Has faith in Bermuda

December 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

As a long time visitor to the island (my first trip was on the Queen of Bermuda) I have witnessed first hand the extremes of the Island in terms of the economy as well as several other conditions. When it comes to safety, I am keenly aware of Bermuda's reputation as a safe island where I can bring my wife and friends, and not have to worry about my wife's safety if she wanted to go to town by herself to be with friends to grab a meal and to window shop with her friends.

I realise that the murder rate this year is higher then in previous ones and I know that several groups are working very hard to find a solution to prevent such incidents from taking place again. Just last week here in Kansas City, a talented 17-year-old student was murdered for no apparent reason. Your situation, unfortunately, is shared all around the world. What I do not want to see is a situation that has taken place within certain islands in the Caribbean. I truly do not want to tell my wife that because of my concerns for our safety that we should plan a vacation to 'some other place'. I do not want this to be interpreted as a threat, for I truly love Bermuda, its people, and especially the dark and stormy's. We have the same problem here in K.C. and have similar groups trying to solve this problem. I have great faith in the people of Bermuda, and truly hope you can find a solution to this situation.

MIKE NEWBURGER

Parkville, Missouri