Deadly mix

December 15, 2003

Dear Sir,

This morning, on a pedestrian crossing in Hamilton, I was within milliseconds of being knocked down by an inattentive driver who was using a cell phone. He had little idea where he was going, was unable to 'see' anything in front of him, and was obviously an accident waiting to happen.

Unfortunately I was too busy jumping out of the way to note his registration number and make a complaint. My letter is directed at the Ministry of Transport and the Police: how long will you allow the use of cell phones in moving vehicles before someone is killed?

PETER HOPKIN

Sandys Parish

Happy memories

December 15, 2003

Dear Sir,

My tour in Bermuda started in February, 1950. I was assigned to Flight D, 1st Air Rescue Squadron then the designation changed to the 1st Air Rescue Squadron. We had two B-17s with a plywood boat slung under the bomb bay. I was the survival specialist taking care of all the survival gear and flares.

I enjoyed taking the air crews out into Castle Harbour for wet ditching from a converted PT boat. I used to play golf at the St. George's Hotel golf course.

I guess the most popular place in Bermuda was the Elbow Beach Hotel. I went there I think almost every weekend for swimming and dancing on the starlight dance floor behind the Horseshoe bar. I believe, if I'm not mistaken, there were 127 steps to the beach. I enjoyed dressing in my white dinner jacket dancing with some of the prettiest girls staying there.

I met my wife to be in 1951 at the Elbow Beach Hotel. Frances came back in 1952 and she stayed at the Coral Island Hotel at Flatts Inlet.

We had many nice outings in that area. We used to listen to the Talbot Brothers play and in fact I bought one of their record albums. I just remembered I bought my dinner jacket outfit at HA&E Smith's on Front Street. While in Bermuda I went to the Long Tail club for cocktails. I know that the Bermuda government will make good use of the base since the Island is so small.

I'll always remember Bermuda as being one of the nicest places that I was ever stationed in the military.

GENE NAPIER

Sunnyvale, California

A case for Casemates

December 11, 2003

Dear Sir,

We seem to have a great deal of contradictory information flowing between Government and their departments. Government officials claim there is no crisis with the prison population and yet prison officers are crying out quite the opposite. Obviously we have a breakdown in communication between Government officials and their departments, however that's not the scary part.

The fact of the matter is we have a justice system that allows criminals to walk free when they shouldn't and when they are convicted they are sent to a facility that they do not fear.

This has come about due to a worldwide movement in place to 'rehabilitate' criminals instead of punishing them in order to stay within human rights issues enforced by big shot lawyers in big shot societies. Although I do agree with the concept of rehabilitating criminals I do not think convictions should be distributed without some form of punishment other than loss of one's freedom. We are faced with a justice system that seems to be failing, then leaving victims of crimes and the community scared and frustrated in order to give rehabilitation a try.

We have created a monster criminal due to a lack of fear of the repercussions imposed on them once they have committed a crime. This in turn causes an increase in crime and a decline in ability to find housing for the criminal.

Proposed solution: Place fear in the mind of the individual before they become the monster. In order to do this I believe we have to take more than just a criminal's freedom away from them, we have to make prison a place they do not want to go. Re-open Casemates prison for anyone deemed a serious offender to be housed (serious offenders' criteria should also be reviewed and in my view be categorised as anyone causing grievous bodily harm to another individual).

They would still have access to rehabilitation at Westgate prison right next door but would eat and sleep in a real prison as opposed to a prison/resort. I do realise Casemates prison is a mess but it would be a far less expense to re-open an already erected structure than to build another Westgate. Why not even save on labour and have prisoners in between classes mix concrete and learn the construction trade instead of playing basketball. A prison should be a place you don't want to return too in a hurry and right now we have people who lead far better lives in then out.

Whatever is done, it is simple to see that the powers that be have opened the floodgates of crime on our society in a bid to give rehabilitation a shot. If this continues the only solution will be for society to take matters in their own hands, and then what has rehabilitation really achieved?

POWELL

Warwick

Don't change, Bermuda

December 12, 2003

Dear Sir,

I read online your article on the proposal to bring casino's and nude beaches to Bermuda. Personally, I believe that the individual Mr. Brannon and Mr. Hall don't realise the allure of your Island. What attracts my wife, children and I to visit your Island is the friendly people, the beautiful scenery and the beaches. In fact, we went without television during our stay ? remarkable since our last visit was with two young children. They were enamoured with the whole way of life and are asking when we can come back.

Here in the States, we have those attractions if we so chose to partake. One trip to Las Vegas will give you both options. Why replicate what we have in the States? You are much better off keeping to what has worked and that charm that I haven't found anywhere else. Simplicity is superior.

BOB BURGHARDT

Spring City, Pennsylvania

Casinos a bad bet

December 10, 2003

Dear Sir,

Forty years ago (1963) my family and I spent a delightful Christmas week in Bermuda. Your lovely Island was captivating. Then and is equally captivating now. Rarely do I write a "Letter to the Editor" of a newspaper but feel compelled to do so now ? often a wonderful current ten-day visit. Bermuda is still an Island oasis in an increasingly complex world. You have been so far ? sighted in legislative enactments ie. one automobile per household to eliminate horrible traffic; severely limiting the non-Bermuda ownership of property, as two examples.

The purpose of my letter is just to say, in my opinion, "Well done!" Please, please do not allow your charming Island to have casino gambling, nude beaches and other so-called "catering to tourist appeals". That have absolutely ruined other places in the world. Once the door is opened, it seems, it can never be closed!

Bermuda is still a very special place and I hope you will keep it that way!

WAITE THOMPSON

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Co-Ed conundrum

December 8, 2003

Dear Sir,

How absurd is that? Who's bright idea was it to put carefully selected male inmates with the females at Co-Ed? From what I gather the Co-Ed is at its peak of fullness as well. Besides for eight rooms with long-terms, all the rest of the cells holds two female. With a state of 50, the placement of males at Co-Ed should make the officers on their shifts all the more interesting.

With the trainees (boys) there was love letter writing a quick kiss or feel now and then. But with adult males coming on the property the sky is the limit. The prison officers better have eyes in the back of their heads, cause I sense there is going to be some real action going on soon. Pregnancy, rapes who knows. Don't be stupid.

I say again send some of foreigners to their own prisons to finish sentences. You are asking for trouble. Open up Casemates. Anything but males at Co-Ed.

EYE IN THE SKY

Devonshire