Seeing the truth

October 11, 2010

Dear Sir,

I would like to strongly recommend that all Bermudians read the Letter to the Editor on Saturday, October 9, 2010 on Page 4.

This is extremely powerful taking into consideration the author. After reading that letter, I felt so encouraged that the better part of the Bermudian black community, do in fact, see and understand what this leader has truly set out to do to Bermuda and Bermudians..

We can only hope we never have to endure another day of leadership with this sort of mentality. I say, as he often does …'This too shall pass' ! Well, you truly do know what you have accomplished and I hope you get exactly what you truly deserve.

Remember this … God works in wondrous ways. Period.

YELLOHSHURT

Paget

Increase cell phone fine

October 11, 2010

Dear Sir,

The new fine for cellular phone driving should be increased to $5,000. That way, any idiot who continually wishes to pay that just to keep driving that way is a bigger fool than they thought they could ever be.

Individuals who don't comply? Automatically off the road for a year. If you must talk to someone while on the cell phone, pull into a safe area and start talking. That way you're not just stopping yourself from causing an accident, or worse, death but, you're less likely to kill somebody else (unless of course you don't care, in which your next question should be, if I kill my mate, my mate's mom or someone I'm close to, how will this affect me for the rest of my life?)

'NUFF SAID

Devonshire

Premier's farewell speech

September 13, 2010.

Dear Sir,

After reading our Premier's farewell speech, I could not help but shed a tear.

You would have to have a heart of stone not to cry laughing at this vain attempt to remind the taxpayers of all the great benefits he has so uniquely conjured up during the billion-dollar 'Platinum Period'.

Never have we seen a departing Premier feel the need to so thoroughly catalogue his social successes and political accomplishments. You would think the results would speak for themselves. Now that His Government has turned the Island around into a "New Bermuda", why would he ever want to leave? Stick around and enjoy it all with us, bask in the sunshine of P.A.T.I.

I cannot think of another Premier who up staked and left the Country at the end of their political career. Sad to see him go just when things were looking up. However, on a happier note, it is uplifting to read that the Hon. Paula Cox and Terry Lister MP come out and publicly vow to clean up some of the great work their party achieved over 12 years. Bring it on Mr. Lister, be radical even, upset the party faithful if you must, nothing short of radical change is going to stop the madness as we circle the drain. As you have now discovered, taking over the reins of power after 30 years in opposition, sometimes leaves you to become the very system you so despised. Long meetings, tedious committees, late night sessions, endless negotiations, criticism, strikes, scandals and constant pressure to perform would wear down anybody. It is hard work, sacrifice and above all a sincere dedication to one's country that makes for real success, success for the country that is.

Should you rise the esteemed position of Premier, may I gently remind you on behalf of almost 60,000 people, please do not forget who and what you work for.

Looking forward to the death of cynicism, no really.

SMALL BUSINESS IN THE CITY

No to milk formula tax

October 8, 2010

Dear Sir,

I feel I must respond to Delaey Robinson's letter in today's paper, where it is suggested that milk formula should be taxed by Government. Whilst I appreciate the desire to see improved rates for breast-feeding in Bermuda, I do not agree that taxing formula is an appropriate response.

Bermuda has an extremely low rate of breastfeeding in comparison with Northern America and Europe, and it is accepted that increasing the number of exclusively breastfed babies is a "healthy childhood objective".

However we should identify the obstacles preventing mothers from breast-feeding. There are cultural issues, there are educational issues, there are problems with limited support available to mothers in early post-partum weeks. Our limited statutory maternity leave may well be a factor in the rate of mothers who discontinue breast-feeding after returning to work.

We recognise that breastfeeding is a positive choice with significant short- and long-term benefits for health, and so as a society, we should make choices that encourage this where possible. Education is important, but Government plays an important role by influences on health care provision and maternity provisions. I agree that Bermuda needs to "get the ball rolling" and discuss these important issues, but do not feel that taxing formula is the way forward. This would effectively be a punitive tax affecting working and single mothers hardest, and is not appropriate.

DR. KATHERINE MICHELMORE

Warwick

Look out for others

October 10, 2010

Dear Sir,

Have we forgotten "There, but for The Grace of God, go I". Have we forgotten how to care and have compassion for our fellow man?

Is that small box held in the hand now, becoming more important than a smile with eye contact?

We read of mould found years ago with no action taken, to the detriment of health hazards. Is it "I'm all right Mac, it doesn't affect me?"

We read about cases of bullying seriously mentally disturbed people, who have had to resort to their own salvation by committing suicide, when their pleas for help were either not heard or denied.

The thrust of this letter is to the people who sit on boards, and sit and sit and sit, then after the meeting has adjourned, yet with the authority, and I might add responsibility; do nothing and do not follow through with the recommendations and findings of that meeting. This is the disgrace and the tragic consequences I see happening constantly today, especially in education, must be considered unacceptable.

I try not to write letters without suggestions as to, with respect, how to make things better.

There should be legislation passed, whereby all the findings and recommendations of committees be reviewed within a certain time span (as short as possible) a mandatory requirement, if not adhered to, punishable, especially in cases of human rights and child welfare, and then a continued review till the matter is resolved.

I gave a talk to the schoolchildren here on bullying, and another to Rotary on the Three L's: Look Listen and Love, a long time ago, all still current.

Caring. To be "Our Brother's Keeper" is the finest quality that any human being and any government can achieve.

DIANA WILLIAMS

Pembroke

A disturbing trend

October 7, 2010

Dear Sir,

The following is an excerpt from an article I've just read, written by John R. Rich MD, MDH. It is entitled: "Wrong Place Wrong Time""

"According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), young black men have a higher rate of both fatal and nonfatal violence than any other group. National statistics show that homicide is the leading cause of death for African American men between the ages of 15 and 34. In 2006, 2,946 black males between the ages of 15 and 24 were victims of homicide. This means that the homicide rate for black males aged 15 to 24 was 92 in 100,000. For white males in the same age range, the homicide rate was 4.7 in 100,000. In other words, the homicide death rate was more than 19 times higher for young black men than young white men.

"Homicide numbers across the nation have decreased over the past decade, but a closer look at these homicide statistics shows disturbing trends. Daniel Webster and his colleagues at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health have found that although overall homicide rates have appeared stable since 1999, the homicide rate among African American men between the ages of 25 and 44 has increased substantially. It is no wonder, then, that as these homicides are reported in the news, flashed across television screens, and recapitulated in films, we would come to associate young black men with homicide.

"But homicide represents only the tip of the iceberg with regard to violence. Non-fatal injuries are far more common than fatal injuries. The CDC estimates that for every homicide, there are more than 94 nonfatal violent incidents. Even with the increasing lethality of the guns available, the ratio of firearm-related injuries from nonfatal physical assaults to firearm-related homicides was four to one. In other words, for every person who gets shot and dies, another four get shot and survive.

"While it is true that a person is more likely to die of a gunshot wound than from injuries delivered by other kinds of weapons, many young people are stabbed or assaulted. The ratios of nonfatal to fatal injuries for other types of violence show the same pattern. For those who are stabbed or cut, 64 people survive for each person who dies. For physical assaults, 3,243 people survive for each person who dies. In nonfatal injury, just as in homicide, black males are disproportionately affected. In data from the year 2000, the overall violent assault rate for black males was 4.6 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic white males. Countless others suffer trauma or near-trauma that never comes to the attention of the health care system, like being shot at or being grazed by a bullet or beaten up but not badly enough to seek medical care.

"Studies also show that violence is a recurrent problem. Up to 45 percent of people who have had a penetrating injury – a gunshot or stab wound – will have another similar injury within five years. More disturbing is the finding that five years after their initial injury, 20 percent of these individuals are dead."

RAYMOND RAY

St. George's

Terrorism of the past

October 11, 2010

Dear Sir,

There is a big controversy brewing in New York right now about a new Muslim Mosque being built two blocks from ground zero, where the twin towers of the World Trade Center stood before the terrorist attacks of 9/11 2001. Objectors say it is too close to the site and the wound has not completely healed.

Were there not Muslims killed in those attacks too? So shouldn't their family members who go to visit ground zero have a place of worship nearby too? Or are their family members' lives not of equal value? Doesn't their Declaration of Independence state that all men or women for that matter are created equal? And did they not fight a Civil War to finally settle that matter?

And if they are going to use that argument, then there should not be any churches, mosques or synagogues in New York either. The Manhattan Indians didn't place an ad in the Dutch newspapers saying that they wanted to sell their ancestral island home. And for $24 at that. You can't claim to be negotiating when you have some guns, rifles and cannons and the other guy has some tomahawks and bows and arrows. That is not negotiating, that is what I call theft and terrorism.

Do you think for one minute that the Manhattan indians could have told the Dutch thanks but no thanks. And just take you and your East India Company and go home. They would have killed most if not all and still set up Fort New Amsterdam Church and all right down in the same ground zero area. Where are Manhattan's and most of the Native American worship places and burial grounds? Destroyed and built over by the first trans-oceanic terrorists. The Dutch, French, Spanish, French, Portuguese and we can't forgot the English.

At least the Dutch tried to cover themselves and supposedly paid for Manhattan. The English paid nothing when they claimed all the lands from what is now South Carolina going right up to Canada. In the first Charter of Virginia in 1606. In the name of King James I. The same King who had the Bible translated into English.

He claimed to be bringing the infidels and savage Native American Indians out of the darkness and into the light of Christianity. I call that theft and murder. And the wording sounds very similar to a well known terrorist leader of today – Osama Bin Laden.

So Christian people, be careful what books you carry around and the names that are on them. Bible or not, terrorism is terrorism whether it is in the Year of our Lord 1610 or 2010.

But I guess when you win the wars you write the history and are called something else.

LESLIE JAMES SMITH

Sandys