6 July, 2014

Dear Sir,

I wonder how many people caught the irony of The Royal Gazette’s headline of July 4 (Independence Day) which stated “Be ready for PRC protests says PLP”.

Every schoolchild knows that on the 4th July 1776 the American colonists started the process of getting rid of King George III.

The rallying cry was “no taxation without representation”. This was a public relations coup d’etat. Back then there was no American equivalent of PRC holders. It was either give me the vote, or no taxes.

PRC holders cannot vote, which means, applying the principles of the Declaration of Independence that they should pay no taxes — no land tax, no payroll tax or other sundry inconveniences to the wallet — so long as they cannot vote to elect their representative(s) to Parliament.

Clearly, certain latter day King Georges pay no attention to logic. The PLP play, and they play very well, on the gullibility of the electorate, and they are terrified that any new Bermudians with brains will not vote the catastrophic PLP ticket.

They also disregard fairness and equity. Under no circumstances, should someone who has lived and worked and paid taxes in Bermuda for about 20 years or so be given the vote, and all the other benefits that go with being Bermudian.

July 4 was a victory for the idea that human rights are a natural right of everyone, not a gift from government. This was the essence of the revolution.

The 4th of July was a victory for freedom and human rights. Is there any chance of something like the revolutionary principles of 1776 being applied in Bermuda?

With people in the PLP who detest equity, human rights being applicable to anyone other than PLP supporters, and freedom, not a snowball’s chance in hell.

The principle to be applied to PRC holders in the Bermuda of July 4, 2014 is “shut up, pay taxes and to hell with representation. You are second class citizens, just like Black Bermudians were back in the 1950s.”

Yours faithfully,

ROBERT STEWART