I believe that it is not only my personal duty, but my civic duty as well, to respond to Christian Dunleavy?s opinion, in the Royal Gazette on January 11, 2005, regarding Derrick Burgess, President of the Bermuda Industrial Union.

I normally do not read Mr. Dunleavy?s opinion columns as he makes it quite clear through these columns that he is a ?hit man? for the United Bermuda Party after his failed attempt at the polls at the last election. I would suggest that Dr. Gibbons look for a new hit man because Mr. Dunleavy is failing miserably at trying to convince Bermudians to return to being governed by a Party that he and others of his ilk support. However, when I saw the photographs of two of my favourite politicians, Mr. Burgess and Dr. Brown, I decided to read what he had to say.

Mr. Dunleavy and others who think like him and voice their thoughts publicly should be grateful that the PLP Government allows freedom of expression. There are many of us who publicly criticised the previous Government and paid a hefty price for doing so. We were fired from our jobs, had our mortgages called and were subject to other random acts of unkindness by UBP politicians and their cronies who controlled the economics in this country. But Mr. Dunleavy still goes to work every day without the fear of being dismissed because he has publicly criticised the government of the day.

By his introductory paragraph I could see Mr. Dunleavy was using his column to verbally attack Mr. Burgess. By the time I finished reading the entire column; two things came to mind ? (1) the BIU?s motto ? United We Stand, Divided We Fall; and (2) the pen is mightier than the sword. Certainly both Dr. Brown and Mr. Burgess are smart enough to realise that by suggesting that one is more eloquent than the other, that Mr. Dunleavy is using the age-old tactic of trying to divide so that the UBP may conquer.

Certainly Dr. Brown, whose intelligence quotient (I.Q.) is probably ten times that of Mr. Dunleavy, knows that he was not being paid a compliment. After all, it was not too long ago that he used his venom against Dr. Brown in one of his columns by using such words as ?inflexible, prime misleader, wicked, weak, cagey,? etc. etc. But Mr. Dunleavy is not unlike the rest of his UBP colleagues thinking that Bermudians, in particular black Bermudians have short memories.

Now on to Mr. Dunleavy?s scathing attack on Mr. Burgess, a man who has dedicated his life, whether as a trade unionist or a parliamentarian, to challenging a system that was hell-bent on keeping the ordinary working class Bermudians, who were in the main, people of African descent, powerless and poor.

Mr. Dunleavy would have us believe that a neophyte foreign hotelier by the name of Andrea Jennings is telling the truth, and Derrick Burgess is lying about her tenure at Coco Reef Resort. Until he became president of the Bermuda Industrial Union, Mr. Burgess worked in the hospitality industry and is therefore quite aware of the difference between service and servitude. If Mr. Dunleavy did some research into Mr. Burgess? employment history he will see that he is a shining example of a Bermudian who moved up the corporate ladder in the hospitality industry when it was rare for black Bermudians to be employed in management positions in Bermuda?s hotels.

As president of the Bermuda Industrial Union, Mr. Burgess had every right to defend the staff at Coco Reef Resort when Ms. Jennings perjured herself when talking to the Bermuda Sun. On the one hand Mr. Dunleavy praises Bermudian workers by stating ?The vast majority of us perform at a high level, higher than expected? while on the other hand he is assuming that Ms Jennings? criticism of the workers at Coco Reef is valid.

One would expect, that Mr. Dunleavy, a college graduate, would be more of a critical thinker. Does it not seem strange to him that only since Ms Jennings? took over the management of the Coco Reef/Stonington hotel that ?maids did not want to clean, bartenders would wipe tables and not chairs, room attendants would make beds but refuse to dust and mop??

Does it not seem strange to Mr. Dunleavy that during Ms Jennings? short tenure as manager of the hotel almost 75 percent of the staff (from management right on down) left, and most had been at the hotel for several years?

Was he not listening to the many guests that talked to the media to complain about Ms Jennings? attitude towards them?

It has been reported that Ms Jennings has managed hotels before. It is reported that Ms Jennings holds a bachelors degree and masters degree in hotel management. But I had occasion to speak with Ms. Jennings in her position as manager of the Coco Reef and I immediately came to the conclusion that she lacked people skills, was rude and abrasive and I then understood why she was having such a difficult time at Coco Reef.

It has been said by some that they believe Ms Jennings had other interests which affected her ability to manage; but as in most situations, the truth will be revealed at some time and I look forward to Mr. Dunleavy?s defence of Ms Jennings at that time.

I would suggest that Mr. Dunleavy rethink his political aspirations and stick to underwriting. He has obviously moved up the corporate ladder since graduating from college, and I am not surprised. Corporate Bermuda loves people who think like Christian Dunleavy and look like Christian Dunleavy. The UBP also like people that think like Christian Dunleavy, but unfortunately for him, these days they want people that look like me to carry their message of hopelessness. But most importantly, the Bermuda electorate wants people like Derrick Burgess to represent them in Parliament. Why else has he topped the polls each time that he has run for Parliament?

By the way, Mr. Dunleavy should ask the numerous people whom Mr. Burgess manages or has managed, and the thousands of members of the Bermuda Industrial Union, about what they think of his work ethic. He should also put the same question to the managers with whom he negotiates on behalf of the BIU membership. What he would learn is that most of us believe that Bermuda would benefit by having more ?Derrick Burgesses? on our island home.

@EDITRULE:Christian Dunleavy responds: It is revealing that Ms. Furbert?s criticism in reply is not only political (fair enough) but so pointedly and deliberately personal and racial as to be offensive. Her comments reveal plenty about her state of mind but none about mine. I refuse to descend to a level of debate which, while predictable, is abhorrent and deplorable.

But after parsing through the attacks, Ms Furbert?s complaint boils down to this statement: ?Mr. Dunleavy would have us believe that a neophyte foreign hotelier by the name of Andrea Jennings is telling the truth, and Derrick Burgess is lying about her tenure at Coco Reef Resort.?

I didn?t say any such thing. Nor did I engage in any personal attacks (unlike Ms Furbert), accuse Mr. Burgess of lying or defend Ms Jennings in this dispute. In fact I called Coco Reef unsympathetic. I made no attempt to pass judgment on what the workers would or wouldn?t do.

My column was solely critical of a statement that Mr. Burgess made, and I?m paraphrasing here, suggesting that successful managers must negotiate with their Bermudian staff to fulfil the terms of their employment, and should expect lower standards from us. Those comments did a great disservice to all Bermudians. I and many other Bermudians don?t require any special treatment from our employers. We do our jobs as well as anyone anywhere can.

In closing, I refer Ms Furbert to Dr. Brown?s comments in yesterday?s, addressing what must occur to resurrect tourism. In the Minister?s own words: ?Our people must once and for all distinguish service from servitude? and ?It?s a mindset problem?.

I rest my case.