Awkward and hostile

March 31, 2008

Dear Sir,

The recent and somewhat improbable success of Barack Obama's campaign has afforded Bermudians the chance to compare and contrast the state of their own race relations with those of the United States. It will be of some solace – or perhaps of none at all – that race is every bit as fraught and volatile an issue there as it is here.

For months while Mr. Obama's star has been on the ascendancy, mainstream Democrats have been trying to suppress their glee at the prospect of a viable black candidate. Meanwhile, the Obama campaign – apparently at the behest of the candidate himself – has attempted to run a campaign which avoided the matter of race almost all together.

But it could not last. Weeks ago the matter boiled to the surface when an advisor to Hillary Clinton's campaign raised (the frankly legitimate) question of whether Mr. Obama's race contributed to his success. Then it all fell apart.

Readers of your Overseas section will be familiar with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. He is a controversial Chicago pastor whose ministry counts Mr. Obama as one of its parishioners, and who has surpassed even Mrs. Clinton as the greatest threat to Obama's campaign.

Forced to either defend or abandon Wright – who believes, among other things, that AIDS is a conspiracy of the white man – Mr. Obama made a lengthy and grandiloquent speech in which he essentially did neither. It was not until I read a superb piece in last week's New York Times, that I saw the connection to Bermuda. The conservative columnist William Kristol took issue with Mr. Obama's call for a "national conversation" on the matter of race. This is not, of course, a foreign notion to most Bermudians.

Since he took office, Dr. Brown has periodically called for a "Big Conversation" on the subject of race. He characteristically took the confrontational route, by telling Bermudians that this conversation ought to make 'some' – though doubtless he meant "whites" – to feel uncomfortable. Mercifully, the "Big Conversation" has yielded little to date but a few sparsely-attended meetings and a guided tour of Tucker's Town.

Granted, Dr. Brown is on the whole less thoughtful and eloquent a politician than Mr. Obama. But in this respect both men are equally misguided. For I earnestly believe that a "national conversation" on the subject of race is the last thing Bermuda needs. To quote Mr. Kristol:

"What we need instead are sober, results-oriented debates about economics, social mobility, education, family policy and the like – focused especially on how to help those who are struggling – national conversations tend to be pointless and result-less."

If Bermudians are honest with themselves, they will acknowledge that we live under a segregation of our own volition. The integration which does occur is mostly unavoidable – the Regiment or workforce, for instance – and is done out of convenience or necessity. Meanwhile, churches, clubs, sports and even neighbourhoods in this country are largely defined by their racial make-up.

There are exceptions to this, of course. But the races still view each other largely with misconception, suspicion and even fear. If we do not yet inhabit "two Bermudas", we certainly aren't far off. It does not take a leader of Mr. Obama's intelligence to recognise this, nor a "Big Conversation" to identify the reasons why.

Let us be perfectly frank. Ten years into the PLP tenure, the lot of the black Bermudian – that is to say, those not connected to the party elite – is little or no better than when the UBP left office.

Meanwhile, the often vitriolic racial rhetoric and lack of representation has alienated most whites, and caused some to leave the island all together. At the same time, the burgeoning international business is serving as the great divider. Some (mostly white) Bermudians are prospering from the fortunes and opportunities it offers. Others, however, are forced to take no part in this new, gilded age of ours. They watch from the margins of our society as the industry helps raise the cost of living to almost intolerable heights for the working class.

Meanwhile our government's answer to this crisis is to have a conversation! Might I propose they do less talking and begin to solve the problems at hand. The failing public education system ought to be reformed as a matter of urgency, more affordable housing needs to be offered to those most in need and Government must begin to make amends with a white population that is increasingly being made to feel foreign in their own land.

A "Big Conversation" would surely be an awkward, hostile and ultimately injurious dialogue that would achieve nothing. Indeed, at best it would arrive at the same truths no observant Bermudian could fail to see. While at worst it would descend in to the mindless hysteria that is so often the Bermudian discourse.

What we need is a government that is more willing and prepared to tackle these issues than it is to stifle the press and settle its own petty scores. Until we get that government, I suggest we take Mr. Kristol's prudent advice on the subject of a "Big Conversation": Let's not, and say we did.

CICERO

Hamilton Parish

The sun will shine bright

March 27, 2008

Dear Sir,

The Government has information under lock and key

And they won't release it to you or me.

They are covering up their sins for sure,

That is why we don't know more

The Royal Gazette is helping out

So will win without a doubt

And the Sun will be shining bright

Then we'll be able to see the light

ANNE HOLMAN

Pembroke

Free buses for children

March 3, 2008

Dear Sir,

As a strong supporter of the PLP Government and have been a supporter from its inception, I do have a concern about a few things that they want to implement, although one of them has already gone through, and that one is the seniors not paying licence fees, where I would have suggested that all seniors that are not 70-years-old pay half the licence fees, the other things are, Transportation for all school children and seniors 65 up, free transportation yes, bus and ferry. All others should have to pay their way whether it be bus or ferry. Those monies would sure back up a lot of other things that are on foot, or should I say what the Government are trying to accomplish for the Island, and its people, and let's hang in there for another five years or more.

CONCERNED SUPPORTER

Sandys

A name proposal

March 26, 2008

Dear Sir,

I suggest that our new hospital be called the Sir Henry Tucker Memorial Hospital. Sir Henry is one of Bermuda's most distinguished statesmen, and is our country's first government leader (later known as Premier) under our constitution.

His wife, Lady Tucker, founded "The Barn", which has raised millions of dollars or the Hospital's Auxiliary of Bermuda, and his son, Mr. Robert Tucker was chairman of the Bermuda Hospitals Board for a number of years. I hope that my suggestion will be supported by the government and people of our country.

JOHN T. GILBERT

Paget

Too many unpaid pensions

April 2, 2008

Dear Sir,

The slow and non collection of pension contributions from employers is still a serious problem. Contributions receivable more than 90 days past due at July 31, 2003 were more than $9.2 million, an improvement on the $13.1 million past at July 2002. But by July 2006, the figure had increased to $14.4 million in which half had been collected from employees but not remitted to Government.

These breaches have not and will not be challenged by the United Bermuda Party as many of the guilty are friends of UBP shadow ministers and MPs. There are many breaches set out in the Auditor General's Report (April 1, 2005-March 31, 2006). The Hamiltonian Hotel and Island Club has gone up from $220.633 in 2005 to $232.357 in 2006. Many of the owners are from our well off Bermudian families who are in breach, according to the Auditor General's Report ending 31 March 2006.

RAYMOND RUSSELL

Pembroke

Not worthwhile reading

April 5, 2008

Dear Sir,

Another long and boring letter today above the name Laverne Furbert. According to her lengthy contributions to the radio talk shows, Ms Furbert maintains The Royal Gazette prints nothing but lies. Does she include her own letters in this?

Before some people read letters to the editor, they look first at the signature. If her name, as well as a few others, are at the bottom of the letters, we think they are not worth reading. And what a waste of paper!

SELECTIVE READER

Warwick