April 8, 2002

Dear Sir,

I note with interest the fact that the Government are to hold a series of public meetings and also issue a leaflet to educate us on the ‘benefits' of membership of Caricom, and I look forward to seeing how the politicians justify it.

Whilst Minister Bascome and ‘social activist' Rolfe Commissiong have extolled some of the ‘benefits' that Bermuda will gain through associate membership and that Bermuda will only ‘sign on' for those articles that will benefit us, perhaps they can explain Government's response to the following that is listed on the Caricom internet site (www.caricom.org) under the heading ‘Free movement of skills: Elimination of need for work permits'.

Free movement in the CARICOM single market and economy (CSME). ‘The free movement initiative was mandated by the 1989 Grand Anse Declaration. Basically, free movement entails the elimination of the need for work permits. It is important to note from the outset that free movement is an important pillar of the CSME'.

Article 45 of the revised Treaty of Chaguarmas (which forms the basis for Caricom) states that ‘Member States commit themselves to the goal of the free movement of their nationals within the Community'. However it goes on to say ‘freedom of movement within the Caribbean Community, subject to such exceptions and qualifications as may be authorised by national law and which are reasonably justifiable in a free and democratic society'. It continues: “Notwithstanding the above, the Conference decided to implement free movement in a phased approach, but the ultimate goal is free movement for all.”

Under the heading ‘Free Movement of University Graduates' it states that in July 1995 the Conference of Heads of Government agreed that, with effect from January 1996, CARICOM Nationals, who are university graduates, should be allowed to move freely in the Region for work purposes, thereby eliminating the need for work permits. I have not looked at the Caricom Agreement on Social Security which came into effect on 1 April 1997 under which Caricom nationals are already receiving benefits but it should prove interesting reading.

At present, I cannot see how Bermuda will benefit, as ultimately in a free and democratic society we will have to agree to all of the provisions of membership or else what is the point of joining, but again I look forward to my Government's public meetings, or is it already a ‘done deal'.

CRO

Smith's Parish

There are gangs here

April 4, 2002

Dear Sir,

Reading the article in Wednesday April 3 Royal Gazette, “Car blazes blamed on teenage gang attack” was upsetting at best. To read that one of the victims blamed the incidents on a gang was most disturbing. Having served in law enforcement for 18-plus years, gangs are a very intricate part of law enforcement. I do not wish to assume that the term of gang used in Bermuda is the same as here in the United States.

The accepted definition of gang in the USA is any group of people who are perceived as a distinct group by others. They recognise themselves as a distinct group and prompt a negative response from the community. The group or gang is organised, has leadership and is involved in criminal acts.

There are different types of gangs. What the victim of the vehicle burning appears to be describing is your social or neighbourhood gang. These gangs are a group of persons who band together because they find their goals and social life can be achieved more easily as a group. There may be groups that are cliques in neighbourhoods, schools or other defined areas which the group has in common.

While listening to 1450 A.M a few days ago,a lady called in from St. George's discussing some of the young people in her area, she spoke of their rudeness, their laziness and how one did not see them during the day but at night they came out the woodwork, male and female. This is a characteristic of a gang(s). Gangs have a sophisticated way of communicating and representing their membership to rivals and to fellow members i.e. colours, graffiti, tattoos, hand signals etc. Gangs have a tendency towards criminal acts and violence towards rival groups. They also tend to prey upon the community within their boundaries.

I would like to make it very clear, gang behaviour is not a distinct representation of any ethnic or cultural group, rather a very organised subculture within the ethnic and cultural factions of any community. There are gang characteristics that one can observe too long for this letter. In closing I will say that I hope and pray that the Bermuda Police, Bermuda Prison Service and other agencies involved within the communities are trained in the recognition of gangs. I might add that under the circumstances the closing of the manned Police station in St. George's is asinine.

MICHAEL PITTS

Inverness, Florida

TCD tribulations

April 3, 2002

Dear Sir,

I have a bit of a tan, my freckles are sprouting in profusion, all of my friends are commenting on it. They are commenting, because as the ‘pale skinned' Spouse of a Bermudian, I am usually engulfed in a succession of ever stronger high SPF sunscreens from Easter until late autumn. As a result, my Gaelic origins are in no doubt and accordingly, provide much opportunity for mirth amongst my Bermudian friends. So why all of a sudden, have I departed from this otherwise prudent course of action, well because it's the end of March and my motorcycle is due to be relicensed.

What, you may ask, is the connection? Well, as you may be aware, motorcycle testing during the first three months of the calendar year is restricted to afternoons only. Why this should be so, I do not know, but I can assure you that amongst the assembled crowd of my fellow motorcycle ‘testees' many possible explanations for this policy were postulated. The most credible suggestion being that during the first three months of the year, the morning session was reserved for the testing of livery cycles, a solution treated with much derision by the crowd in view of our somewhat ‘disappointing' tourism statistics.

Anyway, I arrived there, (as I had been unable to book an appointment) at 12.40 p.m., a comfortable 35 minutes in advance of opening of testing, but was disappointed to note that I was, by that time fifteenth in the queue. However, I calculated that at approximately three minutes per bike, I should have completed my testing by 2 p.m. and be back at the office shortly thereafter.

During the inevitable wait, one gets chatting with one's fellow motorcyclists and the discussion eventually wound around to the speculation as to whether, in the first quarter of the year, the government restricts sales of new motorcycles to 50 percent of those sold in the remaining months of the year. This would ensure no mismatch between numbers of motorcycles and testing resources. The general consensus was, that no such ‘resource matching' takes place.

Well, do the Government increase the testing facilities during this period to meet demand, sadly again the answer appeared to be no as, at 1.15pm promptly, the doors were thrown open by the one (and only) ‘Testing Operative' and we shuffled forward excitedly in anticipation of our moment of glory.

In the end I stood there in the sun, from 12.40 p.m. until finally completing my ‘three minute test” at 3.30pm. It would have been quicker, but for the Tester's compulsory “refreshment break” for 15 minutes at 3 p.m. So, is this letter, just another sniping complaint about TCD. Who, if anyone, suffers from this situation apart from me and my now ‘glowing' forehead. The answer is, I believe, that the whole community suffers. There were, by my count, in excess of 40 people in the queue during my ‘visit' and if we assume each spent on average two and a half hours there , then at least one hundred working hours were lost in ‘value' to the community. This takes no account of those in the crowd muttering about the reaction of their superiors, on their belated return to the place of work.

It cannot be beyond the wit of man or TCD to make a simple problem like this go away, after all, is not the duty of government departments, the service of the people of the country. Oh, and by the way, I still have to go back tomorrow and queue inside TCD for my little sticky label, but this time I will take a good book and at least I won't need the sunscreen.

EASY RIDER

City of Hamilton

Go global, Bermuda

April 8, 2002

Dear Sir,

I feel sorry for the architects here - somehow they have been left out in the cold. What is all the fuss about? The rest of the civilised world turned to registering the professions, viz., doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, all other supplementary to medicine professionals, lawyers, vets, engineers, architects, etc., in an effort to provide the public with a recognisable body of qualified professionals, and also as a means of protecting the members themselves and the general public, from unqualified persons “ putting up a sign” and practising on the uninformed public. This, of course, was a most logical, basic, and necessary step, and one which happened in many professions as early as the turn of the 20th Century! Somehow, Bermuda, in its wisdom, left its architects out of this worldwide participation. Why? Now, all these years later, they are still fighting for the right to join the rest of the world's professionals.

Consequently, all the nonarchitects, designers, space planners, (whatever they prefer to be called), who have not achieved the minimum standard required for registration, are all nervous, angry, and upset, and are citing architects' greed, monopoly and unfair play, but this is not so! All the architects want is what every other professional person already has! The simple right to be part of a meaningful, professional register.

In fact, the Island's architects are being generous in recognising the needs of the “nonarchitects” here, and have stipulated that only when a building is over a certain size, need they seek advice, consent from an architect or engineer. Fair enough. They studied for years, they passed the exams! Wake up Bermuda and try to get global.

REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL AND SPOUSE OF A BERMUDIAN ARCHITECT

Somerset