October 15, 2003

Dear Sir,

Can you tell me what?s wrong with this picture?

Our children, between the ages of four and eleven, are out on the streets, (sometimes on a school night) during the hours of 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. (after the implementation of daylight saving time), masked as monsters, demons and evil little devils.

While costumed like this, they go around knocking on the doors of the homes of people they know and total strangers, begging for either a trick or a treat. Surely, this cannot be considered a safe practice for our children. Children are our investment for the future; therefore we, as adults, should be monitoring and protecting our investment, particularly since we are looking for a ?good return?.

We must first recognise that our children are just that - children. They have to be guided, taught and nurtured. They should be encouraged to be creative, they must be taught the art of having fun, and, most importantly, they should be educated about what Halloween is, how it originated and its significance.

I suggest that the community and schools take a proactive approach towards having fun on the day known as ?Halloween?, and celebrate ?Hello-wee?, an alternative to Halloween. On that day, the students could be allowed to arrive at school in various outfits. The teachers, students and parents could darken the classroom and windows. The parents could provide baked goods, fruit, candies, books or other gifts.

The students should be encouraged to dress up as their favourite character or role model, and it should be someone or something positive such as a mechanic, truck driver, maid, lawyer, nurse, doctor, the Premier, or whoever or whatever they want to be when they grow up.

The student should know what their outfit or their character represents, since they will be imitating that individual or character. The students would then go from classroom to classroom and collect these goodies which would be distributed by the teachers.

Children will ?act their age? when grouped with their peers.

Peer grouping will also minimise, if not eliminate altogether, the misbehaviour by bullies who feel the need to take advantage of the younger people.

Students in middle school may or may not want to participate in trick or treat, for some at this age are trying to impress the big school (high school) students. This is the time that the pranks usually start.

After school, the students would return home as usual. They would do their homework, complete their chores, eat supper and get ready for bed.

Having already participated in Hello-wee at school during the day, there would be no need for the children to be out on the street that evening.

Yes, I do miss Guy Fawkes Day and the childhood memories of things we used to do back then. Hello, let?s ween our children off unsafe practices before someone is badly hurt, or God forbid, killed this October 31st. I believe our children would enjoy this practice ? so let?s give ?Hello-wee? a try.

PS: I told you so on October 10, 2003.

If no guns are allowed in Bermuda, then no masks or costumes should be worn in public after dark, thus discouraging the appearance of evil. Just as a regulation has been adopted to prevent the wearing of crash helmets in a public building, we need to adopt safe and wise practices and activities to safeguard the impressionable minds of our children.

Bermuda can set the example for the rest of the world, making us the leader, and not a ?scooter riding? follower. If Harry Potter can make a difference, I believe that so can ?wee? in Bermuda. Let?s be another world and set a sensible example for all!!

JOHN BUDDY FORD

City of Hamilton

October 27, 2003

Dear Sir,

I agree completely that Gen. Boykin ought to be removed from a position of authority without delay. However, your downplaying of Prime Minister Mahathir?s comments is grossly inappropriate. What you?re saying, essentially, is that since anti-Semitic sentiments are so common place, why be concerned?

Firstly, the fact that no one should be surprised at the sheer magnitude of Mahathir?s anti-Semitism is hardly the point. What he said was so heinous, so mendacious that he deserves the contempt of the civilised world.

We can also be surprised because Mahathir was speaking at a significant international event and one would expect politicians to be somewhat more circumspect in such a setting.

Secondly, no matter how often the lies underlying racism are repeated, they must be challenged vigourously and unequivocally (hardly adjectives that could describe your mild admonitions).

Thirdly, to mention Mahathir?s speech without also pointing out his audience?s enthusiastic reaction is to erase any semblance of perspective from your analysis of the event.

His audience, consisting of political leaders from throughout the Muslim world, hooted and hollered at Mahathir?s characterisations of Jews. The Egyptian Foreign Minister, for one, complemented Mahathir?s ?wise analysis?.

Gen. Boykin was impolitic and racist and he should pay the price for his comments.

But let us not lose sight that Gen Boykin represents no particular constituency and his influence on the world stage is limited, to say the least. Prime Minister Mahathir, on the other hand, is the head of state of a fairly populous country and his comments were endorsed wholeheartedly by many fellow heads of government. How utterly disheartening to those of us who have fought racism all our lives. And surely even non-Jews can understand the depth of despair felt by Jews hearing the same type of comments that presaged the Holocaust.

Yes, we should all be surprised and disgusted each and every time we witness racism. Downplaying the speaker or the context only ensures we?ll continue to be subjected to these vile hatemongers.

HENRY ROTH

Montreal, Canada

October 26, 2003

Dear Sir,

Some recent articles in The Royal Gazette regarding the Stonington Beach Hotel staff and the hotel?s future have prompted this letter.

We have been vacationing in Bermuda since the 1970s staying at White Sands, Reefs, Cambridge Beaches, and Stonington (20 plus visits). The staff, many of whom have been there for years, have always been loyal, efficient and friendly.

And always ready with the warmest of welcomes for new and returning guests.

We?re certain that many of these outstanding people (serving in all areas of the resort) can continue to contribute positively and help build on the tradition that has served Stonington and her guests well for years.

We place a very high value on these staff members and hope the new owner/management team will do the same.

The Stonington Beach Hotel has always had a unique combination of understated elegance warmed by Bermudian friendliness. That?s why we kept coming back.

We hope the new management will honour and preserve the traditions and welcoming atmosphere that Stonington has come to represent over the past 23 years. We will watch the progress with interest.

BILL AND FRAN NUGENT

Wayzata, Minnesota

October 27, 2003

Dear Sir,

I know not much about pigs ? the current topic of your columns ? and am certainly not as familiar with them as Sir Winston Churchill was, one of his lesser known quotes being: ?Dogs look up to you, cats look down on you, but pigs treat you as their equal.?

However, I do know that the pig is a much maligned animal.

It is, in fact, intelligent, clean (when removed from the filthy state in which some people choose to keep it) and apparently makes a wonderful pet.

Misinformation about the animal is widespread. A typical expression ? sweating like a pig ? is nonsensical. Pigs don?t sweat.

PETER J. WILLCOCKS

Smith?s Parish

P.S. For more about pigs see Orwell?s Animal Farm and Lord Emsworth?s escapades in the writings of P.G. Wodehouse.

October 18, 2003

Dear Sir,

I?m so glad my child had a teacher like Mrs. Simons, genuine and dedicated, Because teachers like her are so hard to find.

It was a sad day, when the Nursery School at St. Michael?s Church Hall came to a close, but the memory of two special ladies will always be in my heart.

Thank you, Thank you for Mrs. Maureen Maughan for being a professional, caring teacher and owner.

Thank you, thank you for Mrs. Barbara Simons for being a loving, hardworking, excellent teacher now the nursery school has come to an end these ladies will always be in my heart to the very end.

WARM HEARTED PARENT

Somerset

October 27, 2003

Dear Sir,

After reading Gavin Shorto ?s opinion I wondered if he had in fact awakened to smell the coffee with his fine line between sincerity and hypocrisy in the article.

The Malaysian Prime Minister is not alone in thinking the Jews rule the world by proxy as those in Israel can act in any way they choose with impunity.

If Mr. Shorto were to live in the Jabalya refugee camp, an area one square kilometre with 90,000 others, he would really smell the coffee.

The opinion column by Reuters in The Royal Gazette of March 14, 2003 confirms that US foreign policy is largely influenced by a cadre of Jewish Zionist sympathisers led by US deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz.

The Jewish world review publishes jeering cartoons of Arabs claiming they use nuclear power for electricity.

Here?s a question for Mr. Shorto: How much electricity do the nuclear plants in Dimona, Israel produce?

Dimona, once called a textile factory, actually produces 40 kilos of weapons-grade plutonium every year for the past 20 years and this area is protected by US anti-aircraft defences. This hypocrisy makes the rest seem tame indeed.

BILL COOK

Paget