Stand with US and UK

March 29, 2003

Dear Sir,

The free world and Western civilisation is at bay and the US has to stand almost alone in its defence. It is shameful that so many countries who enjoy the many benefits of being part of the free world made possible by the US not only do nothing to assist the US when it is under threat but actively oppose its efforts to defend itself.

It is especially shameful that countries like France and Canada which enjoy the advantages of a civilisation they contributed so little to bring about should be guilty of such behaviour.

Hopefully the United Nations will be discarded and the courage and sacrifices of the coalition forces will soon prevail in their efforts to protect and preserve the highest form of civilisation yet evolved on earth.

As the bearer of a British passport I am proud that at least the British Government has the fortitude to stand in defence of civilisation against barbarism.

WILLIAM M. COX

Devonshire

Story was misleading

April 2, 2003

Dear Sir,

After reading the article written by Ayo Johnson entitled "MP's voters list rife with wrong data, says Parliamentary Registrar", I want to express to you my concern for the misleading way this article was written and headlined.

As a politician and public servant I take great pride in my record, which shows that I research an issue before I act. In this case, it is my desire, and that of the United Bermuda Party, to ensure that all eligible voters can vote when the General Election is eventually called.

As we are all aware, this election will be different than the past, as it will be contested on single seats in 36 new constituencies. Four years ago, annual registration was abolished, which shifted the responsibility for making sure the register is up to date away from Government and onto the shoulders of individual voters, who now have to remember to re-register when they move, turn 18 or attain the ability to vote through a grant of status.

After I had canvassed in Zone 11, Devonshire East, I took the opportunity to pass on to the Parliamentary Registrar's Office the information that I had attained from knocking on doors. This information contained two lists. The first was a list of people who, I was told by the new resident of a dwelling, had moved out of the area and should no longer be registered there. The second list contained the names of people who I was told now lived in the area, but were not registered there. Whether or not they were registered elsewhere was not something I was in a position to make a judgment about. In my letter to the Registrar, I suggested we talk on the telephone to discuss the information.

I received a reply from the Assistant Registrar, Mr. Randy Scott, which is the document that your Mr. Johnson quotes from. Unfortunately, Mr. Johnson failed completely to accurately describe its tone to your readers, and has more or less accused me of trying to cook the books to make a political point. That is not my purpose at all ... I was simply trying to do what I think every politician should do, which is to help to make sure the Parliamentary Register is as accurate as is possible.

I have now spoken to Mr. Scott. We had a good discussion on the matter of accurate voter's lists and the contents of my letter. I was assured that my letter was, indeed, helpful to the process. I took the opportunity to confirm to him that I would continue to pass on any helpful information that I obtained.

MICHAEL H. DUNKLEY, JP, MP

Devonshire

Editor's Note: The story did reflect the tone and content of Mr. Scott's response, which stated that 50 of the people identified by the UBPas eligible voters could not be identified due to insufficient information and a further 70 were not registered at all. Therefore, Mr. Scott said:"... This office cannot assist you with that list submitted."

Courtesy on the roads

March 15, 2003

Dear Sir,

I wish to comment on Ethel-Ride-A-Lots letter that appeared on March 12, 2003.

First of all, those Give Way signs that are plastered on the back of the buses are not legal. According to the Traffic Code, valid signs are posted in a permanent position. Buses move, therefore those give way signs on the back of a moving bus are not valid.

So with the in mind, buses should not pull out and cause a few fender benders until the public knows they are "a force to be reckoned with" (as you quote in your letter). We have enough traffic-related problems on our roads as it is. Do we really need our bus drivers to become professional derby car drivers? Have you ever seen a large object trying to move quickly? The only successful object I have seen move at fast speeds is an avalanche -and we know what they can do. Yes, they should merge into the stream of traffic, however, the public should not be forced to slam on the brakes just to please the bigger vehicle that assumes it has the right of way on our roads. You appear to have the right intentions, however respect for other traffic is vital and should not be abused simply because a bus is larger than a car on our roads.

I have seen on many occasions where other road users do let the buses out. It depends on the person driving the vehicle and whether or not they want to lose five seconds of their commute. In saying that, it wouldn't hurt more drivers to let buses out in order to prevent sudden stops or even accidents. We all know in rush hour traffic, we are not going to get there any faster anyway, so why not add another few seconds on to your commute? It is all a balancing act that requires consideration for other and from our own selves.

PREVENT ACCIDENTS

City of Hamilton

Keep the noise down

March 15, 2003

Dear Sir,

It seems to me that there are two things working together to create a negative effect on our quality of life in Bermuda. The one thing immediately on everyone's mind is violence, especially violence among young people. The other is noise.

It appears that a growing number of our young people have lost direction. The situation is looking more and more like a train derailing in the middle of a densely populated area. The resulting "collateral damage" is likely to be significant. The noise factor makes matters worse because this issue often brings young people into conflict with other people in the community. Living in fear of violence while, at the same time, being assaulted with unwelcome excessive noise is a nightmarish scenario which is becoming a reality for far too many Bermudians.

Our society is made up of many different groups and individuals. As such, we are all responsible for allowing this situation to get as bad as it has. If we continue to live in isolation from and without regard for each other, we will not be able to deal effectively with our growing problems.

Most of us would buy into a vision for Bermuda established in the principals of justice, equality, opportunity, respect and responsibility. This future Bermuda will result from developing an awareness of ourselves and how our behaviour affects other people. This includes, but is not limited to, thinking about how much noise we make and how that noise affects the people living around us.

In this spirit I invite "Paying Attention" to talk about how young people can enjoy their hobbies/pastimes without making the excessive amounts of noise that many of us other people find so oppressive. Unless excessive noise is an essential part of having fun and keeping young people on the right track, we can find a solution.

If the recreational machines in question can be made to run quietly, most of the problems surrounding their use will disappear and we should be able to find venues where these activities can occur. Many hands make light work. Let's do it together.

NICK HUTCHINGS

Sandys Parish

Thanks for your support

March 28, 2003

Dear Sir,

To the members of the Bermuda community:

On behalf of the staff, students and parents of the Francis Patton Primary School family, I would like to thank you all so much for your support, flowers and prayers during the untimely demise of our beloved custodian, Mr. Eugene (Josh) Smith. The outpouring of the entire community's spirit and love is helping us all to recuperate and cope after such a tragic misfortune.

Time is a great healer, thought, and we are slowly getting better. Again, many thanks.

THE STAFF AND STUDENTS

Francis Patton Primary School