Law must protect women

June 18, 2005

Dear Sir,

In front of their five year old daughter, a man ?ploughed? into his estranged wife with his bike, punched her to the ground, kicked her in the face and then rode over her a second time, revving the engine to cause more harm, and he only gets a slap on the wrist and told to be good for two years! Give me a break!

When will the law be used to protect women instead of treating violence in families so trivially?

I have to wonder what sentence he would have received had she been a stranger and not his wife?

Disturbing aspects

June 19, 2005

Dear Sir,

As a short term visitor to your beautiful country I would like to express my appreciation of the wonderful hospitality have received wherever I went. If a country is judged by its people, yours is exceptional.

I felt compelled however, to make a brief comment on a few aspects which disturb me. Firstly, your treatment of women. How can a man run over his wife twice and bash her senseless and be let off by the judge? What messages does this send?

Secondly, a government which gives itself a higher pay rise than it gives to the elderly on pensions seems to me to one which does not respect its own people. People who have spent their lives making this country what it is today surely deserve to a least be able to keep up with the cost of living.

You have a great heritage, high standard of living and an incomparable natural beauty in this island. Again, thank you for a most enjoyable stay.

Name sexual offenders

June 10, 2005

Dear Sir,

I am trying to understand, please help. How come they do not allow the person name in the newspapers or radio if they have molested children. It is very unfair to the public not to know. The person could be living next door. You could gives names of drug offenders what is the difference.

Please Bermuda we have to get together with his matter we can not let it rest. It seems like every week someone is up for touching someone?s child and we don?t know who it is.

It could be my father touching my niece, or your boyfriend touching your daughter. Enough is Enough. Let?s get on with this everyone, let?s be heard.The law governing identification in sexual offences cases states that the victim in a sexual offence case can never be identified. The person accused of committing the sexual offence can only be identified if and when he or she is convicted. However, when identification of the convicted person would lead to identification of the victim (for example, if there is a close family relationship), the media is still barred from identifying the convicted person.

This newspaper agrees with the principle of protecting the identity of the victim, especially in a case involving a child. But this newspaper has lobbied for years that the accused should be identified from the time he or she is charged with the offence, provided there is no risk of the victim being identified.

Watch McGall?s Hill

June 20, 2005

Dear Sir,

I read a letter sent in by ?Hoping to get through? in your newspaper last week about his encounter with pack racers at McGall?s Hill who nearly ran into his car. I too have had a similar close call with these guys in the past driving home in the early hours while heading home myself. Not to bash the Police or sound disrespectful in any way, but I?m sure that many people have phoned in to complain about the craziness that goes on down there. It become a well known haven for speed junkies who risk their lives to see who is the fastest.

Anyone driving past Collector?s Hill in the early hours of a Friday or Saturday has probably seen a whole pile of youths in the neighbouring parking lots with their bikes everywhere hanging around and it can be nerve-wracking to have a few dozen headlights come flying toward your vehicle not knowing what will happen. Yet, it seems like this nonsense is still happening on a constant basis so what exactly are the Police doing about it?

I?d like to hear their comments on the issue and what they are going to do to curb the racing in the area before someone gets hurt or killed. Be pro-active not reactive.

Stop the pack racing

June 23, 2005

Dear Sir,

I?m e-mailing this to your news desk in the hopes that something will get done because it seems that all the police do these days is talk about enforcement instead of getting out there and doing it. Last Friday at about 2 a.m. I was driving home along South Road in Smiths. I was slowly approaching Collectors Hill when a group of ten or so bikers flew past me on both sides of my bike nearly causing me to fall off. No doubt they were pack racing.

All I could do was shake my head in disgust as I continued upon my way. Where is this police presence on the roads that is supposed to keep reckless behaviour like this in check? I did not see a single police vehicle on the roads as I was driving home and last night was no different. Can you believe that lightning can strike in the same place at the same time twice? This time I was in a taxi going home and had just passed Devonshire Bay when about 30 or so bikes sped the opposite way. The taxi driver commented that he always sees people speeding and racing through this area when he drives by in the early hours of the weekends and has for years ... years!

I?m sure that the traffic police have received complaints about pack racing and general recklessness in this area before. So why is it that the youths and their loud motorcycles are running amok down there? I invite the police to answer that question to the public. The McGall?s Hill area a of South Road has become a personal racetrack to these guys.

Hitting back at ACT

June 21, 2005

Dear Sir,

I would like to clear the air and address the perception Mr. Bart states in the article; the story ran this past Monday June 20th is unfair and inaccurate. The facts are just as the article states.

I was terminated on Friday without notice. The return plane ticket that they purchased for me had expired on June 15 and was therefore cancelled. During the termination meeting between my direct report DaCosta Larrier, and Christian Blais (Professional Services Manager), I believe the exact language quoted by Mr. Blais was ?we are looking for people who are proactive, and can think quickly on their feet. Mr. Blais went on to suggest that I should not pursue a career in IT client consulting, but should work at one place as a network administrator. The article stated IT manager. That is the only such inaccuracy. My question to Mr. Bart is ?What is inaccurate?? I agree with the unfair part. It was totally unfair that I was terminated in less than three weeks.

Mr. Bart stated in his article of an ?offer to purchase a plane ticket in my behalf to leave the Island?. Last time I checked, immigration required a return plane ticket for an expat on a temporary work permit. It was not an option or a perk to be given out to an expat employee.

Lastly I had shipping and other transport related expenses that are outstanding. My offer letter contract states I am entitled to $3,000 in shipping. When I brought this up at the termination meeting the response was: ?Well we are paying you till the end of the month that should take care of your shipping and accommodations after you leave the guest house.? As a New Yorker I just have to say ?What?s Up With That!? My legal advisors will be asking that too, along with a lot of other questions pertaining to human rights, and hiring practices, or more accurately, firing practices, on behalf of myself, other ex-pats, and Bermudians alike.

Flagging up tourism

June 23, 2005

Dear Sir,

Are Bermudians suicidal? I don?t get it. Tourism is ill, there?s a new doctor willing to try never before tried medicines/therapies. Don?t people, doesn?t Bermuda, want to give them a chance to work? Do we want to succeed in this industry where we were once pre-eminent? It requires work, it requires that we all, including , help the new remedies work. How is it that people are so negative?

Tourism thrives on service, added value, rubbing shoulders with the locals, a special experience, which cannot be had anywhere else. ?Pop By? is a perfect solution for locals to mix with our visitors. Would it have been quite so difficult for those educators/parents and others concerned about ?children talking with strangers, to suggest/reinforce what children must sensibly do: work in groups and be cautious. Don?t our children live under adult supervision anyway: why would their participation in ?Pop By? be any different?

The Minister of Tourism and Transport did not advocate children ignoring the adult supervision rule. I?m sure that the Ministry of Tourism will beef up this particular caution in their brief to children on their school visits. Could we not have got this message to the children, who might not read the RG anyway, more effectively than blazoning it across the front page? Has this sad excuse by the editors for a ?story? not now polarised people into those who will now publicly declare that their children will not ? etc etc., versus those more in tune with Bermuda, people who advise their children to raise their ?Pop By? flags in groups out in the open? I despair for my country if we cannot handle the simple stuff with some unity of spirit for our collective good.

All washed up

June 20, 2005

Dear Sir,

Police vehicles and vehicles owned by Police officers are being washed in the parking lot of the Somerset Police Station.

The soapy water is running into the main road right on the corner of the old Belco building and is going to one day cause a very serious accident, especially for bike riders. (but as usually they always wait for something to happen).

I suggest the washing of police vehicles be taken to Westgate and wash them over there.

Reminder: The private vehicles should not be washed at all. When I wash my car I have to do it in my yard and use my water, I cannot take it to the Police Station for washing, just because you work on the Police force should not give you the right to wash your car on the convenience of the taxpayer?s money for the usage of water.