Enforce the simple laws

July 24, 2006

Dear Sir,

The underlying issue behind crime is a lack of enforcing the laws which are already in place. Bermuda does not have a law abiding reputation, Governor Sir John Vereker, as you stated in The Royal Gazette today ?We have the right strategy to combat crime?. ?They also share my determination to ensure that Bermuda maintains its reputation as a law abiding place.?

In fact, the law is not taken seriously by hundreds of motorists, especially motorcyclists, every day, 365 days a year. Motorcyclists are allowed to weave between traffic, riding the yellow line in an organised fashion, passing on the left, thereby creating their own right of passage because they know they can get away with it. This type of conduct is law breaking, therefore a crime. I?m sure that everyone who has a licence knows that motorists should be in line with traffic.

Bermuda has allowed many laws such as this to slip through the cracks and now they have created a monster, which is now out of control. How can lawmakers expect the public to be law abiding citizens if there are not penalties for misconduct of the simple laws that were formed to govern our Island? If you think that the heartless don?t see this loophole in our system as an advantage to commit a major felony, then Sir John, your eyes are wide shut.

TRW

Sandys Parish

Cell phone madness

July 17, 2006

Dear Sir,

I wonder when this Government will ban the use of cell phones whilst people are driving.

This morning at exactly 9.57 a.m. I witnessed a woman, in a lime green car on Front Street, talking on her cell phone; she had a large pad of paper resting on her steering wheel and she was writing down frantically as she spoke on the phone. However, her car was not stationery, she was moving about 10 miles an hour coming up to a Pedestrian Crossing.

I was unable to take her number as a bus blocked my view. However, I sincerely hope that this woman will recognise herself from my description. I am certain that no law will be passed until someone dies whilst an idiot (on their cell phone) is driving without paying full attention to the road.

B. MARSHALL

Smith?s Parish

Making millionaires

July 6, 2006

Dear Sir,

I would like to concur with the letter from, ?Outrageous Prices?. I would like someone to please tell me if there is some natural precious metal or perhaps oil that has not yet been tapped into under these properties for sale.

I can see no other reason for the ridiculous prices being asked, for these properties. It appears that people are missing the show, ?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and so they have invented their own version. In the past when someone mentioned $1 million for a house, you thought Tuckers Town or Fairylands, now it?s Palm Valley, Southampton or Serpentine Road, Pembroke. What has changed?

It is nearly impossible for a young couple or even an older hard working couple to afford a home especially with prices as high as they are with mortgage interest rates at 8.25 percent.

Here?s a clue to the sellers whose homes have been on the market for a long time: the banks are not approving people for high mortgages because the properties are not worth what you are asking, to either the buyer or the banks.

Right now I am not sure whose court the ball is in. I think it is more of a Catch 22 because while you want to sell, we can?t buy, even though we want to, because the banks are not willing to finance your being millionaires. As an example, so that you get the point, there is a house for sale on Serpentine Road on a quarter of an acre of land. Its a two-bed single family home for $2 million. This is not a joke. If you are asking for $1 million to $2 million we have to be prepared to pay $1.5 million to $2.5 million or maybe even more because we have to spend money to make your kitchen our own.

You need to understand that we the buyers do not want to and neither can we afford to pay for the fond memories that make your property valuable to you.

There are so many similar situations; if I really get started relating them the paper will force me to rent space. I am praying and patiently waiting because I know there has got to be a home that my siblings and I can afford out there somewhere.

PRAYING IN PEMBROKE

Joke silenced the crowd

July 14, 2006

Dear Sir,

Today I attended the rally against racism at City Hall and would like to thank Jonathan Starling for his efforts in organising this event.

I enjoyed listening to the various political figures that attended as well as a number of private citizens that stood up to share their ideas on the roots of this problem that is plaguing our island and to offer some very reasonable and realistic solutions.

Most of those who took the stage were very constructive. Even Calvin Smith sounded like he was on the right track and for the first time I felt myself agreeing with some of what he was saying. That was until, in what may have been a light hearted attempt to lift the mood, he managed to silence the crowd with a racist joke.

For those of you that were not there and did not hear it for yourselves, here is the gist: He seemed to be on the verge of making a valid point, talking about how it is not uncommon to walk into a bar and see whites with whites and blacks with blacks, and I was waiting for him to explain why he felt this was so when he said (and I may be paraphrasing) ?If you were in England you would see the English with other English, the Welsh with other Welsh, Scots with other Scots, and the Irish would be outside the building plotting to blow the whole place up?.

Has he gone insane? Will someone please explain to me how making comments like this helps to unite the many races and cultures that comprise Bermuda?s diverse citizenship?

More notable moments from his ramblings included telling some vocal attendees that disagreed with what he was saying to ?go to hell?, and that he didn?t care what they had to say.

I appreciate the need for an open and frank discussion on racial issues, but after listening to Mr. Smith speak on the matter I am at a total loss for words.

The efforts of many were stifled today by a man who clearly has no interest in ?levelling the playing field?, and it seems would prefer to simply turn the tables and give whites a taste of what black Bermudians have gone through for hundreds of years. Personally, I don?t see that as a means to ending racism on this island, rather a way to ensure that it continues to thrive in a different direction.

Mr. Smith, I don?t know what the solution to the racial tension in Bermuda is, but is clear to me that you are not a part of it.

SEAN PATRICK DURKIN

Devonshire

Have pride in cricketers

July 25, 2006

Dear Sir,

In response to the short note written by WAC of Smith?s Parish with regard to the Bermuda National Cricket teams performance in the 20/20 tournament recently and their reference to the amount of money they were given to prepare, I say how dare you make those comments!

You described them as a bunch of beer bellies on a resort beach! I have had it with some of the so-called Bermudians and other ridiculing the National Cricket Team!

These players have put in great sacrifices in a short period of time and were unrealistically expected to do something great with the little they have been given to work with. Some of these players work full-time and then have to attend training sessions in addition, all for the honour of representing our Island (and I use the word ?our? loosely in your case)!

Everyone is focusing on the $11 million that the Ministry gave to the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control to facilitate a program that will see the Team through to 2009 (inclusive of the 2007 World Cup, 2009 ICC qualifier and numerous youth programmes like the U15 and U19 teams).

Ask these players how much of the $11 million will be coming their way for their efforts! There are now scholarships for young men to attend higher learning facilities through the avenue of cricket.

Don?t you see that through this team, more and more of our young men have an opportunity to have a positive outlet to learn discipline, sacrifice and gain the ability of knowing how to work hard. So when you start talking about a training session on a beach why don?t you think and stop being so ungrateful and be supportive of their achievement.

Some Bermudians need to step up and have pride in our country.

This team has brought some recognition to our country from some regions that did not know we even existed! The ripple effect is that there could be potential tourism markets that we have not yet tapped available which, by the way, benefits the country.

As for the beer bellies you refer to, name calling and derogatory comments about people you know nothing about (I assume this by your statements) indicates that you most possibly are not happy with yourself and feel the need to demean others.

This island displays no pride, yet persons from other islands come to live here and their pride is more evident than ours at events. It is disgraceful and sad.

I fully support the team?s efforts as well as the efforts of Coach Gus Logie who has the experience to help the team to open up a whole new world of opportunities for those coming behind them.

Keep up the good work team and know that you do have some positive supporters on the Island.

R. DUAN SMITH (NEE LEVEROCK)

Sister of the beer belly on the beach!

Pembroke

Poor quality of leaders

July 6, 2006

Dear Sir,

The mouthings of David Burch bring to mind the following thoughts:

The tragedy for Bermuda since the advent of party politics has been the failure to produce politicians of stature. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that the best brains in Bermuda have for too long disdained Parliament and refused to enter public life. As a result our politicians have, on the whole but with some exceptions, been below the level of the country they represent.

Wake up Bermuda. With ?the man? and ?The Colonel? things are getting much worse.

WATCHING

Paget