Why shop here?

October 19, 2008

Dear Sir,

Two reasons people spend overseas:

1. There isn't much value in what's being sold now in Bermuda in comparison to a million things to choose from overseas (most things here are double in price plus, you can't buy Bedhead Pajamas here even though in Cali they're expensive).

2. Everything is too high to spend on (school cardigans sold at English Sports Shop are shockingly $50 for every size 48 sweater, which is no surprise students choose to wear a pullover instead since they're cheaper for one).

Solution: Drop prices and also sell within what item ought to be worth (if item looks cheap, it should be sold cheap not priced high).

DROP PRICES

Devonshire

GP1 at car shop

October 16, 2008

Dear Sir,

Last Tuesday, October 7, the first Tuesday of the month; I saw something that took me by surprise, as I packed my groceries into my car at Arnold's Store on St. John's Road.

My observation would have never become the subject of a letter to the editor, had it not been for a radio news story, this Thursday, October 16, where I heard our Honourable Premier saying, how the Government was cutting back on it's spending etc. This may be so — however — not in all areas.

Back to my "just happen to see," observation. Opposite Arnold's Store, is an automotive accessory installation shop. At about 4:30 p.m., on the mentioned date — I saw a dark blue BMW — with the affixed licence plate GP1, backing out of the workshop booth. I thought to myself surely the taxpayer isn't paying more money into the already 'loaded with all extras' top of the line series BMW. Who knows? Maybe it was over there getting waxed? (Surely the factory didn't leave something out!) Just curious...

WITH MY OWN EYES

Smith's Parish

Belief in faith

October 20, 2008

Dear Sir,

The recent letter by Mr. William Cox on religion I found to be in the same vein as a current film, Religulous by Bill Maher.

It is a film in which Maher interviews a host of "believers" from the countless religions of the world, from Jerusalem to the Vatican to Amsterdam. It is often absurdly amusing and it does expose hypocrisies. Some reviewers feel that "believers" will find it offensive. I found it thought provoking and challenging. It is a film which any mature Christian should see.

There is one fact that the film underscores. Human beings everywhere have a need to believe. I have often thought that human beings everywhere would not thirst if there was no water to quench their thirst. They would not hunger if there were not food to satisfy their hunger. Often they drink polluted water and grow ill. They abuse food and become sick. They even deny themselves food and starve to death. Human beings everywhere desire to believe because there is a God in whom to believe. Often the beliefs with which they attempt to satisfy this need is as polluted as the water with which they attempt to quench their thirst.

Certainly there are reasons for the unbeliever not to believe and the believer often provides those reasons. In Bermuda consider the number of Christian churches. Why do we have such problems with our leaders for whom we are told to pray? Do we pray or are our prayers unanswered? The "Christian Brethren Assemblies" should feel particularly challenged. Why is it that our current Premier with so many positive qualities of leadership should so deliberately antagonise and arouse such hostility among so many of his own constituents?

Two years ago this Premier (not yet Premier) appeared before an International Conference of these Assemblies. He asked for prayer. Did we, collectively, take the request seriously or did we dismiss it as the rhetoric of a politician in search of power?

As someone who is both a member of those Assemblies and someone who is both concerned about the politics of this country and who gave wholehearted support to this Premier, I would say that we neither took the request seriously nor were sufficiently concerned about the politics of the country – or even the Premier's success. We have never met collectively to fast and prayer in response to that request, even if we did consider it insincere, and many did not.

Any unbeliever has a right to question our profession or our beliefs but he is never a cause for offense. He may be a challenge and an occasion to remind us of how often we fail in what we profess to believe. There is pure water to quench our thirst even if we pollute it. There is food to satisfy our hunger even if we choose to starve. There is a God to satisfy our need to believe even if we distort Him.

EVA N. HODGSON

Hamilton Parish

Premier blew his chance

October 15, 2008

Dear Sir,

Please allow me space for my opinion on your editorial. I must say you certainly expressed my opinion. By the events that took place it appears that the public was given a holiday to watch Mr. Brown play golf. If so I must say that I owe him an apology, I never showed up or does he owe Bermuda an apology.

To have a preamble to the holiday without a follow-up to honour the honoree. Now I could be wrong but this is my opinion and thanks for the opportunity to express it. Now to go one step further, Mr. Commissiong recognised that there were only a few white people in attendance. Now that does not surprise me knowing some people have a different priority order to their life.

And saying that it shows where our Dr. Brown has his priority order. It was more important to do what he wanted to do as opposed to what he should have done. If this holiday was to be the start of a new beginning for Bermuda he could have easily deputised someone to play in his place to show true love for the honoree that he spoke so highly of.

Bearing in mind this is my opinion. Mr. Brown had a great opportunity to show true leadership and blew it. As far as I can see he has not learnt what it takes to be a good leader, for he that thinks he is a great leader must set the example of leadership. But the old saying is that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks and this leader cannot be taught unfortunately. He has an attitude like the young people. Give it to me or I will take it by any necessary means.

Bermuda really needs a leader with peoples' interest and not self interest. A good leader always puts themselves last. Like a good host will they make sure their guest is comfortable first before they do for themselves. But there are leaders and then there are those that just walk in front not really knowing. Thanks so much for the space.

A.E. WENDELL (SCOPSIE) HASSELL

Sandys

P.s. Let us look at the word for a moment and from Colossians 2:8, which reads "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." The word of God is never wrong no matter what men say. I would like for the leader of this country be as the word in Proverbs reads "A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is." Now the cross reference is Pro. 25:11 "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Not my words but HIS words.

Speaking up for Slayton

October 29, 2008

Good day sir,

My name is Andrew Phillips; this is my first time writing a letter to the editor in my life. I am a Bermuda community servant. In other words, the community is my life work. They call me "the animal".

I have watched a lot of what I call bullying take place in the community. In recent years, I have been asked to intercede in three important cases; one case involving child abuse, another, an employer routinely attacking his imported Filipino workers and lastly, when there was a cowardly attempt made to smear the Premier's reputation at the Collie Buddz' concert at Snorkel Park last year. It should be noted that on that same occasion, I had to come to the aid of Collie Buddz. He had just become a national icon and was being falsely branded to a political party.

I am writing to call foul on what I feel is a cowardly character attack against Gregory Slayton, our US Consul General. I feel the need to come forward unprompted in this instance. I have been witness to Mr. Slayton helping the Bermuda community time and time again. With the global recession looming, I feel that it is time for us to move towards greater unity.

I consider it bullying when a person can't see his or her attacker. In this case we will defend ourselves and hunt the hunter. The letter was written to the editor on October 16, 2008. It was headed "Time to pack your bags, Mr. Slayton". It called him ineffective, a lot of names and mocked him through out. According to the attacker this is based on him informing a group at the South P that Bermuda is in a recession.

In my opinion people are tired of cowardly ambush attacks on a person's character without representation. Gregory Slayton states he is a man of God; I am a man of peace and tolerance. I remain silent about a lot of things, but the one thing I will not tolerate and that is bullying. I am calling you out 'wondering and wandering Southampton'. I am asking you to show yourself and represent all that you said.

Nobody controls me and if you can exercise your right to freedom of speech, I can too. I don't have to hide behind a fake name in a newspaper to say that. If you knew me, you would know that I am a part of the hard core community in our country. I have resided in Bermuda's bottom side for most of my life. I have made many representations from this unpopular area. It is clearly depicted in some of my annual events that target thousands of mostly volatile youth. I have nothing for you to attack; I've done my share of good and certainly my share of bad, everybody knows it. We are an "apolitical" group. We recognise individuals on how they handle us, not their political party. So you know who we are. Who are you?

I definitely am not saying that the Consul General doesn't have his faults, but he has done a good job in Bermuda. Pick a side... representing the top of our society, the Premier Dr. Ewart Brown or representing the bottom, our Grass Roots Tennis Guru Sam Maybury. I have heard both of these men state that Mr. Slayton has been a great asset to Bermuda and active in the community; as a matter of fact, "much more than any other Consul General".

So if you choose not to come forward and substantiate what you said, then apologise! In my opinion, everyone who knows that you wrote this slanderous attack should consider you a bully and coward.

I note again that you call yourself wondering and wandering I can't do anything about the wondering part because that's inside your head. The other wandering is physical action so I can advise you on that. I understand "wandering" to mean moving around with no clear destination. It's quite similar to the toads in Bermuda that wander on to busy roads.

When we need help and support there are not that many people with their hands out. So especially in this economic recession we will defend our friends.

Peace

Andrew Phillips alias The Animal