You have been warned

June 9, 2008

Dear Sir,

This is an open letter to the inconsiderate morons who litter the southwestern cliffs of Horseshoe Beach:

It is amazing that you have the agility to climb the cliffs balancing yourselves, your junk food, beverages and cigarettes. It is more amazing that you do not have the same dexterity to carry the empty bottles; Styrofoam cups, Styrofoam plates, paper-trays out of which you consumed fried potatoes and the unused packets of ketchup off of the cliffs when you descend. You should have noticed a trash barrel at the base of your picturesque dumping around.

In the past four days Rick Spurling of BELCO, a 9 Beaches guest from Ontario, Canada and I have removed your filth. I assume that is expected since it is obvious you behave in the same manner at home; someone cleans after you! Unless you consumed the containers along with your junk food (the environment is incapable of such a feat) you should have something to deposit in the receptacles provided. As I do not find pleasure in handling your filth I shall seek pleasure by photographing you as you climb fully laden and as you descend empty-handed! The images will be posted on a web site, to be announced.

LLOYD WEBBE

City of Hamilton

Did we learn nothing?

June 10, 2005

Dear Sir,

PLP Member of Parliament, Glenn Blakeney, had to be kidding when he said in Parliament last week he was astounded that UBP MP Louise Jackson was so hypocritical in criticising the Premier's attendance at Hugh Heffner's bunny house and the spending of tax payers money.

Mr. Blakeney went on to explain (Royal Gazette, June 7) that his hypocrisy allegation was because "those members on the other side were among some of those was passed the Stubbs Bill (the Bill legalising homosexual sex)."

Oh, really! Perhaps Mr. Blakeney is completely unaware of the fact that the Stubbs Bill was passed into law by a "free" vote in the House of Assembly in 1994, and that PLP Members of Parliament who voted for the Stubbs Bill included four former most esteemed leaders of the Progressive Labour Party, the Hon. Alex Scott, the Hon. L. Frederick Wade, the Hon. Dame Jennifer Smith, the Hon. Dame Lois Browne-Evans, along with our present Premier and Leader of the PLP, The Hon Dr. Ewart Brown.

Is Mr. Blakeney also calling these past and present leaders of the Progressive Labour Party a bunch of hypocrites, or does that only apply to "the other side"?

Dame Lois always stood up for the rights of the downtrodden and the oppressed. How ironic that her decision, and that of almost the entire leadership of the Progressive Labour Party to vote in favour of the Stubbs Bill in 1994 is now held up to scorn by some of our hypocritical politicians and church leaders. Did we learn nothing from their courageous stand?

It will be interesting to see which way Mr. Blakeney decides to vote when the proposed new Human Rights legislation is debated in Parliament.

HYPER ON HYPOCRITES

Smith's

Disappointed in story

June 12, 2008

Dear Sir,

I am deeply disturbed about the article written by Tauria Raynor concerning the Freedom Schooner Amistad. The continual reference to the ship as a slave ship shows a lack of research and fact checking on the part of the writer. As the first Captain of the ship I hold the authenticity of the vessel and its history sacred. La Amistad as the original ship was named, was built in Cuba and never left its shores till the captives commandeered it in 1839 in an attempt to sail it to Africa.

The vessel was a coastal cargo boat that ran a regular route from Havana to Puerto Principe on the eastern tip of the island. Not only was it not a slave ship the captives aboard were never legally slaves (see the Act in the British Parliament of 1807 which banned the trade.) If someone had of gone to www.amistadamerica.org they could have based the story on the reason and events of the Atlantic Freedom Tour which was in commemoration of that Act.

I would have expected this type of poorly researched story from many of the other publications that feel Black people+19th Century+sailing vessel must =Slave ship, but not The Royal Gazette. The Royal Gazette was very kind to me during my solo circumnavigation of the world 1990-1992 when I stopped in Bermuda outbound and inbound. I hope to return again and enjoy the warm hospitality that both Amistad and me have experienced in the past.

CAPTAIN WILLIAM PINKNEY

Master-Emeritus

Freedom Schooner Amistad

Give the golf course back

June 9, 2008

Dear Sir,

If they plan to close the St. George's Golf Club, I would hope that they give the property to the National Trust, Buy Back Bermuda or a similar group so they can plant endemic plants throughout and not concrete. It would be nice to have somewhere that a cedar forrest can be replanted and maybe some paths through park full of native Bermuda plants.

R. SMITH

Pembroke

What needs to happen

June 12, 2008

Dear Sir,

Contrary to Mr. Perinchief's comments in today's Royal Gazette, the only reason why Dr. Brown's management style is allowed to be autocratic and his attitude selective is because;

1) No one in Cabinet has the guts to challenge him,

2) Too many people have sold their soul for financial gain to not support his way of doing things in the name of economic equality for individual gain, and

3) No one in the Cabinet or other MPs' have realised that leadership is not selective, or based on intelligence. Leadership is "taken". Gandhi, Winston, Saddam and Robert did not wait to be a leader. They took the initiative, stepped outside of their comfort and economic zone and challenged leadership.

Through their efforts, sacrifice and deeds they became leaders. The PLP has yet to figure out that the longer it takes to remove the captain of the Titanic, the more it benefits the other side. Is the sacrifice worth it?

Unfortunately, an Old Guard stepped away from active politics (which I believe is because he did not agree with the General's decision to step away from the army's battle plan), however one significant thing he said on that fateful night at the Hamilton Princess in 2003 was, "what about the People... we cannot forget about the People".

SAM

Warwick

Revamp the road test

June 10, 2008

Dear Sir,

In spite of the fact that most of the recent road fatalities, if not all, can be attributed to alcohol or speed (or more likely a combination of the two), the motorcycle driving test procedure is in need of a major overhaul. The current test takes no account of the rider's ability in traffic or road conditions, has not enough space to assess handling and braking at the higher travelling speeds, and is nothing but a glorified obstacle course.

I believe a system similar to the UK's needs to be implemented to ensure that Bermuda's riders are equipped with the necessary skills, at least at the start of their driving lives. This should involve at least a 12-hour period of instruction starting with basic handling, riding and control in a controlled environment (off the road) followed by riding around the roads for a number of hours with an instructor following, assessing their competency. The rider can then be examined for a licence, again by being followed in "real life" road riding by an examiner.

This will require two major overhauls to the current testing system. The first, that independent riding schools with licensed instructors needs to be set up. Second, the examiners need to spend time out on the road assessing riders. This second option will obviously take more time and more resources. However, to free up some time I suggest that the testing of riders who already hold motorcycle licences from overseas, and have been tested to a far higher standard than here, are not required to be tested again (at what is a much lower standard).

I have been tested on a road system in the UK almost identical to Bermuda, on a 600cc bike, followed by an examiner after more than 20 hours of instruction. What on earth is gained by making me ride a 125cc round an obstacle course (apart from money)? It certainly is not proving my riding ability. The setup of the current system is inefficient, doesn't produce skilled riders, is too easy and seems to be operated with only one aim – money. Its aim should be safety and saving lives.

M. BRITTON

Paget