Splash out for children

October 10, 2002

Dear Sir,

All children living in Bermuda should have the opportunity to learn to swim and be able to swim both regularly and competitively if they wish.

The Sharks Swim Club, Bermuda's oldest swim club, is working hard to make this a reality growing from 50 junior swimmers a few short years ago to over 100 today.

This December, The Sharks will take 30-40 junior swimmers away to compete in the Lisa Flood Classic in Pickering, Ontario. It is extremely important for our swimmers to compete against a wider pool of competition. However, not all parents can readily afford $650 or $700 for their son or daughter to make the trip. But they are willing to work for it.

To that end, The Sharks, their parents, families and coaches have joined forces with KBB to have a joint Sharks/KBB Clean Up Day on November 3, 2002. There will be media coverage as it is a joint community effort. We applaud our swimmers for their efforts towards working for this trip away.

Bermuda will be well represented at this 500-600 swimmer meet in Canada. This is a wonderful opportunity for these students to compete internationally.

We are asking you to help us support our swimmers and their efforts to compete abroad and recognise their willingness to work for it. Please send your donation to:

The Sharks Swim Club, P.O. Box HM 501, Hamilton HM CX .

Some thoughts on politics

October 9, 2002

Dear Sir,

I have some advice for the UBP, or, in fact for improving Bermuda for all.

After a long conversation with a black Bermudian yesterday, who said that Bermuda has to have a Black Premier, I offer this.

It is not that Grant Gibbons is not cable of leading, but will black Bermudians follow? Do we need to bring Sir John Swan back? - Yes, if black Bermudians, won't "follow" Grant Gibbons. I am tired of Jennifer Smith.

My congratulations to the UBP for bringing Trevor Moniz back into the fold even thought I rather prefer Trevor as an Independent.

But this would be the clincher to force the PLP to become more centrist - offer to make Dale Butler the Minister of Education and to make the Ministry of Tourism Bipartisan!

Allow Dale to retain his seat on the PLP benches but serve in a so called UBP cabinet. Many thousands of us are simply tired of this endless obstructions, oppositional party political bickering. Many think the answer is to not vote at all - you these get the Government you deserve - the old UBP, or the PLP in its present form.

I don't need to elaborate on the positive side of Tourism being a bipartisan initiative.

The only counter to my proposition above would be for the PLP to make Dale Butler the Minister of Education and to promise that Grant Gibbons would be the Minister of Finance but would sit in a PLP cabinet but still remain a member of the UBP!

Now would this not be a good start to ending almost forty years of race politics?

It takes time to heal

October 11, 2002

Dear Sir,

"It got the job done" is a remark attributed to an MP regarding the former voting system during the debate on Friday, October 10. Perhaps. It depends on which "job" got done. While it clearly did not prevent the PLP from a victory, it did do something else as well.

If the past few years have taught us anything it should have taught us that perhaps the worst outcome of our past is that the scars of centuries of racism, like the scars of a brutal physical beating, may remain long after the actual beating has ceased. While I certainly would not contend that all racism has ceased, it is very evident that for many the pain and bitterness left by even that which no longer exists still remains.

We sometimes hear someone on the Talk Shows demand that all talk about race and racism should cease. But those callers are demanding a level of forgiveness which only Christ and those who are filled with his spirit can even contemplate.

That was not only evident in the debate on Friday but even more justifiably it occasionally expresses itself on the talk shows. Many Bermudians, black and white, choose to ignore the fact that there are very many today whose lives even today, psychologically, economically and socially, and often in terms of health, are determined today by the racism that was inflicted on them throughout most of their long lives. The fact that some younger blacks have escaped the worst brutality of racism does but underscore and highlight the injustices inflicted on older generations of blacks with continuing impact.

The lack of understanding of that younger generation only contributes to the bitterness and pain suffered by those who have lived through these experiences. Some have questioned the lack of response of the public (particularly the black community) in terms of attendance to the meetings called.

Having called public meetings for more than a decade under the sponsorship of NAR and having had a response which varied from a high of 800 to a low of six, I have no idea why people respond to some calls and not to others, particularly since all of ours dealt with race and race relations.

The public ignore the meetings on CURE and turned out in their angry droves to the meetings on Long Term Residents. Perhaps that attendance was fuelled by an anger that a Government which was expected to address the very many injustices meted out to Bermudians seemed so much more concerned, efficient and prompt in addressing the problems of non-Bermudians.

One significant disadvantage to this lingering anger and bitterness is the impact it has on the public's ability to think. I have been struck by the fact that everyone seems to attach the same importance to both parts of the mantra "One man, one vote and each vote of equal value". In reality in terms of democracy if one man had two votes or six votes, as long as they were of equal value, it would not matter. But no one has acknowledged that. It is this thoughtless and stupor-like response to this "tenet" or mantra which I consider so dangerous. Nor can I understand why the public in general has so passively accepted the contention that our democracy is increased by reducing our representation! That cannot possibly be true even if some MP's were to sleep through the meetings or be absent most of the time. The only reason that forty members rather than equality decades ago. But it is irrational to pretend in this so called struggle for greater democracy that reducing the number of MP's contributes to that stated goal. But few PLP supporters are prepared to even raise the question. I can understand why those who exercise power wish for a reduction of representation but I do not understand the stance of the lowly voter. Reducing representation does not contribute to an increase in democracy. There is also a certain strange irony that on the way to reducing the Cabinet we are told of the Ministers being overwhelmed with their "full time" responsibilities.

It is very evident that for some no question would ever be raised by either the clich?s or the actions of the PLP as long as it was "sticking it to" those who have benefited from (to say nothing of those who impose) our tradition of racism. The reason that the past system did not get the job done even though it did not prevent a PLP victory is because it was a system intended to give the white minority preferential treatment and to restate their right of dominance. It was, therefore, one more aspect of our system that reinforced and reminded us of the brutality and destructiveness that so many of us had to live with and which has left such painful scars. For some it gives justification to any dismissiveness or arrogance on the part of this Government towards those who have benefited from our past and who resist change, even when that same attitude of dismissiveness and arrogance is directed towards not only those who benefited from the past but towards any PLP supporters who do not fall into lockstep with whatever comes down form on high. Thus one of the worst outcomes of racism is that not only did those with power in the UBP behave as if they would govern forever, but many voters are satisfied for the PLP to behave in exactly the same dismissive and arrogant fashion as if they will govern for ever, and in the meantime they are free to do whatever they wish because of the bitterness and the continuing very painful scars and disadvantage left by the worst days and practices of racism on so very many black Bermudians.

EVA N. HODGSON

How to achieve happiness

October 4, 2002

Dear Sir,

To my beautiful people of Bermuda. Material progress alone is not sufficient to achieve an ideal society. Even where great external progress has been made, mental problems have increased. No amount of legislation or coercion can accomplish the well being of society, for this depends upon the internal attitude of the people who comprise it.

Therefore, mental development, in harmony with material development is very important. Because among the older generation, including me, is getting ready to say good bye to this world. Our youth has to carry the responsibility for the future. So please the older generation we must help our youth to know their potential and self confidence, and to have an open mind and a sense of caring and belonging, because the freshness and strength that youth has, should not fade away. Because happiness is a state of mind. With physical comports, if your mind is still in a state of confusion and agitation it is not happiness. Happiness means calmness of mind.

BURNELL MUHAMMAD

Warwick