Survival instinct

October 3, 2007

Dear Sir,

Given the recent incidents involving young males, and mostly but not exclusively black males, I began to give some thought as to why they fall afoul of societal values to the levels that we see, on a reoccurring basis.

In a recent discussion with young males, they revealed to me that there are things that they have to do to just survive. Of course there are different levels of survival. Some would say they are 'surviving' if they are able to pay the mortgage and put their children through private school. Still others are surviving if they have a roof over their head at night and food to eat. So survival is relative.

I then asked myself, what was the ultimate survival instinct – the avoidance of death. People will do just about anything to avoid death. Scientists will tell us that when faced with sudden death, or some other stressful situation, our survival mode kicks in and the body produces chemicals that allow us to bypass our brain, causing us to act abnormally. In a study published online last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it suggested that "Like hunter-gatherers in the jungle, modern humans are still experts at spotting predators and prey, despite the developed world's safe suburbs and indoor lifestyle." So, we may not have lost our primal instinct at all.

But it is in war zones that the ultimate survival instinct is revealed in its most raw form – killed or be killed. If soldiers are constantly in a state where they are not conscious of their actions, are they able, when they return to civilian life, to make a smooth transition? Studies have shown that the answer to this question is indeed no. They continue to assume the predator role and all else is prey.

So, getting back to Bermuda, why is it that young men have resorted to using the ultimate survival instinct? Is pristine Bermuda a war zone – kill or be killed?

If not, why do some young men have to resort to protective clothing and concealed weapons? And if they are in survival mode, they are not aware of their actions and thus what we have seen, sadly, will continue. So the ultimate question is, why are our young men in survival mode?

CORDELL W. RILEY

Warwick

Bermuda's business

October 3, 2007

Dear Sir,

There may be a number of Bermudians who do not fully realize how our local economy works. Here's how I see it.

Most of us know that the Bermuda dollar has no value anywhere but here. We can't spend the Bermuda dollar in New York, London, or anywhere else on the planet.

How do we keep Bermudians employed? Primarily through three industries: local construction, tourism and International Business. But what keeps it all afloat? The answer is foreign currency. Where does it come from? Not from construction. Very little from the declining tourist industry.

International business is the number one source of the foreign currency we need for our survival. We need those US dollars to buy food, oil, gas, cars, vans, taxis, bikes, travel tickets, clothes, appliances and so on. Everything we use or need comes from somewhere else and has to be paid for in foreign currency.

Just think about oil. Oil is the life blood of our Island: without it, we'd have no transportation, no gas for cars, bikes, ferries, tug boats, buses … and without oil there is no electricity and we couldn't have electric light, refrigerators, air-conditioners, washing machines, dryers, water pumps, stoves or TVs. Without foreign currency, we'd have no food … and with no cement, tools or trucks, the construction industry would die overnight.

International business has already fired a few warning shots over the bow of our present irrational government. Our foreign business guests have indicated they don't want Bermuda to go Independent, thus losing its accountability and all the obvious benefits that an association with Europe offers. They don't want Bermuda to become just another "banana republic" under a glorified dictator. And an independent and fair justice system is important to them: in particular, they don't want to lose the right of appeal to the Privy Council in the UK.

International Business does not want to have to attempt the impossible: to train insufficiently-educated Bermudians in just three years to internationally accepted levels. International business is already outsourcing jobs to cities such as Toronto, Dublin and Mumbai. If you were in their place, wouldn't you also be preparing for an emergency exit into the more welcoming and accommodating arms of the Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Barbados, St Lucia, Dublin, Jersey, Guernsey, Amsterdam, and so on, just in case this government continues to tax, harass and bully our benefactors?

What would happen if Bermuda were forced to become Independent and/or if International Business did leave us? Well, it could be curtains for the Bermuda dollar, for a start. As the incoming flow of foreign currencies dried up, the government might have to impose exchange controls, limiting the ability of Bermudians to buy US dollars or other foreign currency, travel or buy overseas-made products. Construction could come to a halt, and unemployment, inflation and crime would rise. Many would leave the Island for sunnier economic climes.

International business is just that: International. For international businesses to operate successfully, and compete globally, it is vital that they are free to employ the most competent, best qualified and highly-trained specialists they can get from anywhere in the world. Under the present regime, their patience is now being strained. Is their breaking point closer than we think, perhaps even imminent?

Bottom line: The lifeline to our current economic survival is international business. If the present government constantly moves the goal posts and continues to decree unreasonable demands which are impossible for international business to meet; if the present government continues to challenge them, to annoy, attack and insult them; or to alienate and over-tax them, this will ultimately result in economic disaster for all of us, not for International Business. There will be no warning. Like silent ships in the night, they'll just sail away, never to return.

Instead of badgering our guests with unending demands for money, unfair impositions and taxes, we need to make sure they feel welcome here and the government needs to have a well-thought-out, structured, long term regulatory plan to accommodate them. In addition, Bermudians must be much better educated, properly trained and equipped in schools and universities here and abroad.

The focus should be on the needs of International Business (accountancy, insurance, banking, investment, law, computer science, etc). This way, they can proudly stand tall and earn their places in a very competitive world, without the need to go cap-in-hand, begging for highly-paid positions for which they may not be qualified.

Given the choice, it is obvious that businesses would always prefer to employ qualified, reliable, local Bermudian talent if it were available.

MICHAEL G. MARSH, ACII

Smith's Parish

What the UBP stands for

September 20, 2007

Dear Sir,

I am writing in response to an article that appeared in The Royal Gazette on Wednesday, September 5, 2007; "What the UBP stands for," by Quinton Edness.

In his article, Mr. Edness tried to sell the UBP to the black people of Bermuda. He cannot deny the fact that he does know that over 98 percent of the white community support the UBP regardless. It would be a waste of time to try to sell the UBP to the white community, which is already with the UBP. It stands to reason then, that it had to be the black community that he was trying to reach and convince. Here is another proof. Mr. Edness said, "we recognise ... the black Bermudian community ... that segment of our community that has been suppressed ... for many centuries." "That is not to say we are not sensitive to the needs and aspirations of white Bermudians."

Mr. Edness never gave a hint to the fact that the UBP was once the government, and for thirty plus years. What I am saying is that the UBP has a history. As the former government, it has a track record three times as long as that of the PLP. We of the black community know too well just what the UBP stands for and what it is all about.

Here are some of the things that Mr. Edness said; "Philosophically we believe in the sincere promotion of the economic, social, and safe well-being of Bermuda generally and each Bermudian individually." This statement is very debatable as coming from the UBP. Next, the PLP, and NLP and ABC will say, and can say the same thing. Where then does that leave the UBP?

He continued to say, "A fundamental principle of the UBP is the active promotion of harmony, tolerance, respect and equality of opportunity between the races... We recognise that more, much more, has to be done for the black Bermudian community and black Bermudian individuals, because it is that segment of our community that has been suppressed, post slavery, for many centuries. It is our commitment to change as many of the ill effects of the suppression that we can and to make right the wrongs of the past. We are very sensitive to the aspirations of black Bermudians."

After thirty years of UBP government; the UBP now as The Opposition has just discovered that there is "More, and much more" to be done for the black community. The reason for this is "What the UBP stands for." The UBP caters first of all, to the white community, then the foreigners, and the black community comes in at the bottom. This is a fact, and this is the gospel truth, that the UBP favours foreigners over black Bermudians. A recent case in point... the Scott/McLeod incident. Look at the overwhelming support that was given to Mr. McLeod from the UBP and its supporters. Mr. Trevor Moniz even suggested that an apology should be made to Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Edness spoke of the suppression of the black community, and that the UBP would like to make right, the wrongs of the past. I would like Mr. Edness to list for us, the wrongs of the past that they would seek to make right. How is it that the UBP was not aware of these wrongs during the thirty years as government? What did Mr. Edness do about addressing these wrongs when he was in the House?

Concerning the suppression that Mr. Edness mentioned; I wonder what caused it: and suppressed by whom? I find the article to very contradictory and packed with deception. On one hand Mr. Edness spoke of alleviating the suppression of the black community. On the other hand he is adding to the suppression of this black segment of the community by opposing this same black segment. By being opposition to the big majority of this black segment and working toward stopping them from being the government, Mr. Edness is keeping the suppression alive.

He added: "We are very sensitive to the aspirations of black Bermudians." As the saying goes. "Nothing could be further form the truth." Mr. Edness and the UBP are doing all in their power to hinder, to suppress, to stop, to pull down and to destroy the aspirations of black Bermudians to form the government of this country. Let Mr. Edness deny this.

Look at what is going on in Smith's North. I think it is ugly, and it stinks. (Mr. Editor please publish this letter. I take full responsibility for its contents.) Mr. Dunkley thinks that because he is white, and he is male with a successful business, he can throw his weight around and walk over people, and especially black people who are not as well off as others.

Mr. Dunkley and Mrs. Minors are both sitting MP's in the House together. The message from what Mr. Dunkley has done, is that Mrs. Minors should not be in the House, so he is taking things in his own hands and try to put her out of the House. In the face of this Mr. Edness said that the UBP is sensitive to the aspirations of black Bermudians. It is a pack of lies. The black segment of the community should not take what Mr. Dunkley is doing lying down. Across the Island the black community should rise up in demonstration on Election Day against Mr. Dunkley and his party that support him in this move. Neither Mr. Dunkley nor any of his black candidates should be elected to the House. Let's send them a message. Mr. Dunkley is the one to be removed from the House and not Mrs. Minors.

Mr. Edness, it is very clear to us what the UBP stands for.

RENDOL JAMES

Sandys