April 8, 2006

Dear Sir,

I am a parent of two children in Bermuda's public education system and I write this letter in support of teachers. Both our children started at a Government pre-school and my oldest is now in Primary 6, my youngest in Primary 3. They have thrived academically, emotionally and socially and we are glad with our decision to expose them to an integrated educational experience.

Out of the ten teachers whose classrooms my children have occupied we have been disappointed with only one. A private school experience would be hard pressed to exceed that figure. My eldest recently scored amongst the highest of applicants in her age group at the private school she will be attending in the fall. I think that speaks highly of her public school teachers.

So you may ask why we are putting our children in private school at the middle level? My answer is, most children with behavioural problems can be controlled when they are 11 years and younger. I do not believe that children with serious behavioural problems in their teenage years, can be controlled by a teacher in a traditional class room setting and they need to be separated. There should be a limit of four (suspensions) strikes and you are out and for assault it should be instant expulsion.

IF we have a 45% failure rate of students in the public school system, I do not believe that the teachers are to blame. Rather, I believe that it is the negative social circumstances that our children are encountering that make these once innocent youngsters become teenage malcontents. They carry baggage that sometimes warrants their attitude and rage. It is our duty as human beings; it is our duty as a caring society, to intervene. But it is an educator's right to teach in an environment conducive to absorbing knowledge and understanding. It is not a teacher's duty to be a social worker.

Research comparing the 'social backgrounds' of students that pass versus students that fail in our public school system should be conducted. The results of which should be used as a tool for an action plan.

Our public education system can produce graduates of calibre and we can increase student success if there is collaboration between the Ministries of Education and Social Services.

It is imperative that Government provide small learning environments for children who are constantly disruptive and abusive. Let these students continue their education with teachers who have specialised training.

A system should be in place where each of these children is assigned a caseworker that is monitoring the family situation in cooperation with the school.

The Bermuda Union of Teachers should be included in recommending those children that would thrive better in a smaller environment.

There is a growing population of children whose lives are so empty that they are seeds ready to be cultivated by an insidious gang culture that is glamorised by clothes, music, television and materialism.

We have growing elitism and a shrinking middle class, and our Bermudian society is reaping collectively the crumbling of order, civility and racial unity as we ignore the children disfranchised by circumstances beyond their control.

April 10, 2006

Dear Sir,

I have just left the Transport Control Department, where I have licensed my car. I was in and out in 15 minutes. One could not ask for any better service, the only drawback for the day was the fact that my licence cost less that my insurance, so much for being accident and speeding free for 43 years. I guess a lot of us good drivers are paying for the lunatics on the road, of which there are many. And no solution in sight.

DEBBIE MASTERS

Paget

Dear Sir,

It has been drawn to my attention that Mr. Neville T. Darrell of Devonshire wrote a letter to the Editor which appeared in this newspaper on Saturday, April 15. For purposes of accuracy and clarification, I would like it known that the writer was not Neville E. Darrell, United Bermuda Party MP for Warwick West.

NEVILLE E. DARRELL MP

Shadow Minister of Education

April 15, 2006

Dear Sir,

Assuming that he was accurately quoted in an RG story that was headlined "BIBA criticises "workforce empowerment" programme", Dale Butler seems to be under the impression that all Bermudians are black.

What other explanation can there possibly be for his comment that: "The Government is saying if you have a hundred employees, 50 of them are black, you have ten senior positions and not one of them is black. Tell us why you have no Bermudians in your top ten positions."

Perhaps he should enrol himself in a racial awareness programme?

DAVID MARCHANT

Miami, Florida

April 17, 2006

Dear Sir,

In the current RG Magazine's article on "The Gay Reality" former Cabinet Minister Ren?e Webb makes a great many valid points. However she falls into a trap that is unfortunately all too common. She refers to church opposition to equal civil rights for gays opposition by "Christian fundamentalists". She errs. These people are not by any stretch of the imagination Christian.

To be a Christian requires some attempt to abide by Christ's two great Commandments, the second of which is to love one's neighbour. The churches that are determined to oppress and persecute gay people may be bibliolaters or supporters of any other kind of fundamentalist bigotry they choose, but Christians they aren't. They rally their benighted supporters around systematic hatreds. Without an "enemy" to hate and despise they have no validity in their own eyes and no attraction for the ignorant people who pour their money into their collection plates every week.

What do these mean spirited churches want? Are they determined to have every gay person kicked out of their homes and jobs and left to starve living in a cardboard box in the bushes somewhere. More than a thousand years of vicious church persecution has achieved absolutely nothing. There is still as high a proportion of gay people as ever. Science tells us that nothing can change homosexual orientation. "Ex-Gay" Ministries in the US have been plagued by endless embarrassing failures and no proven successes. The ignorant, spiteful clergy in these extremist sects are the precise equivalent of those who once believed the earth to be flat and the centre of the universe. They are ignorant, nasty and wrong.

I have twice publicly challenged the leaders of these so-called churches to defend their hateful persecution of gays, once in the Mid-Ocean and once in these columns. No one has stepped forward to do so. They have not because they cannot. Their so-called religious principles are morally, theologically and logically bankrupt. Nevertheless these abhorrent clergy sneak around threatening government with "the church vote".

The government may be all black on the surface, but it is all yellow inside. Instead of leading as they should, they cringe and grovel. For a party that labels itself "Progressive", this government is nothing if not regressive. Bermuda is almost as backward in human and civil rights in this respect as an Islamic dictatorship. For a government that advocates independence and the Island's right to "take its place on the international stage" we would arrive on that stage with a miserable record for human rights.

Worse still, our spineless, cringing government is failing dismally in its constitutional obligations. By grovelling to these hate-filled, mean spirited church leaders, "P" and his cohorts are permitting the imposition of church doctrine by law. Our Constitution guarantees us freedom of religion. It does not, therefore, contemplate the imposition by law of any religious sect's infamous doctrine of persecution and prejudice.

There are enough known gay PLP members of Parliament to carry Ms Webb's amendment ? assuming the Opposition has a more conscientious respect for our Constitution than does government. Any one of them who supports "P" in his abject cowardice is sure to be "outed". In the meantime the field is open to any employers who have an employee they don't like. Fire them on the grounds of their sexual orientation. You will be beyond the reach of any legislation.

PERSECUTED

City of Hamilton

April 10, 2006

Dear Sir,

I sympathise with the letter signed 'I'd rather walk' in today's RG. I guessed from the letter that the kids had attempted to pay with paper money, when the policy is to pay with coins. If the bills that you are putting in amount to more than the fare, and that's all you have, what's the big deal?

I had a similar experience when my 15-year-old daughter had to catch the bus. I didn't have any coins, and had already seen in the past what happened when you tried to pay with paper money. Thankfully (or so I thought), my sister had a book of adult tickets, and gave one to my daughter. Lo and behold, what happened? My daughter, who was in her school uniform, was told that she cannot use an 'adult' ticket, she has to use a 'student' ticket. After explaining that that was all she had, the female bus driver rudely told her that 'she would let it go this time.'

Is it me or is that silly or what? I can understand an adult attempting to pass off a student ticket being told that they cannot do this, because as we all know student tickets are discounted. However, if a student wants to pay by using a costlier adult ticket, why would the driver complain ? either way you're paying the fare, and then some. That's like complaining if a student drops in $4.50 in coins instead of the student fare of $2 in coins. If someone chooses to pay more, what does the driver care? I'm just thankful that it's very rarely that my kids have to catch the bus because I get so fed up with the grumpy drivers and asinine PTB rules.

I'D RATHER WALK, TOO

Hamilton Parish

P.s. I have a suggestion for Dr. Brown on how to improve our bus service, especially as we approach tourist season. Just like some stores have 'secret shoppers' we need to have "secret riders" on the buses. The drivers would be more inclined to give better service never knowing when a 'secret rider' is on the bus, and if a driver is rude the 'secret rider' would be able to give an accurate report of what happened and exactly who was driving. Just an idea!