In keeping with the theme

May 29, 2010

Dear Sir,

I read on the PLP's blog today their calls for Trevor Moniz's resignation and usual rant against this publication in light of Mr. Moniz's comments about Dale Butler appearing to be playing nice with whites now due to the boundary changes.

I must start by disagreeing with Mr. Moniz over this comment. I have had many encounters with Mr. Butler over the years and have found him to be one of the few members of Dr. Brown's administration that treats every citizen in which he encounters with the same level of respect, despite their differing skin pigments. He is genuinely a man of the people and showed his integrity by resigning his cushy Ministerial position in light of Dr. Brown's one man decision to bring the Uighurs to Bermuda. The aforementioned blog goes on and on about how racist this comment is and how The Royal Gazette played it down by using the word "wryly" when explaining the approach used by Mr. Moniz. It is the usual we aren't doing so good, so let's distract attention and make unfounded claims on the ones we have designated as enemies and the predictable PLP motto, "do as I say and not as I do".

Well I agree with the author of the blog that all politicians who display racist tendencies should be automatically dismissed by their relevant party. So in keeping with the theme of the PLP blog here is my list of people within PLP that should be forced to resign by the leadership:

Dr. Brown For his continuous race baiting since the beginning of his leadership tenure. The claims that whites would vote for the other guy because he was the same colour. The refusal to answer questions because he labels them as plantation questions and even recently how he hoped to attract "browner" tourists to Bermuda's shores.

LaVerne Furbert Her record of racial intolerance and playing of the racecard is well documented and thus should need no further explanation. But sleep easy people, because she is now a Human Rights Commissioner.

Lovita Foggo A vote for the UBP is a vote back into shackles and back onto the plantation.

Marc Bean They are all neo-fascists and want to lock is all up. It's true!

Glenn Blakeney I was deeply offended when he queried Mrs. Pat Gordon Pamplin when she was going to join the PLP and stop protecting the white man's interest. Also, listen to Hate 107.5 on any given day.

Rolfe Commissiong The numerous house Negroes (censored) accusations made towards anyone that doesn't subscribe to his narrow view on anything.

David Burch Hanging up on a caller during one of Hate 107.5's talk shows because she identified herself as being white. The labelling of a black Bermudian who didn't toe the line as nothing but a house Negro (censored). Oh yeah, the stereotyping of women from certain countries as prostitutes and/or mail order brides.

Wentworth Christopher — His lovely and eloquent "genetic predisposition" comment regarding why they get so little white support among other several disparaging remarks about people that don't look like them.

On the basis of these derogatory and inflammatory remarks I call on the author of the PLP blog to practice what they preach and call for all the individual's resignations. And I call on Hate 107.5, PLP blog, Worker's Voice, Bermuda Network News (and the PLP claim they have no media representation!) to stop allowing racist comments being spewed by PLP and their supporters through those mediums and use their editorial powers to join the call for their resignations and the end of racist rhetoric among our politically exposed citizens.

LOVING THE DOUBLE STANDARDS

Smith's

A little bit of history

May 31, 2010

Dear Sir,

Please, allow me more of your valued space in your newspaper to tell some of what I remember about what happened in the Second World War in Bermuda from 1940 through 1945. I remember when dredging of our ship channels was a day to day occurrence. We have not dredged any parts of our ship channels for some 50-plus years. The Government of the day 50 years ago owned and operated a dredger named the Lord Cochrane and was captained by a St. George's resident, Captain Dale and crewed by our locals. All the silt that was dredged out of the ship channels in those days was taken into the deep water behind Commissioner's Point and dumped. The Lord Cochrane was a familiar sight in Hamilton Harbour.

When the North Channel was made (by the US Military contractors) from Murray's Anchorage into Grassy Bay and in the middle 1940s past the "Stag Rocks" into the Great Sound they used two large dredgers. In parts of the North Channel, coral reefs were removed by using high explosives. Without removing the reefs, there would not have been a North Channel.

The reason why the North Channel was made, was to allow the large US aircraft carriers, like the USS Wasp, and the USS Ranger, and the large heavy cruisers like the USS Brooklyn, and USS Savannah to get into a more protected area like Harmon's Bay, so that they would not be vulnerable to German U-boat attacks if they were in or outside of Murray's Anchorage as the South Channel was not deep enough to allow these large warships to get into the Great Sound. I remember being on a British aircraft carrier named HMS Illustrious which was anchored in Grassy Bay when the German "propaganda machine" claimed to have sunk her!

The Cut Bridge entranceway on the North side was filled in to make that Channel less available to German miniature submarine attacks while Grey's Bridge, Piano or Little Watford Bridge (which is no more), Watford Bridge, and Somerset Bridge, were fenced off with large steel mesh rings to prevent any miniature submarines from getting into the Great Sound.

One particular area that was continually dredged was the Dundonald Channel that went past the Stag Rocks. It would be prudent to have one of our local marine companies to purchase a dredger, crew it with locals, and lease, or rent it to the Government and keep our ships channels clear at all times. I also remember the US Army setting up a base on Moresby Plain for the protection of the Royal Naval Dockyard. On Moreseby Plain there was an encampment of US Army soldiers living in tents. On top of the hill where the present Prison Offices Club is now, there were four 40 mm anti-aircraft guns, a searchlight battery, a sound detecting emplacement, and a unit for searching for any enemy aircraft with night vision binoculars.

On the Western side of Moresby Plain there was an anti- aircraft gunnery unit that used to train, that were using 40 mm anti-aircraft guns there. The Royal Navy would have a seaplane from inside the Dockyard, tow a drogue behind one of their sea planes across the Western side of the water on the Western side of Moresby Plain for the anti aircraft gunners to shoot at.

The Royal Navy had seaplanes attached to the Dockyard, the large ramp where the travel-lift, and all those boats are now, was the ramp used by the Walrus amphibian sea planes to be able to get in, and, out of the water. The hanger for these sea planes was where the North Rock exhibit is now. The Royal Navy had 8 seaplanes. The Walrus seaplane was a biplane with its engine behind the wings, and the Swordfish seaplane was a single wing engine one. This seaplane had to be launched from the land into the water from a cradle that would go down the large ramp into the water. The Walrus seaplane was amphibian and could manoeuvre itself in, and out of the water.

On rough water days the Walrus amphibian seaplanes would take off and land inside of the Dockyard's waterways. In calmer days this aircraft would go outside of the Dockyard to take off, or land in the Great Sound. At Simmons' Beach adjacent to the Southlands property there was an anti-aircraft gunnery school, they used 90 mm any-aircraft guns there. They trained in any-aircraft gunnery for some four years day and night practicing. The South Shore Road from the junction of Middle Road to Elbow Beach was built by the US Military Services in the Second World War.

Here endeth my first lesson.

PETER BROMBY SR.

Paget

Editor's Note: For more information on the Lord Cochrane and dredging in Bermuda, see "Dredging up the Past" in Heritage Matters by Dr. Edward Harris on April 24, 2010.