November 21, 2006

Dear Sir,

Recently in the Gazette I read Dr. E. Brown state that the Indigent Clinic has been a "bee in his bonnet" for sometime. This clinic caters to H.I.V. and Aids patients, asthma sufferers the elderly etc. etc... We have seen many doctors come and go, and some like Dr. Warner and Dr. Lightbourne, are still there dedicated to those that cannot afford to go elsewhere. My thanks to all the doctors past and present that give so freely their time to help us the "Indigent". Know that God doesn't sleep. He sees all. I have been a patient since 1995, there is still a stigma attached to being H.I.V. positive or having Aids even now in 2006. Many of these patients their own Drs turned them away once their status is known. So Dr. Brown unless you are willing to take on some of the patients yourself, I suggest you leave our Clinic alone. We are getting the best of care no matter what our situations/sickness are.

As for the "bee in your bonnet" KILL DE BEE AND FLUSH DE BONNET! Or how about you donate one Wednesday out of every month and give our Drs a hand? Be a part of the solution not the problem how about it? Hope to see you there.

November 29, 2006

Dear Sir,

I do not readily agree with the term so called criminals in reference to the incarcerated people. By and large they committed crimes for which they were caught, so they are criminals no matter their complexion, smart or not.

I observe some had been subjected to strong bad influences. I applaud those who do all they can to rehabilitate them.

Stop harmful sprays

November 27, 2006

This is sent to The Minister of Works & Engineering and copied to

RE: Government's use of toxic chemicals.

Dear Minister,

Works & Engineering's practice of spraying toxic weed killing chemicals along public roads must stop. These sprays are harmful to both humans and animals. Plus after rain toxic run-off goes into the ocean harming marine life.

This year (and every year) Works & Engineering sprays North Shore Road adjacent to my property, and this year has also sprayed 2 feet inside of my property's boundary. I am very concerned! This practice must stop.

Thanks to volunteers

December 6, 2006

Dear Sir,

Volcanic Productions would like to thank all of the Volunteers who so kindly participated in the Fort Hamilton "Haunted Playground" and adult "Fright Night" over Halloween this year. We were able to raise money for several charities including The Bermuda National Trust, The Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation and the benign society The Bermuda Ultimate Frisbee League.

We would like to also thank Barritt's Ltd, Gosling's Ltd, The Catlin Group, Logic Communications, Tough Dogs Sports Club, The Bermuda Bookstore, bermynet.com, and blackandcoke.com for giving sponsorship for these events.

Many thanks also go to the Corporation of Hamilton for their continued support and the hard work of all the workers at Fort Hamilton.

The cost of putting on events of this calibre is extremely high in Bermuda.

Without the support of volunteers and sponsors it would be impossible.

Our sincere gratitude,

JON LEGERE & MATTHEW STRONG

Volcanic Productions

Wonderfully loyal friends

December 5, 2006

Dear Sir,

Positive letters to the editor are possibly not newsworthy, but I think most essential to balance the many complaining ones. Please Mr. Editor, allow me the space to show my appreciation to a certain band of helpers.

Recently I have found myself in the unenviable position of moving from one gallery venue space to another. This moving activity rates very high in anyone's stress chart!

I did not ask anyone to help, but on the days in which I moved, here they came; local friends and tourist friends!

Many thanks go to Esther Saunders, Ray and Kay Latter and daughter Catherine, Vicki, Randy and Tihanna Booth, Marianne Penner, Helen and Jim Smith, Helge Wingate, Olli and Una McKittrick, Shapara Hussain and Doyle Stocks, all amazingly helpful friends on the local front.

Then came the surprise helpers. Members of the St. George's Club, week number 47 arrived unannounced to struggle with furniture and boxes across King's Square. What an amazing group of loyal Bermuda friends! Many thanks go to Nancy and Hank Keating, Becky and David Williams, Lindsey, Collette and Louise Clutterbuck.

If the day had been wet and windy and they had nothing else to do, that would possibly have been a different issue. However, the day was clear, warm, windless and sunny ? a perfect Bermuda winter day ... and they only had a few days to enjoy our island! Despite my many requests for them to go and be tourists "play golf, go to the beach, sit in a deckchair and read a book!" they just simply made yet another trip across the square.

Do we appreciate our frequent return visitors? Those people from afar who read every day online; those who decide to support us and return time and time again despite reading about our "dirty linen" every day in the newspaper.

Perhaps we should arrange a special award for these loyal supporters! Thanks to you all! Your visits help to make Bermuda a more rewarding place in which to live.Please forgive me if I have omitted anyone.

Upset with Bermuda

November 13, 2006

Dear Sir,

I am a Bermudian ? it's still a democracy for the next few weeks ? and I still have the right to say what I want. Before I start I have come to a conclusion saying: "Bermudians need to spend time in other countries for longer than a vacation where mommy and daddy or their girlfriend aren't there to do everything for them. They need to be in areas where all they see are mountains, trees, and no one to help them get out of its besides for themselves ? they need to see heads being blown off ? they need to be in the same group of people trying to get something to eat with little available ? they need to be where no one is caring for them; realising that they are responsible for stepping up to the plate in order to make it to the next day". Until then, this will still remain to be the easiest country to talk into anything.

I hope Bermuda is happy with the political situation they have put themselves in but I am upset with the Island. This is the only place we can average two plane trips a year for two weeks or longer ? not know the price for a gallon of gas ? pay top dollar in court because they don't want to lose their licence on the road ? spend over $300 a week on groceries ? have the ability to have over $200 every week in their pocket to go out and party ? have phones, cars, bikes, and multiple accessories and still have more finances to spend... This is a spoiled island and that cannot be denied.

I say all of that because people here don't see obvious things in front of them until their hit in the face... If I were a bad person, I would love to be the leader of this island. It's full of people who will simply accept things regardless of how negative things are as long as that person still has a job or it doesn't affect their social standings. Once something finally slaps, they run behind every other reason for the present failure except for the truth and they will stick to it (its like talking to a bunch robots with horse blinders on who are programmed to think one way).

Bermudians have still consistently kept a party in that focuses on one thing: "one colour dominance". Its more of an "it's our time now" situation and despite the negative things that we as blacks went through in the past; trying to continue that division will kept us at a "Stop Sign" and even put us "Back in Reverse" ... Back in the day UBP associated with the same ideas but "guess what doubters"; this is a new era and UBP has been out long enough for you to stop running behind them every time something is wrong. There are plenty of people reading this and may even say: "I don't know what happened back in the day" and that's true, "I don't know and nor do I want my future relations knowing either". Critics need to close their mouths for a minute ? sit back by themselves and not with a congregation ? and except facts.

Whether we realise it or not, we need a new party on the island. One who isn't rich and hasn't been poor but those who understand the comfortable life where things can go up and down and people are looked at by character and not colour.

I have talked to numerous people around the island and they can all stand up and give their negative thought on this terrible group of leaders that are in control presently. It's when these people are faced in front of their pairs that all those negative quotes go quiet and those strong spoken citizens blend in with the crowd.

I dare anyone who cares about this island ? not bias due to colour ? not afraid of facing society ? and are tired of nothing being accomplished besides for this island going down to write me at my address so we can converse.

Shame on you, Premier

December 6, 2006

Dear Sir,

"? The Premier is a human being like everyone else. He's going to react as any human being would.

"There is underlying racism in making this attack without evidence or substance.

"When you go around impugning motives without any evidence whatsoever, it smacks of racism."

Dear Sir,

I refer to the above quotes of Julian Hall and would like to ask an open question to Julian Hall to ask him to explain how is it that requiring accountability can somehow be turned into a racism issue.

When "people are implying something", the Premier needs to be able to satisfy the public that this is not the case. Perhaps Mr. Hall should (as should Premier Brown) travel outside of their little cocoon and open any international paper or listen to any political news reports and they would see examples (over time) of every democratic country's leading political party (of whatever colour white, yellow, brown, black..) having the public imply certain inappropriate behaviour such as (in this situation) payments being made by people whom have connections to the Government that may not be appropriate. It doesn't pass the public smell test and must therefore be explained ? this is the simplest form of accountability and it is quite normal for deals with connected persons (even if they are connected through a spouse ? which is often even more rigorously scrutinised) to be questioned.

There is no chance that any other politician in this democratic world could get away with avoiding these basic and straightforward questions by stating that they are not answering the questions because they are racially motivated!

Perhaps we should brand this "PLP Sleaze" (as Tony Blair's government is being branded "Labour Sleaze" for an alleged attempt to line Labour's pockets for their election). It seems the police are investigating Tony Blair and no one sees him lambasting the Opposition or the police or attempting to thwart this investigation through racism accusations. This goes with the territory and if the Premier can't handle this type of basic accountability without getting sensitive then he should resign immediately.

He owes Bermudians answers and clear guidelines for this type of fundraising (he also owes Bermudians a reason for going abroad for his fundraising rather than more logically/acceptably looking from within for local support. While he is at it ,maybe he could be kind enough to explain why Bermudians aren't good enough to organise this fundraising event.

I would love to see this Premier try these (racism) tactics in the UK or the US, the press and the opposition parties would have a field day with him and he wouldn't last a week. ?. He would be the laughing stock of the press. These two countries are two of the most multicultural countries with extreme sensitivities to all races and this type of excuse would be truly pathetic.

Finally, to address the first part of the above quote, I hope that no other human being would react like this head of our Island has reacted. There is no excuse at all for this type of behaviour and there is even less of an excuse for the Premier (as the apparent example to us all) to lower himself to below any standard expected of even a nursery school child. He should be ashamed of himself. Racism shields and inexcusable behaviour must not prevent the public from having simple questions answered by the Premier and we should all be encouraged to continue to ask such questions to ensure that our Government is and remains accountable to its public.

SARAH TAFUR

Pembroke

A sordid incident

December 6, 2006

Dear Sir,

In all my years in Bermuda I have never heard anyone, whether that be in a bar, a restaurant, a club, a hotel, at home (because I will not allow it), at work, on the golf course, or in a government office, spew out the rancid vomit that emanated from Ewart Brown in Parliament on Friday, December 1. This whole sordid incident started, once again, with Ewart Brown trying to meddle with the truth, and he was rightly called on it a number of times by Grant Gibbons.

The Premier wants to find reconciliation so he should heed his own words.

PHIL CRACKNELL

St. George's

New low in politics

December 3, 2006

Dear Sir,

We have certainly hit a new low in politics. Dr. Ewart Brown said he was going to take the country to another level, but he didn't say he meant a LOWER LEVEL. To say I was appalled and disgusted to read what he said to Dr. Grant Gibbons on Friday in the house of Assembly would be an understatement.

Does Dr. Brown and the rest of his Party realise that both the Governor (representing the UK Government) and the US Consul (representing the United States of America) read the. Furthermore, do you think the heads of our offshore companies thought his comments clever or degrading?

Unless all other PLP Members in the House clearly state they do not condone what Dr. Brown said on Friday in the House of Assembly, one can only surmise that they are in agreement with this type of obnoxious behaviour.

CAMELOT

City of Hamilton

Disappointed and hurt

December 7, 2006

Dear Sir,

I am deeply disappointed and hurt by our Premier's comments and behaviour in the House last week. Our leaders must lead by example and take the higher ground on race relations. Nelson Mandela came out of prison after 17 years and preached forgiveness and forward thinking, not retribution and revenge. He moved his country to the future in a most positive way by demonstrating great leadership.

The pain that I felt in my stomach hours after reading about our Premier's outburst in the newspaper reflected something very negative in my psyche. Such bad energy permeates out and penetrates the island's consciousness.

It's time for us to move forward on a higher note.

CLAIRE A. SMITH

Warwick