Patient speaks out

October 22, 2003

Dear Sir,

If writing a letter to the paper gets results so be it ? our hospital suffers a very bad air conditioning system and has had it for a long time and it's about time it was repaired or a new one put it. The wards which have patients are really poor, some rooms are fair, but most are poor or not at all, patients feel bad enough with having poor air conditioning and to have to have a silly little fan to help is no good and only gives you a cold.

Is it, parts, money or repair men that is needed? Do we need to start a fund to help our hospital, because sooner or later we may have to go there. Doctors and Nurses can only do so much for the patients, but the comfort for our patients is essential. I only hope it will be repaired before next summer and not wait till summer is on our door step. Start now. Our hospital needs sprucing up.

Outrage at sentence

November 7, 2003

Dear Sir,

There have been a few incidents in the paper lately regarding sexual attacks on children, and all have been disturbing to me. However, nothing can describe the revulsion I felt when reading the article titled 'Anger at sex pest's sentence' regarding Howard Soares (RG November 7, 2003). This guy, who at 60 years of age is old enough to be these kids' grandfather, obviously feels no kind of remorse for what he has done, and the impact: "I was enticed by the girls. I don't go round looking for girls, they do things to turn me on".

Yet his lawyer, Mark Pettingill, has the nerve to say 'he hasn't been out being a predator or a paedophile...'. No, he may not have been a predator, but he was certainly an opportunist ? he saw the chance to molest these children and he took it. And what exactly does Mr. Pettingill think a 'paedophile' is? The last time I checked by it was an individual who 'has a preference for repetitive sexual activity with pre-pubertal children'. Molesting little nine-year-olds most certainly fits the bill!

Mr. Pettingill goes on to say that Mr. Soares has 'suffered'. Who cares! The only 'sufferng' that he is experiencing is obviously because he has been caught and not has to face the consequences! This 'suffering' is of his own doing, and has been brought upon himself.

He has no one else to blame. If he were truly sorry, he would not have done this to two girls on two separate occasions ? he would have stopped after the first time! As for his so-called punishment, it is sickening beyond belief how these perverts get off with a slap on the wrist! When are we going to wake up in this country and stop letting our children down time after time after time!

This man should have been given the maximum sentence possible under law, and maybe served as a deterrent for the other perverts out there. Two years ? what a joke! Paedophiles need treatment-they will always have these urges, but they need to learn how to keep these urges under control.

Is two years enough time to treat this guy, or will he be out in two years time still a threat to society? Considering the comments he has made, he is a very, very sick individual who does not wish to take accountability for what he has done, but instead chooses to blame his victims for 'tempting him'. God help this man, and God help Bermuda if this is the kind of 'justice' we will be seeing.

The house always wins

November 10, 2003

Dear Sir,

Whatever the merits for "introducting" gambling, the comments about the loss of 300 jobs by Rick Olson might be considered a little bit self-serving. One assumes the "300 jobs" were created after the gambling machines arrived? It would be interesting to know what the current return is to the operator for every $10 wagered ...$5, $6, $7?

It could even be $9 since the whole process is not subject to any regulations as in Las Vegas where somewhere around 90 percent goes back to the punter. If Mr. Olson is offering to pay a 20 percent tax on the turnover then one can only surmise about the profit margin, a margin which he decides.

The term "cash cow" certainly comes to mind! And I thought only the Bermuda Monetary Authority had the right to print money!

The root cause of the conflict

November 1, 2003

This letter was sent to the Jewish World Review and copied to the Royal Gazette on an article "Graffiti on History's Walls: The New anti-Semitism" by Mort Zuckerman

Dear Sir,

I read your comments on the Palestine Israeli conflict and it never fails to amaze me how little people whose job it is to inform others are so biased and tunnel visioned themselves. The root cause of the conflict goes back to the formation of the Zionist ideology in late 19th century to have Jews in the Diaspora return to the land of their ancestry. The way proposed was to have wealthy Jews purchase land owned by others for settlement purposes.

This did not take place and the gradual return became an avalanche forcing out Palestinians, killing men women and children stealing land, farms, and, bank accounts with no compensation. You can never solve one refugee situation by creating another, it is a recipe for disaster.

It is naive to say Israel is a democracy ? the one million non-Jewish so called Israeli citizens have less rights than the one million Russian immigrants not born in Israel have, as they are Christians and Muslims, so much for that lie.

The decision to give land they did not own to the Jews caused this entire mess and the funding by the US of $4 billion annually in weaponry has made Israel a US welfare state and enraged over one billion Muslims making the world a much more dangerous place and destroying freedom for the rest of us.

In my opinion the World Trade Centre tragedy would not have happened if the US had been even handed in its policy towards the Palestinians. If you do not understand this you should abstain from writing misleading articles as this is way too serious and is at the cause of world terrorism and global destablisation.

I went to enter Israel at the time Sharon and his cadre of thugs went to the Temple Mount and this deliberate plan caused the present turmoil to erupt just as his timing to assassinate the Hamas leaders which he was able to do anytime was a destabilising ploy. He can kill anyone anytime and no one will say BOO, he has often killed innocent people then denies it, at least Hamas admits it, and as long as people such as you continue to print prejudiced articles to justify your Zionist agenda the solution will be difficult.

Even with our best efforts it will take a monumental effort but we must face the tough as this propaganda only prolongs the solution. The Muslim nations need massive education and delivery from poverty so they can think for themselves. The position Israeli is in is unendable in the long term and will get worse not only for Israel but for the world at large.

I am a non religious humanist and am not ant Semitic I am pro humanity and if you are wrong it is not being anti Semitic to tell you so.

There's so much more

November 5, 2003

Dear Sir,

I occasionally read "Letters to the Editor". This morning is one such time. The letter titled "Foreigners Taking Over" and signed Paget East Voter has motivated me to respond ? only to the writer's closing remarks. "Look around and see some of the cultures that are taking over Bermuda, you saw this especially during the summer, they are having gatherings with just their kind".

And your point is? Perhaps you might try reading a book or two. Make a special effort to travel to another country and visit a museum or even take in an art gallery. Hey what the heck, experience eating out where English is not the predominant language! It's fantastic!

Paget East Voter, there is so much more to life than a tiny island called Bermuda! I appreciate the diversity we are witnessing in Bermuda. I'm ecstatic that my teenaged son is in a class room with several different nationalities (and so is he). Please somebody tell me that I'm not in the minority.

I want my children to develop and grow in a country best described as multi-cultural. So glad I have an EU passport. The minute I suspect we are headed towards some form of cultural cleansing ? I'm out of here.