Playing the race card

July 2, 2010

Dear Sir,

Premier Dr. Ewart Brown in the House of Assembly had the sheer foolishness to say: "I am not playing the race card as it is already in play." Yes, yes, Dr. Brown, it is in play, by you! You have the entire Euchre deck full of false racial cards to slam on anyone who makes a valid point and threatens to actually make Bermudians clear the racial smokescreen your party brings forth.

How on earth can you call Mr. Richards' claims racial? GlobalHue was highlighted by the Auditor General in his report ... oh wait, never mind ... perhaps you think he is racist too? What's wrong with Mr. Richards wanting other firms who may actually do a better job bidding on the contracts? You know some of those other companies may be black-owned. Frankly it doesn't matter if they are black or not as long as they do the job well. Who cares what colour they are? Did you think of that?

ROBERT DAVIES

Devonshire

Ending the racial rhetoric

July 5, 2010

Dear Sir,

The deficiency in the political toolboxes of many of our politicians is increasingly evident and so I would not be surprised if the Premier did, in fact, imply that the only reason for the questions around the GlobalHue contract is because the owner is a black man.

I've heard it said that "if all you have is a hammer, everything you see is a nail"!

I applaud those PLP backbenchers who are calling for an end to the divisive racial rhetoric. I believe that Bermuda will be better for your taking that stand. Thank you.

KIM SMITH

Pembroke

Racial reconciliation

July 5, 2010

Dear Sir,

It is evident that there are those who are offended by harsh racial rhetoric that refers to our past.

It is less evident that there are others who are offended by those who refuse to even acknowledge that past or its long term impact so evident in our current economic disparity.

Recently a caller, discussing the history of Dellwood, commented: 'Well, by that time it was different" her tone of voice implying an undesirable difference. She could not bring herself to say "by that time it was racially integrated". Unfortunately, the talk show host encouraged this avoidance by not asking: "Different, how?"

The fact is that the latter is as racially divisive as the former and neither does anything to lessen the racial divide without both legislation and policy to address our economic disparity. Affirmative action policies for foreign firms do not address Bermuda's problem when we have neither affirmative action legislation nor policies that address the economic divide in this country.

Neither the harsh racial rhetoric nor the avoidance without appropriate legislation will bring this racially divided society together because neither is addressing the obvious racial divide of the economic disparity which has been with us and completely ignored by our lawmakers since 1834.

True racial reconciliation cannot come to us anymore than it has come to South Africa where they have had a Truth and Reconciliation Commission but the economic divide and oppression is as great as ever and is as bitterly resented by Mandela's ex-wife as it is applauded by the Western world.

But the challenge in Bermuda is nowhere as great as it is in South Africa so there is no excuse for this Government not taking this issue as seriously for Bermudians as it has done for foreign companies.

EVA N. HODGSON

Crawl

Costly speed strips

July 5, 2010

Dear Sir,

The Corporation of St. George's would have been better served to hire a speed traffic officer than use enormous manpower to lay traffic calming strips in the town. The revenue from fines would be more lucrative than paying court-suing vehicle owners over the damage to their cars.

ELLIE JONES

St. George's