In praise of Dale

November 8, 2010

Dear Sir,

Yesterday I attended the screening of the film "Chilled and Shaken". This film is a documentary on the closing of Hubie's Bar on Angle Street – the mecca for live Jazz music in Bermuda for over 20 years. During and after the presentation, I had many thoughts that I expressed to those around me and that I wish to express here.

Much too often true recognition of one's contribution to society comes in the form of the Obituary read at the person's funeral. How many times have we commented, "I didn't know that!" after we had heard something about the life of the departed person? Since there are no dress rehearsals for funerals, then we should all contemplate giving "flowers" to those whom we love, respect, and appreciate while they can smell them.

Many think of historians as older people who have lived life and, somewhere in their upper years, they write and speak about their early life experiences and what they learned from their elders. Dale Butler does not fit that mould.

Researching Dale Butler writings, pictorials and visual contributions, I find his achievements amazing in that arena. As a very young man he took on projects such as, "The Life of Rev. E. B. Grant" and "Jazz on the Rock". He also wrote or edited other literary pieces which were published through The Writers' Machine.

The website www.musart.net lists Dale as The Editor-in-chief and publisher of the Writers' Machine. It also states that he founded the Writers' Machine as a hobby in 1976. Through this organisation, in addition to publishing his own material, he has assisted many Bermudians in getting their work published.

In addition to all that Dale continues to do in other areas, in recent years he has turned his attention to interviewing as many as possible of Bermuda's older musicians who made their contributions to the entertainment scene in Bermuda. A number of these interviews have been made into documentaries so that history will be preserved in more than just the written word.

The Hon. Dale Butler, J.P., M.P. is more than a politician; more than a former educator who became a high school Principal at the age of 28; more than a community activist. He is one of Bermuda's treasures. I am proud to say that he is my friend and, oh yes, my squash partner for over ten years.

Yours sincerely,

CHARLES H. JEFFERS

Hamilton

Well done these kids

5 November 2010

Dear Editor,

I enjoyed meeting students from T.N. Tatum Middle School as I was walking my dog along the railway trail this morning. It was a pleasure to be greeted with so many polite "good mornings" and see so many fit young people enjoying some exercise walking for Breast Cancer. Good for you kids ! It was a very nice start to my day.

NANCY FRITH

Warwick

Celebrating art alliances

November 4, 2010

Dear Editor,

Today is a good day. I have joined in the celebration of the 2010 Fashion Collective showcased at the Bermuda Society of Arts; and I have round tabled a grant request for the collaboration between Bermuda National Gallery, Masterworks Museum of Art and Kaleidoscope Arts Foundation for an ongoing art initiative for Primary 5 students. It's a good day for the arts. For folks to join in the recognition of fashion and modeling as art forms and, by way of this letter, convey to folks that supplementing the art curriculum of public schools is something the art organisations can do. The spirit of alliance is a beautiful thing – it is democratic in nature; it is directed at community building; it celebrates difference. I often hear of people pledging allegiance to a particular art organisation, and fair enough if membership rates were really steep. But this isn't the case. Memberships, programmes, entry fees are all affordable: the BNG is free admission, Masterworks is 5 bucks. So why not celebrate the visual arts together in the spirit of alliance? Each organisation offers very different art products, so why not explore this difference and celebrate it? Celebrating art, in all its different forms, feels good, so why not join in?

LISA HOWIE

Director

Bermuda National Gallery

Amazing Bermuda

November 4, 2010

Dear Sir,

I'm Nick Spagnola, hired as Nikki Chin for Sybil's show at the end of October in Bermuda. My experience in Bermuda was amazing. This was my first time stepping foot on this wonderful island. It was nice to see different people and people who made us feel welcome.

There were times where condescending and offensive remarks were voiced at the group of us, and I totally understand why. Bermuda's not gay friendly, or even gay-aware. I'm glad I was invited to do this show to show that we do exist and that we are human and we are artists. I'm a big supporter of voicing my opinion and if I like a cause I will support that cause. I'm happy that Mark (Sybil) accepted us with open arms, because he knew we were there to show people we are strong and smart individuals, who also like to have fun.

All in all my experience in Bermuda was a learning, a fun, an amazing experience. It's an amazing change from Toronto.

NICK SPAGNOLA (NIKKI CHIN)

Toronto, Canada

The health of men

4 November 2010

Mr. Editor,

The Royal Gazette's coverage of Movember in support of The Cancer and Health Centre's awareness promotion of Prostate Cancer is typical of your support for community initiatives and is appreciated by many. To further encourage MEN who have not been examined or cannot afford a Prostate examination I wonder if you could print the attached including the contents of letter I have recently received from my friend Doug who has since given me permission to use it in the interests of helping other men in giving them a great chance of survival by early examination and detection.

Hi John & Betty,

We trust that Betty and you are in good health.

Isn't life strange, I was diagnosed with an aggressive prostate cancer in March of this year; my urologist decided that it could be dangerous to offer me surgery as my cancer had spread to the pelvis and therefore opted for hormone treatment. It doesn't work for everybody; however it seems to have worked for me. The plan was to reduce my testosterone (he suspected that is what the cancer was feeding on) the options were – physical castration!!! Or chemical castration. I opted for the latter.

I have a pellet implanted in my abdomen that releases a drug that tells my brain to stop producing testosterone. It seems to have worked as I am now feeling a lot better. If I had not had the treatment I don't think I would be here to write this mail. As it is I am now back in Azerbaijan working normally. Naturally I am now unable to reproduce; this is no problem as those days are over anyway.

I am so happy to be alive and able to lead a near normal life. There are side effects, as my testosterone is reduced then the estrogen by comparison is higher therefore I suffer hot sweats, rather like women on the change, they are awful but at least while I'm having them I know my medication is working, and at least I can laugh about it. Jacqui and I have just become grandparents for the first time so life is so sweet at the moment.

Many thanks for taking part in this fundraising and please thank all those concerned. My advice to any man over 50 years of age is to have a PSA check at regular intervals, I didn't and it very nearly had me.

Great to hear from you and keep up the good work.

Kind regard

Lot of Love

Jacqui and Doug Jackson

Mr. Editor, A reminder to your readers, especially MEN over 40 that during the month of November MEN can TURN UP PICK UP and CHECK-UP. This promotion gives men a financial incentive ( a voucher) to reduce the cost of having an annual physical. Should you be over 40 The CHC urge you to contact one of their Education Officers at 236.1001 to receive your voucher. Let me assure you the procedure is painless and not as embarrassing as some would have you believe.

If you would like to contribute like Doug has please go to www.cancer.bm/fund-raisers/2066

Regards

JOHN DALE

Pembroke

Government worship

Dear Sir,

The past few weeks saw many laudatory articles ascribing to potential and retiring Premiers, Ministers and other political participants God-like qualities which is hard to reconcile with the First (not the 10th) Commandment which states "You shall have no other Gods before Me".

But then politicians like to play God with their talk of such ideas like "affordable housing", "social justice" and "a living wage". Experience suggests that when we hear people talk this nonsense – watch out. It is more than naive to believe that we can turn much of our lives over to control by politicians without subjecting our lives to their whims and prejudices.

Maybe, it is be worthwhile to try to understand what Government power is all about.

Government authority (or power) means to tax, spend, borrow, inflate, compulsorily save, make criminal, block, 'protect,' punish, compel, coerce, order, arrest, militarily draft, enslave, detain, bully, interrogate, penalise, target, reward, subsidise, bailout, restrict, require, prohibit, harass, intimidate, prevent, manipulate, inhibit, cap, redistribute, withhold, grant, 'quantitatively ease,' 'universally insure,' stimulate, regulate, investigate, interrogate, irritate, interfere, and otherwise screw-up and override the private choices and contracts of individuals with politically poisoned and useless official diktats.

As has been learned from experience down through the ages, when government power increases, individual liberty diminishes. We have had more than a taste of that in recent years.

Whilst government has a necessary and indispensable function, we should not automatically and unthinkingly celebrate our representatives as heroes – but more realistically regard them as potential thugs, thieves, gangsters or even murderers. This not an idle exaggeration, just think of Stalin, Mao, Papa Doc Duvalier, Juan Peron, Hitler, Pol Pot and Robert Mugabe and in this context, reflect on how lucky we are in Bermuda not to have encountered such madmen or even anything resembling them.

Being sceptical and suspicious of those who exercise political power is not being paranoid, but in light of 20th century history is being realistic. There is nothing that government does that is not derived from its authority to employ whatever amount of deadly force its officials deem necessary to achieve its ends. After all, slavery was enforced by the whip and gun by most governments in the world until well into the 19th century. Even today certain governments turn a blind eye to slavery.

Of course, Bermuda has never experienced anything that closely resembles mass murderers like Stalin, and it is highly unlikely that we ever will – I hope. However, we should remember that Germany, for example, was considered a land of poets, musicians, writers and philosophers shortly before that maddest of all politicians Adolph Hitler, came to power with the support of the German people following a democratic election. We should constantly be on guard when political leaders claim to be messiahs with a mandate to reshape society.

To describe politicians as public servants is grossly inaccurate. Does anyone really believe that the typical pompous Bermuda politician (or their hanger's on) seeks power for the purpose of helping the poor, the young, the old or the disadvantaged and not for the opportunity to enjoy the adulation, high salaries, fine dining at taxpayer expense, chauffeur driven cars, pictures with the rich and famous, international travel, and career opportunities that come from elected office? Call me cynical, but I rank such a belief on an intellectual par with the fact that Elvis was seen shopping in the Market Place last Saturday afternoon.

We should not forget the present practical application of politics to our lives. Education is still a fiasco three years after the Hopkins Report, tourism is a dead man walking, and violent crime is not yet under control. The impression the public is left with is that responsible ministers are often out of their depth, and the public simply gets stiffed with the costs. Let me not even mention government debt or financial management of large projects.

The great American journalist of the early 20th century, H.L. Mencken was being kind when he observed that "The typical politician is not only a rascal but also a jackass, so he greatly values the puerile notoriety and adulation that sensible men try to avoid. He is willing to embrace any issue, however idiotic, that will get him votes, and he is willing to sacrifice any principle, however sound, that will lose them for him. I do not describe the democratic politician at his inordinate worst; I describe him as he is encountered in the full sunshine of normalcy."

All of us should be grateful, and our political leaders should be praised for the fact that the baton of political leadership in Bermuda has passed in an honourable, peaceful and transparent process in contrast the back room deals of many other countries – including UK and the US.

But also let us be on guard against the foolishness of politicians, their repeated incompetence, and their record of living high on the hog at our expense.

For a start we need to abandon the childish notion that Government has the ability or knowledge to manage the Bermudian economy. It has the power to destroy by madcap policies such as excess borrowing and six-year term limits on work permits, but it cannot direct our economy – that is the role of entrepreneurs and ordinary people going to work each day and doing a good job.

To put it at its simplest; politicians are endowed with power, not wisdom.

ROBERT STEWART,

Flatts