Letters to the Editor, February 1, 2006
Why was baby released?Dear Sir, After reading the article concerning the five month old baby who died of a viral infection, I felt pain and outrage for her parents. I am not a paediatrician, so this is just my humble opinion. The article states that the baby was brought into the hospital around 1 a.m., presenting respiratory distress, treated and discharged. Discharged! An infant who had been in respiratory distress?
If the baby was having laboured breathing, she was very ill. Did they test any mucus or nose fluid? Listen to her chest? Did they do a blood count or arterial blood gas analysis? Chest X-ray? Any fever? Was there ANY sign of infection, what with RSV so prevalent? It would have been proactive to place her on an antibiotic drip (if the lab was closed at night) until the results were back, however long it took. Without question, she should have remained at the hospital on observation so she could be near supplemental oxygen and respiratory support.
Let’s just remember how much a five-month-old weighs and how their small organs are still adjusting to the rhythm of life. It is a lot to assume that someone this fragile and new with any type of respiratory distress/signs of severe RSV/ bronchiolitis or pneumonia — would be sent home to cope.
When my second child was five months old, (in Bermuda), we went to KEMH emergency because he became ill one night. His paediatrician did a barrage of tests, including a lumbar puncture for meningitis. Even though the results would not be available for a day or two, he placed my son on an antibiotic drip and admitted him. The doctor was was proactive.
This is good medicine. It was a viral infection, and he was on a drip for 24-48 hours. I trusted Dr * with all three of my children, because he took no chances. My point is: Sending that little girl home was a bad call. I honestly believe there is a good chance she would be alive and well today, if she had received appropriate, and again, proactive, medical attention. In my humble opinion,CHRISTINA PONTE-SLOCUM
(Bermudian)
Anthem, Arizona<$>End the blind eye to drugs
Dear Sir,Today I doubled checked to make sure my facts were correct. In the yellow pages of the Bermuda Telephone Directory there are eight opticians/optometrists listed and two listed for eye surgeons. I believe there are some individuals who could use their help. Where the Bermuda public seems to have 20-20 vision, the vision of the Bermuda Police Service seems to be impaired. I say this because, I, a member of the general public and others that I know, including primary school children, see drugs bought and sold which the police somehow seem to miss.
I am sure you can ask any member of the general public to mention at least one place where drugs are sold daily on the island and they could immediately name a specific area. Most, I’m sure, know of several spots. They can even tell you where the so called “look outs” are. If we know what’s going on, surely the police know but somehow just don’t see. When I talk about this to family and friends they tell me it is because the police are after the big fish.
From my point of view, the so called big fish, or suppliers, the drug dealers and drug buyers all have two things in common. They are all in possession of drugs and they are al breaking the law. I implore the Bermuda Police Service to stop “turning a blind eye” and do something about this very serious problem which has many like me “seeing red”.EYES WIDE OPEN
SouthamptonWhat of human suffering?
Dear Sir,In today’s Royal Gazette are a couple of letters written concerning animal cruelty. First and foremost, let me say that I am 100 percent against animal cruelty of any kind, and that I love animals. However, this is not the first time that I have seen these kinds of letters after these kinds of acts, and sometimes signed by people who seem to have never written Letters to the Editor before.
What I want to write about today, is to ask these people who express this kind of outrage, is why they don’t express this kind of outrage when depraved acts are done against human beings? Day after day we read awful thing being done to people without a peep from these same people.
You read of thousands of children starving to death in Africa and other poor countries — where is the outrage over that? As I said, I care for animals, but I care for people more. World-wide, billions of dollars are spent year in, year out on food and health care for animals, when millions of people are starving in the world. Is this right? Is a dog or a cat worth more than a starving child in Africa? These same people who spoil their pets, do they sponsor starving kids in the world? Do they even care? Think of what fantastic care these starving children could receive with the billions that are spent on animals.
I won’t even go into the billions that are spent on other things (cosmetics, plastic surgery, clothes, etc.) for our vanity that could go to help people. I don’t understand how people (some right here in our country) can live their brown or black dogs so much, yet show such disdain for a brown or black person. I don’t understand how people can complain about seeing dogs out in kennels with ‘blue tarps draped over them for protection form the rain’, but not complain about seeing someone sleeping out on the cold street.
Some of these dogs you mention have it better than some of Bermuda’s children, who are sleeping out in cars and tents or worse. Where are the letters of outrage over that?
Again, don’t take this as dislike of animals, or that I feel that animals should not be treated humanely. Yes, animals deserve care, but even more so do human beings. It just makes me so sick hearing this ‘outrage’ over pets, but no ‘outrage’ over the other injustices that we can do something about. Our fellow humans deserve that equal treatment, and those people who speak up over cruelty to animals need to speak up against injustices to humans as well. If you can see yourself in this letter, then you need to do something about it.VOICE OF CONSCIENCE
Hamilton Parish<$>We need a technical school
Dear Sir,I am a student at CedarBridge Academy, and I want to reach out to you about the Bermuda school system. Not all students like to read, write, and work with a pen and paper. I have been thinking about the Government lately, because they are always building a park, business or even a golf course. Instead, they need to open a technical school for students, like myself, who enjoys doing hands on work in school.
In my ideal school there would be young men and women working in a class together, learning and studying mechanics, hair design, cooking, sewing, plumbing, electronics, carpentry, child care, computer programming and more. These teenagers would be able to apply for a job, or even own their own business in the future. The student would graduate from the school and earn a G.E.D. Not all youth want to go to college.
Many black and white students in Bermuda at the ages of 15 and up are getting caught up in drugs, alcohol and violence. Not because they want to, but, they don’t have anything else to do. I know I want to learn a trade; however there isn’t anywhere for me to go and study at my age for the skills required.
I want to reach out to the community because I am a youth in this community and I understand why a lot of students are failing in life. I think my idea for this technical school would help some young men and women get a career and a better life. The government and the community do not appear to be giving any support to students. All the government does is raise the price of everything instead of building a vocational school. If the community gave us some support then it would be a better outcome for everyone.JERON BUTTERFIELDWhy PLP rhetoric worksJanuary 17, 2006
Dear Sir,Columnist Jonathan Dyer believes that the Campaign rhetoric of the PLP is responsible for our continuing racial divide. Columnist Larry Burchall believes that the greater social problems within the black Community are the result of the dysfunctional black families and are not the result of the long term impact of decades — centuries — of racism, exclusion and the doctrine of black inferiority or continuing vestiges of racist practices. “Limey” (agreeing with what Sir John Swan once declared) believes that I, and others who would like to see less black conflict and the kind of black unity which is seen when the white Community votes en bloc for the UBP, are responsible for the continuing racial divide.
In brief, Blacks who never divided the races by imposing segregation and who have never benefited from the racial divide are now being held responsible for its continuing existence! Why?
The black people who lived through the Forties and Fifties were totally excluded from economic opportunities and full participation in the society because of Government policies are a rapidly diminishing minority. So why are all of the younger generations of Blacks so responsive to PLP campaign rhetoric? These younger generations have discarded our values and are quite indifferent to both our experiences and our admonitions so if there is now parity and a white Community which no longer practices any racism, why has the PLP campaign rhetoric been so effective? It is certainly not because they have an affirmative action policy.
A great deal is being made of Wayne Furbert’s new role (and I wish him well) but it does not matter how genuinely integrated the UBP Executive or Caucus is, black people are not coming in daily contact with the UBP political operatives. They are in working contact with the white Community, local and foreign, and they continue to be frustrated by the racism, subtle and less subtle, in their daily working experience.
The irony is that in some cases it is still possible because the PLP Government itself, particularly immigration authorities, are not coming to the black person’s defence, and the appropriate policies do not exist. Hence the PLP racial rhetoric is effective because of the daily experience of black workers at all levels. They do not see parity and they certainly are not paying any attention to me. If they were I would not still be preaching a message that I have been preaching for at least twenty years!
