If it isn't broke...

August 3 2004

Dear Sir,

This is in response to Mr. Calvin Smith's letter dated July 27, 2004 in which he responds to my original letter which objected to the PLP's lack of accountability, and outlined the risks of Independence for Bermuda.

Mr. Smith's letter concerning myself can only be described as pure comedy and a colossal joke. The fact that Mr. Smith has said that I should be investigated by the Human Rights Commission because I do not agree with the Caribbean being a role model for Bermuda as far as Independence is concerned, is totally baseless and unfounded. I also found it quite hilarious when Mr. Calvin Smith accused me of being "steeped in bigotry and race hate" as I am a black Bermudian.

Mr. Smith, this issue of Independence has nothing to do with race and everything to do with economics. Your theory about "maximising the heavily submerged talents of Bermuda's black majority" to reduce our dependence on foreign workers is out of touch with reality. In reality we are all for black empowerment, but not every black Bermudian will be qualified or available to take over every job held by expats. We must also remember that not every Bermudian is black. Therefore your position could only end up segregating Bermuda. I believe a United Bermuda is a better Bermuda.

I want to again urge Mr. Smith to join me and the majority of Bermuda's stance on Independence, which is; if it isn't broken, then don't fix it. Bermuda is the envy of the world, and if we stick to what works best we shall remain just that. Mr.

Calvin Smith, it is now time for you to investigate why the caribbean can, and will never be a role model for Bermuda!

T.M. TROTT

Hamilton Parish

F stands for offensive

August 6, 2004

Dear Sir,

My, my, my! And to think we wonder why! We wonder why the world has gone the way it has when there is definitely no reason to do so. We know that the world has gone crazy because any, and everything, is acceptable nowadays.

It appears that it is OK to walk the streets in Hamilton telling people to f**k off! To tell your parents to f**k off; to tell your two-year-old to shut the f**k up. For the minister in the pulpit to tell his congregation to get f**king with it and love their fellow man! What next?

I realise there are some people who for the lack of a decent vocabulary, resort to profanity to fill in the gaps, but, can you imagine walking down the street, and every other person along the sidewalk is using the f-word to express him or herself? Can you imagine two little old ladies sitting in a restaurant, sipping tea when one calls the waiter or waitress over and says, "This f**king tea is cold!!" Where do we go from here?

If what the RG wrote about Magistrate Edward King's decision that the infamous four-letter word was inherently offensive or if it was objectionable when used in a certain context is true, then I find that Magistrate's decision highly questionable. With the lack of respect that we have to endure in today's society, this sort of statement does not help; it only encourages further disrespect.

Profanity and vulgarity are not acceptable in public! What one does and says in the privacy of their own home is their business. There are codes and conducts that make a society, and they must be followed if we want a reasonable, acceptable and pleasant society to live in.

Do any of you go out to have dinner at a fine restaurant and put your feet on the top of the table and eat with your fingers? I am sure you do not because you know it is not acceptable. Well, neither is profanity nor vulgarity acceptable in public places. The "F" word is one of the most offensive words that I know. It grates on the nerves!

PAT FERGUSON

Warwick

Bring back our Maud

August 3, 2004

Dear Sir,

Although I know there are many situations brought to your attention, I am hoping your readers can help me. Many people will have seen the "Lost Dog" posters we have all over the east end of the island. Our beautiful dog Maud has been missing for eight weeks now, which on an island as small as Bermuda is quite surprising. It is good to see that we still do have a good deal of open land, I think we have searched most of it. It seems hard to believe that a good sized healthy dog can just disappear, unless someone has her or she has been killed. I would like to ask that if anyone is holding her, please let her go. Please call us, or the dog warden Fabian, or the SPCA.

Maud was a badly beaten dog when we got her and is scared of everything, but it was not us that made her that way and we want here back home here. Her name stands for My Annie's Unwanted Dog, as really no one did want her.

We have had crank and cruel calls, and people actually advising us that there are "dog fighting rings on the island who use strays for bait", that there are "roaming packs of angry Alsatians whom she may have joined up with", and even "black magic in St. David's with animal sacrifices". After all this we do realise that she may in fact be dead. The trash men insist they have not picked her up, but until recently, thanks to good work by the SPCA and friends, any dead animal picked up on the road was literally trashed with no record kept and not even the ID chips scanned.

Maud is a German Shepherd/Rottweiller cross, medium size, very slinky black with a brown chest. She has white paws, grey nose, and her big bushy tail is always tucked under. If anyone knows anything about her, if your neighbour gained a dog like this two months ago, or even if you know she was hurt, please tell us.

There are some wonderful caring people out there and I would like to thank all those who have bothered to call us for their kindness and understanding, and to all the complete strangers who have spent hours looking for her.

We want our dog back home. Please help us.

ANNIE WILLIAMS

St. George's

Figures don't add up

July 27, 2004

Dear Sir,

I have just finished reading today's article in The Gazette titled "Black youth more likely to be unemployed."

Does your newspaper take enjoyment out of stirring up enmity between the races by distorting information such as this? The facts as stated in your article are this:

1. Total unemployment rate in the 16-24 age group is ten percent.

2. Whites in this age group account for four percent or 38 people.

3. Blacks in this age group account for 11 percent or 278 people.

Do the maths! Does this make sense? No. For one thing, where is the rest of this age group - the unaccounted for 85 percent? If four percent is 38 people, then 11 percent cannot be 278! It should be 105. When looking at a sub-group, ie the unemployed group, the statistics given on this group should equal 100 percent - i.e. the sub-group itself (unemployed youth) is only ten percent of the total.

Of this, X percent which are white and Y percent which are black, should equal 100 percent, to represent that entire sub-group.

Given that the white population of this Island accounts for only about 40 percent of the people, then it would only make sense that, out of the whole age group, there would be less white people than black people unemployed. (And I would hazard a guess that the ratio of white to black youth within this age group itself is even less than 40 percent).

It would have been much fairer reporting to indicate the total number of white people in this age group, and the percentage of those white people that are unemployed. And then look at the number of black people in this age group and the percentage of those black people that are unemployed. Then you would be comparing apples to apples!

Furthermore, hopefully this report looks at those that are actively seeking employment, and not simply the bodycount that falls into this age band! Those who prefer to sit on walls, for instance, should not be a part of this calculation!

AGGRAVATED

Southampton

Editor's Note: The story should have made it clear that the the 38 unemployed whites constituted four percent of the 908 whites aged 16 to 24. The 278 blacks constituted 11 percent of the 2,421 blacks aged 16-24. That means that unemployed whites make up one percent of the total of people aged 16-24 and blacks make up nine percent. Among those looking for work, whites make up 11 percent and blacks 89 percent. (There may be some rounding). The study did cover those looking for work, and not those still training or in education.

No cause to celebrate

August 4, 2004

Dear Sir,

Amidst all the fun, colour and distraction of Cup Match, the scale just tipped to the other side.

No one seems to notice. Youth see it on TV. Seniors are either shutting in or travel too much to notice. And it is no surprise to those who are new to Bermuda in the last 30 years.

I had heard in a gang meeting that they were out there.

How long until we have guards at all the rich neighbourhoods like Tucker's Town?

Think about it. The police were carrying guns.

Seriously,

WHAT'S NEXT?

Warwick

Name should be changed

August 8, 2004

Dear Sir,

I think Cox's Hill Road and Controversy Lane should be renamed Nascar Rd. and Arsonist Lane.

People who speed up and down Cox's Hill Road really could care less if they hit anybody. All they seem to care about is letting people know just how fast they can go around a corner. It never seems to bother them that if they do hit someone they could kill them. Some even give you an ugly look whenever they "nip" around you (bike speeders).

Remember the bike fire around Controversy Lane? Yeah, I remember it too which is why I think the new name should be Arsonist Lane because there's bound to be more fires where that one came from.

COX'S HILL ROAD NO MORE

Devonshire