Woman deserves apology

October 9, 2009

Dear Sir,

I simply can not let this pass without comment. I am referring to the prosecution of tourist Lucy Stackler.

How can justice be served by bringing this woman to trial? She is from Oyster Bay, New York, an affluent community to say the least. She was attending a golf tournament and staying at the Mid Ocean Club, again a rather affluent residence on the island. She is a senior citizen not a teenaged thug. She admitted she had no idea she had ammunition with her.

Does anyone other than the prosecution really think she would attempt to bring ammunition into your country and then carry it out again?

This woman deserves an apology, not a potential jail sentence.

FRANK SEITZ

Rock Hill, South Carolina

'Like for like' needed

October 5, 2009

Dear Sir,

Dr Hodgson raises a valid point in her Letter to the Editor on October 5 in respect to the racial salary gap.

If Bermuda is even remotely like anywhere else in the world, discrimination (of all types) will exist in remuneration practice, and not just based on race either. Unfortunately, Dr. Hodgson, the Government's statistics do not form a sound basis for drawing conclusions. Those amongst us who want to really look and see what is going on with employers (local and IB) and their pay practices, want a sound basis for comparison between job holders, i.e to be able to compare jobs on a like-for-like basis.

Until you can do that, any Government policy decisions will not only be unsound, but will not sort out the problems.

SMITH'S

No downturn here

October 8, 2009

Dear Sir,

It was certainly with a mild element of surprise that I read your article on a downturn in "new" construction in today's paper.

As a resident of Jennings Land in Smith's for the best part of the last year, I find this difficult to understand. We had the house behind our lovely little cottage torn down and completely rebuilt from early December through to early August this year, and just as the construction and the noise appeared to be coming to an end with the arrival of the landscape gardening team, we were suddenly greeted with a new construction site, not more than 50 metres from the previous site. I now have a jackhammer acting as my daily morning alarm.

I'm not sure how the planning department could approve both projects so close together, knowing the disruption it would cause to the neighbourhood.

SLEEPLESS IN SMITH'S

Relief for irate TV viewer

October 9, 2009

Dear Sir,

On Thursday, October 8, a very upset person from St. George's was missing WHDH on cable. They will be pleased to know that WHDH, out of Boston, can be found on channel 98.

CYNTHIA WILLIAMS

City of Hamilton

Do the right thing

October 8, 2009

Dear Sir,

Many decades ago, when civil rights superstar and physician Dr. E.F Gordon served in Parliament, white Parliamentarians during that painful time in our history refused to address him as "Doctor" Gordon, and instead rudely referred to him as "Mister" Gordon, prompting the fiery civil rights champion to change his name to "Mazumbo", with no title at all. Parliament has never issued a formal apology to the late Dr. Gordon or his family.

While today's Parliamentarians had nothing to do with the mocking treatment Dr. Gordon received, Parliaments the world over have ushered in an era of healing and reconciliation by apologising for their predecessors' errors. For example, the Australian Parliament has apologised for decades-old mistreatment of Aboriginal people there, and the US Congress and several municipal governments and corporations have formally apologised for maltreatment of African-Americans and Native Americans there.

I would suggest that for the sake of healing, a white Bermudian Parliamentarian such as Trevor Moniz, Zane DeSilva or Mark Pettingill bring a motion to the House of Assembly that a full House vote be taken on the issuance of a posthumous apology by Parliament to the late great Dr. Gordon, and that the motion be seconded by another white Parliamentarian, and put forth for a vote by the whole House, which would obviously be a unanimous vote.

The fact that neither Mr. Pettingill, Mr. DeSilva nor Mr. Moniz committed the original offence, and the fact that Parliament is currently dominated by persons of African descent is not the issue here. The issue here is that we all owe it to ourselves to correct the atrocious disrespect shown to Dr. Gordon long ago – that disrespect caused him considerable depression and distress in his lifetime, and it is upon all of our shoulders to correct the injustice, however late we may be in so doing.

If Messrs Pettingill, DeSilva and Moniz do not follow my suggestion, then certainly Parliamentarians of African descent will, but in all fairness, for healing's sake, the motion would best be introduced to Parliament by its paler members, and I would ask those distinguished Parliamentarians of African descent to wait a reasonable amount of time to allow the white legislators a chance to do this on their own, as a matter of maximising the resolution's ability to heal, free of partisan politics and hate-mongering. I would also suggest that all parties join forces to assure that a Parliamentarian from each side of the aisle (or all three sides, now) be involved in the resolution's issuance, again, to prevent argument over which party is the most right or wrong on the issue, so that we can focus on healing instead.

C'mon, Parliament – do the right thing!

ALAN GORDON

St. David's

Streamlining? Not really

October 8, 2009

Dear Sir,

I note in today's Royal Gazette that from November 1 you can no longer apply for a British passport through the Department of Immigration. A spokesman said "the change is part of a global initiative to streamline the FCO's passport operation to make it more cost effective, secure and sustainable".

How can it be more cost effective and secure for the FCO receiving applications separately rather than in bulk? And now everyone has to arrange and pay separately for courier charges there and back. And an additional charge of $21 for return. And this is streamlining?

Methinks this is a continuation of the Ewart Brown initiative to make dealing with the UK government as difficult as possible and discouraging Bermudians from getting a British passport. He knows they will like what that provides.

NORTHERN SOUL

Smith's

Fathers suffer too

October 9, 2009

Dear Sir,

Your Monday, October 5, Royal Gazette front page article, "Support Group for Mothers of Murdered Children Planned", states that a support group for mothers of murdered children is to be organised by the Physical Abuse Centre. Is there a separate support group being organised for the fathers of murdered children?

Have any fathers lost children to violence? Why does our culture think that men just "suck it in" and move ahead? Do they not need support? When they are cut, do they not bleed?

Even though "counselling for families of lost and murdered children" is offered, the message seems clear that some people think men don't really need "support groups" – or grief or abuse counselling.

The homelessness issue also comes to mind. What is this solicitation of selective "refuge"? Do men not need refuge? Why are there over 300 people, mostly men, who are without a "refuge", without a home, without shelter? If the film of the Honourable Dale Butler, "In Among the Outs", hasn't been seen, those with selective gender preferences are strongly encouraged to do so. It clearly shows that there is tragedy and suffering everywhere – both for men and women. Everyone needs a home, needs refuge, and needs support when they lose children, lose their homes, or otherwise become victims of society's ills-through violence, incarceration, alienation, divorce and yes, the death of a loved one.

We get one brief, yet clear, glimpse in this article into the minds of those who don't quite see men's losses, problems, or issues as being as important as women's. When we see that 95 percent of the homeless are men, that 93 percent of men do not gain "care and control" of their children, and become relegated as "visitors" to their children when they have suffered from divorce, and when we see only 30 percent of our young men versus 70 percent of our young women go on to post-secondary school, we see that there is an inherent cultural bias in the expectations and upbringing of our children dependent upon their gender.

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste," states one ad, but it seems in Bermudian culture that it is more acceptable for men to be marginalised. Why is this, and is that OK?

Shouldn't we all be each others' keepers? We are not just our sisters' keepers or our brothers' keepers. Whoever is suffering, wherever there is loss, hurt, alienation, or homelessness, let's lend a hand. And, please, let's cut out the gender bias!

ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL

St. George's