December 31, 2012Dear SirI was disappointed, but on reflection not surprised, to read in today’s Royal Gazette Eva Hodgson’s op-ed on Marc Bean’s stated approach to the racial divide in Bermuda.My disappointment stems from the belief that unless all of us begin to approach the racial divide along the lines suggested by Mr Bean that we shall continue to be divided along racial lines. Indeed, despite our economic woes, Bermuda continues to be a land of immense opportunity for those that wish to take advantage of the opportunities that the existence of several thousand work permits provide to capable Bermudians.The key to success today is not whether we are born black or white, rather, success today is driven by what we know and what we can do with what we know. As the recently released findings from the 2010 Census again show us, if we wish to earn more, then we need to know more.In today’s Bermuda, there continues to be opportunities in just about any field you wish to name but, and here is the rub, they all require the post-holder to be educated in the particular field. From plumbing to cooking to nursing to accountancy, the list of opportunities is impressive and substantial. Simply put, in today’s Bermuda, it is no longer whether you are black or white, it is whether you are educated.Dr Eva Hodgson continues to live in the past, a place where she can quite correctly refer to practices that did put blacks at a distinct disadvantage to whites. That age is over, and while we can continue to discuss the impact that age may have had on today’s generation of black people, it will not move today’s black people forward. It will, however, continue to polarise us. Mr Bean, to his credit, appears to wish to break through the existing racial polarisation that Dr Hodgson seems intent on perpetuating.As the Census findings show us, it is education that will move people forward today. Politicians in today’s Bermuda would serve all people well, black and white, if they worked hard to return our public education system to its former glory.Excellent teachers, a relevant curriculum, a respected code of discipline, and a good infrastructure are some of the ingredients required to achieve this. It is time that all of us stood together, black and white, to work towards making our education product to be of the highest standard possible so that all of our people, black and white, can know that which they need to know in order to move forward in today’s world. I invite Dr Hodgson to join this movement.EHTHamilton Parish