Explain this, Mr. Lister

August 3, 2005

Dear Sir,

In his letter to the editor in the August 1 issue of ,Terry Lister, Minister of Education, criticises your columnist, Christian Dunleavy, for his views on the Bermuda public education system.

In his letter, Mr. Lister defends the public education system, insisting it is doing a good job. I wonder, then, if Mr. Lister can explain why he sent his son firstly to the private Warwick Academy and then on to an exclusive private boarding school in the States.

Cold on Hott

July 20, 2005

Dear Sir,

The childish joke that the DJ of Hott107.5 made to companies on the electric light tragedy is the sickest idea I have even read. Thaao Dill should be sued or his station should be taken off the air as an irresponsible station. We do not need it and it is a waste of people?s money.

The station itself is immature and silly and has no class.

And he thought it a joke!

Selection was wrong

July 18, 2005

Dear Sir,

Before I get to the most important part of this letter, let me take this opportune time to congratulate our national cricket squad for its historic achievement by qualifying for the World Cup in 2007 to be held in the West Indies. A job well done.

It was a great team effort, togetherness is always the key to success. I am very elated about the whole squad and I must also congratulate the coaching staff. Gus Logie did a fantastic job in such a short time, now we go from here, I know it is going to be a lot of hard work to be put in but we can do it. I would also say to Janeiro as captain ... a job well done meaning in all departments.

That is the greatest thing a captain can and must do. It is only natural that the rest of the players will follow, you directed your troops. I would like to see the board round up the best young cricketers at least seven or eight between the ages of 17 to 23 added to the squad for if we are going to start preparing early it would be a good thing.

We only have about 20 months to get ready and a few of the players who took part in this historic event will not be there, well not as players.

We really need two good medium fast bowlers and another good all rounder. If we can find these three or more, than we will be sitting high. I know we are in a rough group, but no matter how far we go, all of Bermuda should still be proud of what we have accomplished.

Now the important part: We do not need or select any player that is a suspect of a bad injury or who is injured. I?m talking about the Clay Smith saga.

Clay should have never been selected to that squad, he should have never departed this Island for Ireland. I for one was not surprised when he broke down and I would put my head on a chopping block that it was not his hamstring.

If one could have flown to Ireland and to the hotel I bet he had an ice pack on his knee. The selectors and physio hold some of the blame. They knew the player has had a bad knee for quite some time, you do not take chances like that with any player.

Clay makes one think that Clay is for Clay and not his country or his team. This was the World Cup and some people will forget it all because we made it to 2007 but it makes no difference to me.

Had the team had not gotten to the World Cup I still would have had something to say concerning the player or players. I like Clay as a player, he has guts, the will to win and determination but he did not have the heart to stand down. Anyone who knows about parts of the body ... the knee, hamstring ... should know the hamstring takes up to six weeks to heal and sometimes two months.

That is why I stated it could not have been a hamstring problem. The hamstring supports the knee the front thigh and the longest muscle in the back of the leg. I have been training for 52 years and still going and I know the body. I would love to have had him for two weeks at three times per week just two exercises for one hour and a half, you would not have passed.

If he sat out on training nets or body work at certain times something had to be wrong everybody else was working out, why not Clay?

P.S. Sir Gary Sobers withdrew from the first World Cup that the West Indies won at Lords because of a tingle in the groin area and was replaced by Rohan Konhoi and they won all games.

Your time is running out

July 25, 2005

Dear Sir,

To the PLP Government:

We the people elected you to manage our 21 square mile Island ? a little volcanic rock!

Since the election, you have elevated it to a nation ... to a country! Perhaps it makes you feel better managing something other than a rock?

Now, for the total arrogance, you want to go it alone. The UN will take care of us in a emergency? Like they took care of Rwanda?

Sirs, we don?t want Independence! Right now, we need adequate housing and a good education system ... certainly not a Berkeley where our money is being squandered and going into the pockets of ... you know who. Not ours!

It could be called mis-management ... stealing, etc. There are so many wrongs credited to this Government! It would make me sick to try to tabulate all of them. We Bermudians have spoken: No Independence! Proper and adequate housing. No more wasting of our money ... our dollars. We have appointed you and now you have embarrassed us. You have let us down.

The next election is coming. Dictatorial governments around the world and throughout history use the same modus operandi and the same tactics. Such governments say the people are ignorant. We need to brainwash them! Wrong. Not us Bermudians.

Let?s beware of false promises as this Government becomes more desperate. We will be reminded of the good they have done over the years and what they are going to do and what they are planning on doing and what is in the pipeline.

Time is running out.

Two shows, same price

July 21, 2005

Dear Sir,

Being an avid reggae fan, I was looking forward to the upcoming shows.

I would like to draw comparison to both shows. First you have two great DJs, Rodigan from England and Tony Matterhorn from Jamaica. Ticket price ... $45?

Second, you have the two greatest ever groups to come out of Jamaica. Everyone knows the Wailers but, do people realise that the Skatalites are the most significant instrumental band in the history of Jamaican music. Backing everyone from Bob Marley to Alton Ellis on the Bascone record label. Without this group, there would be little chance of the Matterhorn Rodigan clash. So how come the price to both shows are the same?

Voice your choice Bermuda.

Apologise to our daughter

July 27, 2005

Dear Sir,

In reference to your story of Tuesday, July 26, ?Rising to the challenge?. We, Kathy-Anne and Willis Steede, parents of Katherine Steede, take offence to your description of our daughter.

First we were shocked to hear there was a story of any kind on our daughter in your newspaper. Your first line describes our daughter at ten years old as rude and spiralling out of control and in large print. Though this may be true for a lot of children this is furthest from the truth of our daughter.

Katherine, has been Head Girl in primary school, a peer mediator through primary, middle school and high school.

Caregivers and teachers from nursery, primary, middle school and senior school have noted her year after year as well behaved, a joy to teach and have in their class, and a role model for the other students.

Our neighbours have nothing but compliments on our daughter. Don?t get me wrong, she is not perfect. No one is, however the little wrongs that she has done is normal learning experiences that we all go through.

The actual reason I had my daughter join was because at 10 years of age she had become bored and given up dance school, bowling and tennis, therefore needing some other constructive extra-curriculum. She couldn?t decide so I choose for her.

She had seen the prim and prissy side of life now it was time for her to see the rough side. After about three weeks of physical activity she said she hated it. She was told to put her all into it for one year and if she still didn?t like it, could leave and we would find something else. She would tell you in all the years she has been a member of the corps she may have missed a total of four nights due to trips or school activities. No other excuse is acceptable. As they say the rest is history.

Katherine Steede made history for the Bermuda Cadet Corps in July of 2004. She is the first female RSM and was the youngest to hold the rank at the time it was given to her. These should have been the attributes you had given to her. Instead you opted to paint yet another young upstanding Bermudian with disdain and lies.

We do not know if the sensationalism the story was trying to project was the work of or the Hierarchy of the Regiment, or even just the twisting of her words that the is so famous for, however it will not be at the detriment of our daughter?s reputation.

You owe this young spiralling achiever an apology or a corrected story.