May 11, 2005

Dear Sir,

Please allow me space to respond to "Insulted" in Somerset, whose letter appeared in the May 10 .

I will start by saying that I agree to a large degree with almost everything in that letter. Briefly ? respect is earned; it cannot be demanded. Both political parties are guilty of gross disregard for the population of Bermuda. The recent ? and not-so-recent ? public behaviour of some Government Ministers leaves much to be desired. It is difficult, at best, to find an "honest" politician. The definition of 'affordable housing' that "Insulted" gives is, in my view, right on the money. The 'fabric' of Bermuda has most definitely taken a turn for the worse. Again, I agree with those points ? not only the points, but the manner and tone in which "Insulted" conveyed them, so on those points, I say "well done".

However that letter left a very bitter taste in my mouth, all else aside, because of one point "Insulted" makes, and that is the point on racism, which is defined as follows:

1) The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

2) Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

And, by that definition, "Insulted" is a racist. To suggest that racism can be equated with resentment, because blacks were the 'first people', is racism, pure and simple. It is precisely due to the flawed logic "Insulted" is using, that any race throughout history has ever been able to dominate or enslave another. It is because there were, and are, people who think that those who are "like me", "my colour", "my people", are by definition better than those "like you", "your colour", "your people", that we have all the conflict, hatred, and injustice in this world. I am not exaggerating. Racism is not white against black, "Insulted". Racism is pervasive. It knows no direction. It is, quite simply, "us" against "them". It is ignorant, vicious, and counter-productive. And you are guilty of it. This probably fills you with rage, because no doubt you've already assumed that I am white. It is that assumption that reveals your true heart.

I imagine that you were filled with anger at the state of affairs that led you to write that letter, justly so, and as I have said, I agree with almost all of your points, and the manner in which you expressed them. However I cannot let slip the fact that because you feel blacks are superior, that therefore you have the moral high ground. You do not. You erode it. Because others will follow your lead, and march towards a cause that is just ? towards a better Bermuda ? but you will do it on the foundation of racist beliefs, and that makes your argument no better than that of any racist that has come and gone before you. I urge you to consider carefully the manner in which you form your beliefs. You clearly have a keen mind, and a vision for good, and those things do you credit ? but that fortress is, for now, built only on sand.

Lay a solid foundation, and you will be a voice for positive change in this country.

April 27, 2005

Dear Sir,

I, too, agree with Mrs. Dawn Brown's comments published in today with regards to Ms Diane McQueen. She is human and we all have made mistakes. She probably has made some very poor decisions ? show me one person who hasn't. Those children that she has and the one on the way is a blessing from God. He makes no mistakes and He has our lives mapped out way before we are aware.

Quite frankly, Bermudians can be way too judgmental and must remember that each and every one of us need our back yards manicured! I think if we as a community stand together and united and help each other out when the need arises, we would not have an increase in crime either.

Mrs. Brown is absolutely right, we can help others around the world, but we can't help our own. What difference does it matter her age, how many children she has and how many she has on the way! I think that out of each family here in Bermuda, black or white, there has been at least one family member that has had a child or children out of wedlock. Pull your heads out of the sand Bermuda!

April 21, 2005

Dear Sir,

There is a lot of talk of housing shortages and overpricing in the housing market. What we need to do is study our financial management practices, learn how to manage our money better, and find better ways to increase our income. Then, we will be able afford the rents, to purchase, and live. I understand that there are many households in the Government projects, which are earning more than $12,000 per month. Also, there are some who are living in these accommodations and refuse to work (spongers and parasites). I applaud the Minister for requiring that there be a means test first. This should be continuous throughout the tenancy or mortgage. Here is a part of the solution that I believe should be implemented:

The tenant would be required to successfully attend and pass specific courses in basic business, money management and budgeting. Be means tested, then ten percent of the household's gross income would be deducted each month and put in an investment portfolio for the duration of the tenancy and to be jointly managed by the tenant(s) and Government agency. The tenant would not be able to draw down on this or use it as collateral for loans etc.The rental agreement will be for ten years only, with a maximum extension of five years under very exceptional circumstances. The rent would be fixed at no less then 50 percent of the market value or 33 percent of the household's gross income ? whichever is the greater.

As above. Deduct ten percent each month and invest as above for the life of the original mortgage. At the end of each year make a 13th payment, if possible. When the mortgage is completely paid off, continue to deduct both the mortgage payment and the ten percent until the end of the life of the original mortgage.

At that time the home owner would have at least $400,000 and a free and clear accommodation. He would also know and would have shown that he could handle his finances and have something to hold him in retirement.

ALBERT SWAN

Hamilton Parish

April 28, 2005

Dear Sir,

As David Mamet wrote toward the end of his film "The Verdict": "The law is a prayer uttered in a frightened voice." We have a situation. A group of people are using the specific and righteous rage inspired by racism to feed their generalised rage to serve a purpose.

If a black man displays himself as angry and strong, historically he has been very intimidating. In the past, several young black men have made themselves into Bermudian heroes by taking just that stance. People of other races, usually white anglos found this very scary, but it shook them out of their lethargy and brought them to a moral reckoning of a sort. It also intimidated many blacks who didn't want to upset the status quo. These men, often by intimidation and then reasoned explanation, served a purpose that in the end benefited us very greatly.

Now some young black men use the memory of that anger to for their own purposes. Ask any Bermudian about racism and they will tell you, it's a past they have learned to deal with; a present they are content is being properly dealt with; or they feel that the present, though still bad, will not last. Bermudians like to think they are practical people and that they have got racism on the run.

But deeper in the Bermudians psyche, all is not so upbeat. A bewildering array of anger, doubts, fears and guilt surround this resourceful virus of racism. This is true of anybody of any race.

The anger, ignorance (in the Bermudians sense) and fear are still in ample supply. We lived for centuries as utterly separate communities bound together more intimately than an outsider could ever imagine. No two or three kinds of people have ever been so close and so far apart. We like to think that we live comfortably in our very close communities of friends and relations, but the fact of the others sends vibrations through everything we do. Our communities are constantly afflicted with stresses from our intimate division, the outside groups; the groups that are as close as the neighbour, but might be farther away than our relations in Atlanta or in London. The racial differences have subsided but by no means disappeared.

The important problem now is that we have gotten used to living apart. Expatriates, learning to live on the Island, point it out right away. "You guys are all divided up," they say. And they are right.

So the old fears and guilts that were so debilitating to our happiness can be easily evoked by a group willing and intuitive enough to see the opportunity. Some young black men can, if they choose, raise from hell the old fears and guilt of the past and use them for generalised intimidation. The effect is to intimidate all of us. The objective is to intimidate witnesses and juries. And it is apparently successful. These are not special people because they are male, black, angry or young.

What separates them from us and more specifically from all other angry black men is that they use their image to create a sovereignty outside the law, where they can commit their crimes without punishment. It is an utterly cynical use of their legacy. They are declaring their independence as it were and ceding from Bermuda. It is a very dangerous precedent.

We should recognise the deep fissures in our society, recognised that we have a habit of accepting our intimate division, put aside inappropriate anger and guilt and deal with these people. From what I read in the paper, although they appear to hate us all, they probably need us more than we need them.

JOHN ZUILL

Pembroke