The ever-present issue of race reared its ugly head yet again at a Bermuda Independence Commission public meeting last night.

The eighth BIC public meeting was held at an almost empty hall at CedarBridge Academy with about 30 members of the public in attendance.

BIC chairman Bishop Vernon Lambe put the low turnout down to the fact that an advertisement for the meeting appearing in the International Section of on page ten.

As was the case in previous meetings, most of those in the room had been to some, if not most of the other BIC meetings including Howard Saltus, James Butterfield, Rodney Smith and Walton Brown ? who all had questions for the Commission, as well as statements to make concerning Independence.

The issue of race was raised by audience member Mr. Smith ? who attended a meeting on May 27 and said almost the exact same thing ? that Independence is the ?last sequel to slavery?.

Mr. Smith wanted to know why whites in Bermuda are opposed to Independence (see related story on Page 1).

?It?s because it would bring me to equality with them and that proves that they are racist and supremacists,? he said.

Earlier in the evening, audience member Mr. Butterfield voiced his ?fears?, drawing a parallel with Haiti, that once a country received Independence, democracy was ?fragile?.

?What we?ve seen, the history that we?ve seen... you don?t want to get on that bus,? he said. He added that all you had to do was watch television and read the newspaper to see this.

Rev. Lambe told Mr. Butterfield that he was entitled to his opinion.

?There are a pros and cons, the fact is yes, keep smiling because life is worth it,? he said. ?We are happy for these meetings so that we can know what you?re feeling and understand what you?re feeling. But you should know that these meetings provide us with information and that?s what we?re about. At the end of the day Bermudians will be presented with the information, pros and cons, to make that decision.?

Mr. Butterfield wanted to know what the time frame was.

?There is a lot of uncertainty and tension in the community concerning this topic,? he said. ?What is the timeline, when can we expect a decision??

Commissioner Janet Smith-Bradshaw answered that the Commission will produce a report by the end of June. She said it will then be up to the Government to decide whether to take the issue to a referendum and that once the Commissioners handed over the report, it was out of their hands.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Michael Winfield addressed the issue of race and Independence earlier in the day at a Hamilton Rotarians luncheon.

Mr. Winfield said whites have to stand up and be willing to discuss the issue and not ?put their heads in the sand?.

?We need to listen and sometimes we need to listen beyond just words,? he said. ?We need to get beyond the aggression, beyond the guilt, beyond the stereotypical labelling.?

?We need to acknowledge that for most of its history, Bermuda was a segregated community where one race was given opportunity and benefit over the other.

?We lived in what was effectively a caste system with Portuguese being treated in one way and blacks in another.?

He added that if Bermudians acknowledge how wrong that system was, and how determined they are to correct any remaining vestiges of it, the community can acknowledge that the final elements of integration lie not with the black community, but with the white.

Mr. Winfield asked if opportunity, not just for jobs, but for education, for growth and for all of the freedoms we believe intrinsic to the Bermuda of today are equal for all.

?I applaud the Premier?s initiative on black males and I sincerely and urgently call on all to be part of getting this issue on the table and to encourage honest and open debate,? he said.