone in my family died and we had to return quickly? God forbid if our Bermudian child is visiting his grandparents here and becomes gravely ill or gets into an accident. Waiting three weeks for a visa is not right or fair because she is my wife — the wife of a Bermudian. What hurts me most is that my wife came here to be with me and she was prepared to go with me anywhere in the world because she wanted to be with me. So to see her give up a good job and leave her friends and family because I want her with me and to see her treated like this is sad.

I was told by Immigration that these laws are basically the same all over the world. However she has a ten year visa with the US and we can travel back and forth even though we live and work here. Why isn’t the same extended here? When immigration laws are being made we need to think family and not someone coming to rob, kill and destroy us. Knowing that we have a child and my child and I returning here stand in the status line. My wife, if travelling by herself, has to stand in the visitors line when she returns. Can you imagine how one would feel after giving up so much? My wife gave up a good life to be with me here and was fully committed to us building a life/family here. However we feel that the housing situation here is ridiculous and nothing I feel is being done to fix it. I say nothing because when the theme of the day is building high rise condos and we say there is no land. What’s up with the old US base in Southampton or are we still waiting for some major real estate developer to arrive and build us another tuckers town with golf course, exc.

If you don’t feel what I’m saying well imagine this: you sell your house in Bermuda and leave a good job,family and friends to live with your husband/wife, only to find that where he/she lives that the country really don’t want you there. They have laws that you have to wait ten years to be a citizen, your husband and you work hard but you can only own one property, stand in a separate line at the airport, etc. Finally, for me it is embarrassing and an insult and I think I’ll take my leave.

UTTERLY DISAPPOINTED

Pembroke

Have some manners

June 4, 2007

Dear Sir,

As someone who has recently and joyously become pregnant, I find it disturbing that friends/acquaintances feel compelled to try and ‘catch me out’ and have me confirm or deny it. Between putting me on the spot by observing physical changes/symptoms and asking flat out if I am pregnant, to making insinuations and snide remarks, I must confess I am baffled. When you say to a woman “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”, you are taking quite a risk in terms of some of the potential answers:

1. I am not pregnant and now wonder if everyone thinks I am?

2. I am not pregnant, I wish I was — we have been trying for a long time/are unable to have children.

3. I was pregnant but recently suffered a miscarriage.

4. I am pregnant but want to wait until the elevated risk of miscarriage has passed at twelve weeks before telling anyone.

5. I am pregnant but don’t think of you as someone who I’d normally go out of my way to inform.

6. I am pregnant but simply forgot to tell you — thank goodness you asked!

From where I sit, five out of six of the answers are going to cause someone pain and someone else embarrassment.....and really, what are the chances of a pregnant woman forgetting to tell you?

Why do people feel the need to be the first ones to guess? Have some manners and wait until the big news is announced, nobody keeps this a secret for the fun of it.

INCREDULOUS

Southampton