Hester, I think perhaps you should stick to gossip and not attempt to demonstrate your English language skills.

In your piece in today's Royal Gazette , the word stationary was used to indicate paper used in business which is spelled stationery.

Also, you took the Bermuda College to task for the wording, "If your calculator has alphabetical keys like these, you can't use it,'' and changed the last phrase to "one is not permitted to use it''.

If your grammatical skills are properly honed, you should know that you never change persons in the middle of a sentence and "You'' as in "your'' cannot be changed to "One''.

Finally, the use of the person "One'' in today's world is extremely pretentious, even for you.

JAMES COLLINS Paget A rule for Jane Bloggs November 5, 2000 Dear Sir, I would really like to know how a person can "qualify'' for having a speeding ticket cancelled.

A few years ago, I was taken off the road for doing 32 mph. I was (admittedly) rushing back from the Paget Pharmacy after purchasing first aid items, as one of my guests had taken a fall and his head was bleeding, but he refused an ambulance. I explained all of this first to the Policeman who stopped me, then to the Magistrate. I was able to produce all of the pharmacy receipts showing proof of the first aid items that I had purchased at the time, but it made no difference. Furthermore, I explained to the Magistrate that my business depended on my driving every day. The Magistrate said he had no choice but to take me off the road.

If my memory serves me correctly, the Hon. Quinton Edness was forced to rush from the Bermuda Airport Terminal to his home to collect Government papers that he had forgotten and was given a speeding ticket. Even though there were extenuating circumstances, he was fined for speeding.

Is this the New Bermuda that we were promised? JANE BLOGGS City of Hamilton Who else is on the list? October 31, 2000 Dear Sir, It made me angry to read to day of the arrogance of Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb after getting a caution from the Police after speeding at 70 kph to make matters worse she proudly announces that she is a repeat offender and has been charged with speeding before.

She is wrong when she said that the matter is between her and the Police, it's not! It's not! It's between other road users and pedestrians, and everyone else whose lives she is putting at risk by driving 70 kph along harbour road.

Their trust in the Police to protect them from people? I would like to see the Police make public the other 40 names of speeders who got a caution. I wonder how many Ministers and friends of the Police are on the list.

SAFER ROADS, FAIRER POLICE Warwick A question on speeding November 7, 2000 Dear Sir, Please allow me a few lines to express my feelings on an article posted in last weeks newspaper. I am a student attending university in Canada, and I make an effort to read the paper via the Internet at least once every week. It wasn't until today however that I stumbled across the article about one of our Government Ministers being allegedly caught speeding at over twice the legal limit, and then being let off for her crime.

Mr. Editor, I would like to ask the people who run our Island a question: Why is it fair for a Government Minister to get let off for speeding at twice the legal limit, and for other people who get caught doing 15 or 20 kilometres more than the legal limit to lose their licences? I have gotten caught speeding once, and it wasn't nearly as fast as the Minister's ticket was, and it was a whole year after I received my auxiliary cycle licence. I didn't get a warning. I was issued a ticket and I went to court and paid my fine. Why didn't that Minister have to do the same? I believe that the police system hasn't carried out justice in this matter. At that speed, that minister was a threat to not only herself but to other members of society who were travelling on that road. I believe that by issuing that Minister a warning, the Bermuda Police Service has shown that they are not just in pursuing the cause of justice.

VEXED IN FREDRICTON New Brunswick, Canada Yes to Independence October 30, 2000 Dear Sir, I am writing this letter in reference to an article in The Royal Gazette dated October 30 in which PLP backbencher Wayne Perinchief claims it is time for the (Independence) issue to take centre stage. I like a man with guts! He seems to suggest while trying to resolve many of the social problems we face, we for one reason or another are conservative in our approach and somewhat reluctant to make the first step initiating change.

One reason I have concluded is that as a result of one change rather politically or socially, the domino effect it will have would be awesome. We would definitely see Bermuda in a different light.

Many of the underlying causes in society would come to the surface and we as Bermudians after seeing the true light will finally decide unequivocally, without a doubt, that nationhood is a must.

Mr. Perinchief has said I would feel much comfortable if citizens in this Country were given Bermuda passports first. We have a confused identity. He went on to say it was time the PLP Government took over the internal and external security from the Governor. How much change would that bring about? One major factor comes to mind. Black and white Bermudians will come and face the ultimate question: "Will Independence bring us together as a nation?'' In respect to an agreed upon majority view point that in all our endeavours, as a people we will hold each other in high regard. We will in all our affairs, whether they are economic, political or social, act in fairness toward our fellow man. In doing so as Mr. Perinchief claims, Independence would bring together Bermudians of all races, will indeed become a reality.

Is change toward each other or is it political change in which black and white Bermudians are no longer dominated and controlled? Maybe you can answer yourselves.

GLEN R. SMITH City of Hamilton First, settle status October 30, 2000 Dear Sir, There has been some discussion concerning the possibility of holding a forum on the subject of race and racial problems in Bermuda. Due to our geographic location, historical background and size it would seem appropriate that such discussions took place from a Bermudian point of view bearing in mind that our problems are different to those of the United States and Europe.

Before embarking on any discussion it would seem appropriate that firstly the subject of who is a Bermudian is tackled. Without determining and accepting this basic fundamental question it would seem that any attempt to thrash out any racial problem cannot be successfully accomplished.

There is clearly a problem existing in Bermuda whereby some people think they are more Bermudian than others are. Unless there is acceptance of all that are on the register of Bermudians then there is absolutely no hope in resolving any racial issues.

EQUALITY City of Hamilton Selective precedents November 7, 2000 Dear Sir, The Premier cites precedent for her firing of the Hon. Arthur Hodgson as Minister of the Environment but strangely ignores it when it comes to the much more important issue as far as the people of Bermuda are concerned of the holding of a constitutional conference when changes to Bermuda's Constitution are planned.

ANNE PEARSON Hamilton Parish We are owed information October 28, 2000 Dear Sir, Let me keep this simple. Premier Jennifer Smith is not only the leader of the PLP, but the leader of the country, that includes me.

But her power is only vested in the power we give her. If she takes a trip, we pay for it. If she commissions a review, for instance, of the Civil Service, we pay for it. Thus by logic, the Premier owes us a briefing on her return from anywhere. We are entitled to the information in the Civil Service Review.

We are further entitled to contribute to any changes that are made to our constitution -- these truths are self evident! I wish the PLP well, I was certainly not unhappy at the prospect of changes when they were elected. I cannot say that in many instances they have not done well -- they have. But on this issue of consultation with the people, Premier Jennifer Smith owes us a voice. Not a single meeting that they have reluctantly agreed to but a voice. We must be the masters of our own destiny.

We the people demand open and transparent discussion. We want an extended constitutional conference followed by extensive presentation of options, followed by a referendum.

Simultaneously the extra-ordinary powers vested in the office of the Premier -- any Premier -- must be curtailed in case, she, who would abuse the power, were ever elected! SANDERS FRITH-BROWN Warwick What's with the perks? October 27, 2000 Dear Sir, I am 80 years old and have to manage on a strict fixed income. However, I can still pick up my own dry cleaning without calling on the Bermuda Regiment to do it for me. I also know that if I am late for a flight, I cannot demand that the airline hold the flight after the plane doors have been closed. But then, I'm not the Premier nor am I the Tourism Minister.

WARWICK Who are we to believe? October 31, 2000 Dear Sir, Royal Gazette Page 3, October 31, 2000. Premier warns against complacency. One of her remarks, and it won an applause, was: "Replace laziness with hard work.'' On a recent visit to the offices of the Minister of Finance, I noticed a plaque displayed on a file cabinet which read: "Hard work never killed anyone, but I'm not willing to take that chance.'' H.F.S.

Paget From greed to hate October 28, 2000 Dear Sir, In the past three years we have gone from a government of greed to a government of hate and fear. Our society will not survive this.

HOW HATE GROWS Smith's Parish Update punishments November 6, 2000 Dear Sir, I have heard and read many times that the laws in Bermuda need to be updated and the sentences reviewed and quite honestly, when you are not involved it is easy to be complacent -- that is until you are a mother and seek to care for and protect an innocent young child.

I read recently: "The maximum sentence for sexual exploitation is 20 years and the maximum for incest is seven.'' What makes one crime worse than the other, or one act more acceptable than the other? I'd like to see this changed to 25 years for sexual exploitation whether it be a stranger or a relative. A sexual predator is a sexual predator and we need to protect our children.

MOM Devonshire Time for homework November 2, 2000 Dear Sir, I went to a supermarket late one weeknight to pick up a few items close to the 10 p.m. closing time. Several young people in school uniform were assisting the cashiers in packing groceries. What ran through my mind was this: When do these industrious young people do their homework? I confess to being ignorant about the time they start working on school nights.

Maybe they are better students than I was at their age and completed their reading research, science projects, comprehension exercises, algebra computations, essay writing, foreign language vocabulary lists as well as reviewing that day's learning before going to work. It would not be a problem for such efficient students to stay up that late packing groceries.

I would hate to think that they were earning money at the expense of their education.

REV. LORNE BEAN Paget Why are the comics old? October 26, 2000 Dear Sir, I've noted that the cartoons in The Royal Gazette and the Mid-Ocean News are at least two months behind the strips that are originally released in the US and Canada. This has been going on for a few years now, and I'm wondering how difficult is it to get an up-to-date strip from the US? N.J. OLIVEIRA Warwick Editor's Note: The Royal Gazette's cartoons do lag behind North American papers by about two months. This is due to the occasional uncertainty of the overseas mail. This should soon be a thing of the past as the syndicates which provide the comic strips are now delivering the comics by e-mail or the Internet and we are making arrangements to receive them that way.

Let's have different lights November 6, 2000 Dear Sir, My wholehearted thanks to the men who have worked very hard over the years to make Hamilton look as attractive as possible for Christmas.

But, do you think we could have something a little different this year? Instead of so many lights in the trees (casuarina) where there is no shopping, you could put more lights where the shopping is. Every second or third light pole could be wrapped with lights, as well as the base of the palm trees. As you know, very few shops do anything to make Front Street attractive.

Albuoys Point could also have light in the trees, after all, it's for our children to admire. Hamilton is so small and could look so nice on this once a year occasion.

HAPPY ELF Pembroke Help high risk children November 8, 2000 Dear Sir, Please allow me to express my dismay at your front page picture that was featured in your Tuesday, November 7, 2000 newspaper. There was a picture of numerous gifts packed to be donated to Croatian kids. We are always so quick to give to other countries and our own are going without.

My disgust stems from the fact that I know one agency in particular has been trying to get Christmas gifts for high risk children. They have approached several local organisations and have been told "no'' mainly because they are not registered as a charity. When decisions are made to give to children in need why not start with local agencies that are required to interact with high risk, needy children such as the Department of Children and Family Services.

Please remember that during this upcoming season of giving charity starts at home.

DISMAYED Devonshire