Dear Sir,

I read where a Progressive Labour Party representative defended the track record of the PLP on gang violence but without any real analysis whatsoever. Or maybe the reporter just neglected to ask pertinent questions?

In any case, the concerns of the opposition senator were, in my view, justified. But, equally, she fell well short of any solutions — only to say that some families are not reporting their children’s illegal activities to the appropriate authorities.

In the meantime, the Minister of National Security is said to be putting in place a comprehensive plan that, for all intents and purposes, was already supposed to be in place, having been implemented by previous national security ministers. This, to me, suggests that all of our hard-working public servants, as it relates to this subject, are grossly overwhelmed and equally short on ideas.

Do the leaders on both sides of the House have to be reminded that, until very recently, drugs along with guns have been smuggled into this island for very many decades with little to no antisocial fallout?

Just to put it in perspective: ganja has now successfully passed through both Houses of Parliament — in other words, it has been made legal. Can anyone give me even a small hint as to what all this means?

And, in spite of Bermuda having a Black government, Black inmates represent well in the region of 90 per cent of the persons incarcerated at Westgate Correctional Facility — and the statistics look to be getting even worse. So can that be considered Black-on-Black hate? And, if so, by whom? Isn’t it all relative?

Culture, coupled with traditions, can — and in this case has — unwittingly manifested very grave, albeit unintentional, consequences.

To make my point, does the idea that we “don’t wash our dirty linen in public” ring a bell? I can go on, but I think my point is made. The answer to the good opposition senator’s concern speaks for itself as to why we tend not to be so quick to turn over our children to the police, in spite of a PLP government.

All this means, you have a lot of sorting out to do, but do you really understand the culture?

How are we as a country going to address all these contradictions? Or maybe some think it’s just a Black problem? You getting my drift? You plant confusion, so you will reap confusion.

Ignorance is the enemy, while traditional politics steeped in race is the “bull in the china shop” and time is the corrector.

And by all appearances, time is the only element in these three configurations that has moved forward unprohibited. And the passage of time has brought with it very grave revelations, to the extent that even the traditionally entrenched ignorant now are finding it increasingly harder to ignore the truth.

And the truth is that the past has passed. We need to embrace a new way for a better day, and the politicians need to do more following and less leading. This is what real representation is about.

The real answers and power are in the people. Stop cherry-picking. Lean on the people — because it is now very painfully obvious that the people have become a burden that the Government, irrespective of who is in power — can no longer carry alone.

Nelson Mandela once said: “When wise people are silent, foolishness proliferates.” Given the choice, I prefer to be respected rather than liked, and “experience as the best teacher” has borne respect to be the far better option of the choices.

Unity in the community world vibe, fighting with peace and not for it.

GLADWYN SIMMONS

Sandys