October 13, 2003

Dear Sir:

Bermuda in my heart of hearts is home. Bermuda is a place where people work together, play together and - when the chips are down - pull together. My family lived in Bermuda for 31 years, although I moved away many years ago.

My fianc?e and I were planning to wed in Bermuda this October, but Hurricane Fabian had other plans. Although I have been through a hurricane, I still cannot imagine what Fabian really meant to Bermudians and tourists, as suddenly nature's wrath showed up on your doorsteps. I know some friends were weeks without power and many others had to endure additional damage as structures were open to the sky.

All through this, I cannot tell you how amazing I thought everyone was. Our wedding plans had to be cancelled as our guests were to be at the Sonesta. JW Bermuda Realty - whose staff were personally affected - managed to somehow take care of their guests renting homes as well as those of us planning to. Everywhere I turned, Bermuda and Bermudians indeed showed how they can pull together and still make us all want to come back - soon. Our trip to Bermuda was not cancelled - simply postponed. Our guests, flying in from all over Europe and Canada, were treated fairly by the airlines. Alas, I think Bermuda and Bermudians need to know how poorly the US-based airlines treated our guests during this act of God. Please do not treat this letter as ‘America bashing' for it is not. I cannot imagine a single American I know who would force people to fly to a devastated island (with beds either lost to the storm or whatever is left sold out to the Jazz Festival). One guest, Julia Russell, seeing that she was given no choice but to fly, explored every avenue we could find to find a bed. She never did - as such, her seat on a Delta flight was empty.

Bermuda works so hard to ensure repeat visitors. This is the essence of what makes your Island different. Invest once in getting a visitor and get them coming back. If I were Bermudian, especially dependent on tourism, I would boycott Delta Airlines, for forcing tourists to fly during these unusual times. Delta Airlines does not care about Bermuda or its guests - that is very clear. They took advantage of someone when they were down. I for one will never fly Delta.

MARC FOX

Vancouver, British Columbia

October 12, 2003

Dear Sir,

I am trying to sort out the meaning of teamwork in my mind. To me, I think teamwork means working together for the good of something, and that something covers a wide spectrum of our every day lives, i.e., from family to country.

Teamwork is not going along with the programme, just for the sake of “going along”. Teamwork is not because someone has said that you must to be a team player regardless of how or what the team is playing! That is not being a team player, that is being foolishly led and used. To be a team player, you should not have to compromise your beliefs.

When a person says that he is being a team player because of a political stance, regardless if that stance is not in the best interest of the country, and that same individual has been outspoken against that particular stance, I say that person is not being truthful. That person is not a team player. That person is only complying to further his or her own political agenda.

I have come to the conclusion that party politics is not in the best interest of Bermuda. Bermuda is much too small for party politics. Party politics has divided this Island more so than racial segregation did. With racial segregation, it was divided on the lines of black and white. With party politics, it is now divided, party against party; black against white; white against black; white against white; black against black (the most tragic); husband against wife; mother against father; brother against sister; uncle against aunt; and so on.

When I am told that this person hates the PLP, or that person hates the UBP, I have to ask myself: “Do we need this?” And, the answer is: “No, we do not need this!” More so, for the good of the country, we cannot afford this!

Maybe what we need to do is to get rid of all of the politicians who are only there for a paycheque. Maybe we need to get rid of all of the politicians who only see the government as an opportunity to make a financial killing for themselves and who are using the government as their own personal piggy bank.

Maybe we should fire the whole bunch and retain some management company to run the Island as a company, or revert to individual politicians who are elected on their own merit. Maybe we need to have individuals represent the country, not as part-time politicians, but as full-time politicians since our country has grown by leaps and bounds, and our problems are on par with the rest of the world.

We have had too many years of “let's play house” politicians. It is time to get serious as we live in very serious times. Bermuda is too sophisticated thus we deserves better than what we have received in the past. In the next election, I would like to see 36 individuals with intelligence, integrity, fairness and common sense, made up from all sections of the Island, stand as Independents. We need men and women who are interested in the well being of this country to step forward and “do the right thing”. It is time to put arrogance, inflated egos and personal political agendas to rest.

Bermuda could be a showplace to the rest of the world, but we have to get working on it before it is too late. We need to start with community meetings. We need to get people out to discuss different political subjects and to get a community spirit going. We need communication.

PAT FERGUSON

Warwick

October 11, 2003

Dear Sir,

Like many supporters of local sport, I was dismayed by the comments of David Sabir on behalf of the BFA regarding our participation in the qualifying portion of the upcoming World Cup.

Once again we hear as Adrian Robson wrote in Friday Forum (October 10) that the local game is being developed from the youth level up and for the first time we hear from the BFA that we are not to expect any success at the senior national level. At the same time, while conceding hopelessness in the short term, the BFA once again made the now obligatory request for cash and again asked the corporate community and football lovers to continue to support them with a view to long term results, with no hint as to when the current investment will prove fruitful just a vague assurance that it will be worth it.

That's not good enough because it puts one awfully close to the fine line of what is an investment and what is a gamble. When weighing any investment option for the long term one must both look at past results and short term expectations and in this case neither inspires investor confidence, therefore becoming a gamble. A gamble I'm wondering, how many are willing to take.

The 2004-2005 league campaign starts on Sunday and somewhere a young man is going to walk out on the soccer pitch for the first time at the senior level. Do you think he knows how many goals he has to score in his career to be the leading goal scorer in local football history or who holds that record. and how many goals does he have to score in a season, to beat that record? Is the most prolific goal scorer in Bermuda soccer playing now or has he been retired for 20 years? Who has scored the most goals for Bermuda at the international level or what goalkeeper has let in the least goals at the international or national level? Does anyone know? Can the BFA tell us? How can that young man making his debut Sunday be the best when he has no idea who that was and what they did. What is his motivation, the chance to play for a handful of trophies a year and a raucous motorcade if you are fortunate to win one?

That's why a lot of local athletes end up a lot like Marlon Brando's character in ‘On The Waterfront', they could have been somebody, they could have been a contender. It's just that nobody told them.

M. J. MATOS

City of Hamilton

October 1, 2003

Dear Sir,

There is no argument or dispute that the cost of living in Bermuda is high and it seems if you are born in certain family circumstances, it is virtually impossible for you to get ahead. You cannot move up the ladder if you can't get on the ladder.'

I have come to learn that many people, however, defy the circumstances of their birth and childhood and the notion that they will be non-achievers - destined to live as victims all of their lives. Rather, they defy all odds, work hard and are determined to let their positive and diligent attitude define their accomplishments. I have come to appreciate that life is all about choices.

As I look back on my life, I have done a lot of soul searching and have taken an inventory of my life. As recent as a month ago I saw myself as a victim of high rent. I had a victim mentality. I regarded myself a victim of poor working environment. I believed that I could not survive in Bermuda because life was too hard.

I have now had somewhat of an epiphany. I have now come to realise that the state that I am in is largely because of the choices that I made. I chose to have the latest fashions and other luxury consumer goods, so I have no money for a down payment on a home. I chose to sit on the wall and not study, so I have not made the best use of my talents and have not achieved as much as I should have. I chose to be irresponsible with sex, so I have the added responsibility of a child. I lay back on the job, so how can I hope for a promotion.

To move forward, I must accept responsibility for my actions. Bermuda, we must accept responsibility for our actions.

We sit back, complain and use the victim excuse instead of accepting responsibility. We use all of our energy and time feeling sorry for ourselves that our troubles persist and are magnified. We blame the government and others for our downfalls and always look for an easy way out.

In summary, we must accept responsibility for the choices we make. When we do, we give ourselves permission to move on.

BLACK SWAN

City of Hamilton