June 26, 2006

I AM a member in good standing of the Bermudian medical profession. I am a member of the Bermuda Medical Society and the Bermuda Medical Association. And I am outraged that Drs. Butterfield and Gaugain chose to write to the Mid-Ocean News on the Dr. Chris Johnson matter in their capacities as presidents of the BMA and the BMS rather than as individuals. They might well be outraged at your coverage of the Johnson affair. But they certainly do not speak on my behalf. And they do not speak on behalf of any number of other Bermuda physicians.

The fact Dr. Johnson's career in the US was "destroyed" when his position at the Riverside Memorial Hospital was "terminated" because his behaviour so antagonised colleagues has been an open secret in the medical community ever since he arrived here. The fact Dr. Johnson's behaviour is antagonising surgical nurses at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in the self-same manner it did his California colleagues is no secret at all to anyone who works at KEMH.

Dr. Johnson made his private life an "open book" when he used his sexual orientation to unsuccessfully defend himself against charges of unprofessional behaviour in the US. It's perhaps unfortunate this aspect of his life has found its way into the local media as a result of the toxic working situation that now exists at KEMH because of the stand-off between Dr. Johnson and the nurses.

But surely it was unrealistic to expect otherwise given allegations of "homophobia" were used by Dr. Johnson to counter most of the 19 complaints brought against him in California (13 of which were upheld).

There were sensible actions both the BMS and the BMA could have taken months ago that would have prevented the Johnson matter from ever exploding across the front pages of the local press. Suffice it to say, no such steps were ever taken. The entire Bermuda medical community is now suffering as a consequence of this inaction. That, to me, is the real outrage.DOCTOR X

City of Hamilton

Brilliant reputation

June 25, 2006

THIS would be my first time writing a letter to the editor and I felt compelled to do so after returning to the island only to read the June 16, 2006 Mid-Ocean News headline: "Gay US surgeon marries a Bermudian woman." What has happened to the quality of news on this island? This story reads like an article out of a US tabloid! Unless the Mid-Ocean News editors are peeking in people's windows to confirm whether one is gay or not, I cannot fathom how such trash is allowed to be printed!

My point is this: yes, Dr. Johnson admitted in a court case in 2003 that he is gay, but what confirmation do we have that he is gay in 2006? The only person or persons that can confirm this would be Dr. Johnson's love partners.

Is there someone at Mid-Ocean News who is in a position to confirm this? Mr. Finighan, maybe?

I don't know Dr. Johnson personally, but it is obvious that someone has a personal interest in trashing this brilliant surgeon's reputation via his PERSONAL life. I capitalise the word personal because I cringe to think that such trash can be printed about anyone's personal life in this country with no stated reason. Has this story been printed to awake the Immigration Department to "marriages of convenience?"

I am sure Dr. Johnson's marriage isn't the first suspect marriage. Not with expatriates from Europe, the Caribbean and Canada doing the same thing. Remember, people do not walk around with the words "I AM GAY" on their foreheads!

Mid-Ocean News editors should be careful that they are not being used as a pawn in someone's sick game to destroy a man's career! MISS T

City of HamiltonPS: As a FORMER reader of the Mid-Ocean News, I do not want to know someone's sexual orientation — it is none of my business!

Send him packingJune 25, 2006

I WAS staggered to read the letters supporting Dr. Christopher Johnson, particularly that of Drs. Gaugain and Butterfield. Why, one is compelled to ask, did a doctor with the incredibly awful working history of Dr. Johnson get hired in Bermuda in the first place? Did no one check the man's background? If his curriculum vitae had been thoroughly checked there can be no possible reason for allowing him to practise in Bermuda. What was the Immigration Department doing when he was given a permit to work here? Does Immigration just rubber-stamp an application to practise medicine in Bermuda if the applicant is approved by the Medical Society or the Medical Association? Does Immigration do no investigation at all? All the information disclosed in your paper was available on the Internet.

When most of the surgical nursing staff at the King Edward VII Hospital refuse to work with one of its surgeons, surely it is the business of the press to investigate the causes.

And it turns out that Dr. Johnson's problem here is exactly the same as his problem was at the Riverside Community Hospital where his contract was terminated. His difficulties with those with whom he must work move along with him from country to country. This problem never should have been permitted to get here in the first place. The Bermuda Medical Society and the Medical Association failed in their duty to the public in not properly investigating Dr. Johnson's record. They should be apologising to the public, not expressing outrage.

The fact that Dr. Johnson is gay is irrelevant. What is relevant is his professional background — and let's not forget he made his private life a matter of public record in his failed legal attempt to challenge the numerous disciplinary charges that led to his "termination" from the Riverside Community Hospital. In fact, claims of homophobia appear to have been his chief defence against any and all charges of unprofessional behaviour.

It's understandable why some might perhaps speculate that he has entered into a marriage with a Bermudian woman to try to make another end run around our Immigration laws.

It's also understandable why some might perhaps speculate that if Dr. Johnson had not thoroughly ingratiated himself with a certain clique in the Scott Government he would already have been sent packing by Immigration.

No wonder so many Bermudians now believe that to escape the even application of our laws it seems now only necessary to have friends in the right places.

The simple, honest and obvious solution to the problem at the hospital is for Immigration to send Dr. Johnson packing immediately. With other people it is done quite regularly. Why is Dr. Johnson being given such favoured treatment? INQUISITOR

City of Hamilton

Lives destroyed

June 25, 2006

I THINK it utterly disgusting the way in which Dr. Johnson is being literally "crucified" in your "rag" of a newspaper. Dr. Johnson has been an outstanding addition to your community. Shame on you for allowing such "rubbish" to be printed about this intelligent, bright doctor, who has worked so diligently since his coming to Bermuda. The only thing you should be concerned about is his ability to help people their on your island. I will not spend another penny reading your newspaper. I have watched and read over the past few years the way in which people's lives have been destroyed by your paper.

K. PEARMAN

Wake-up call neededJune 26 2006

I REFER to Monday's Report From The House in Monday's Royal Gazette. One article is headed "Media Criticised for 'nasty' coverage of Dr. Johnson". The article quotes Government backbencher Derrick Burgess as saying that Dr. Christopher Johnson is only under investigation because he is of African descent. He added: "I know they will continue to investigate people of African descent and people who support this party. I ask that this behaviour be stopped and that this newspaper (the Mid-Ocean News) decides to be more responsible". He goes on to say: "They need to leave him alone. He is a citizen; he needs to work like everyone else and not to be harassed by the media for whatever reasons". Mr. Burgess also criticises the media in general for "seeking out" negative stories about black people.

I for one have certainly followed these articles in the Mid-Ocean News for the past two weeks. They have uncovered some pretty serious allegations involving Dr. Johnson — the most crucial being that, by his own admission, he is effectively no longer allowed to practice as a surgeon in the US.

Does Mr. Burgess think that we the general public should not know about this because Dr. Johnson is black? Is it not imperative that patients know as much as possible about their surgeon before they commit to going under the knife? Does he think that because Dr. Johnson is a "citizen" (I think that most people are citizens of somewhere or other) that it is OK for him to still practise medicine in Bermuda after he himself said he only came here because he was, in effect, unemployable in the United States.

I am sure that had Dr. Johnson been white then Mr. Burgess would be leaping all over the place demanding his resignation.

But, no, he's black and needs to work like everyone else so he should not be harassed even though he is a surgeon with people's lives in his hands and, I must say, some pretty "nasty" complaints surrounding him.

Mr. Burgess needs a huge wake-up call (or maybe a brain cell implant courtesy of Dr. Johnson). It's as if in his mind being a surgeon is not dissimilar to being a hairdresser. It doesn't matter whether Dr. Johnson is black, white or yellow the fact of the matter is that he was terminated from the last hospital where he worked and his name placed on a national computer system that "flags" doctors with "adverse" histories!

Mr. Burgess, a leading trade unionist, should check to see why almost none of the surgical nurses at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital will now work with Dr. Johnson. And while he's about it, familiarising himself with the grievances of these working people, he should also take the time to note that the nurses in question are black, white, mixed race and Asian.

Of course, it makes no difference that Dr. Johnson is gay and has got married (to a Bermudian woman). I have nothing against that. But I am sure the marriage will raise all manner of questions in people's minds. For instance, some people will be wondering why these particular nuptials took place.

Some people will be wondering if Dr. Johnson plans to break away from his practice with his Bermudian employer and go off on his own now that he is married to a Bermudian. Some people will be wondering if this is a good idea given his dubious professional record despite the fact no one would argue competition is a healthy thing.

My main bone of contention is that every time a black person commits some form of misdemeanour the Progressive Labour Party don't even bother to see whether there is any reasoning or truth behind it. The automatic response, just like a broken record, is, "It's because he's black or of African origin" or whatever. It's getting very boring. It's the 21st century. Can't we please move on?

Slavery was more than a very unfortunate part of history. It was an abomination. But our forefathers are all dead. None of us living today are former slaves, none of us are former slavemasters. Are we supposed to pay penance for the wrongdoings of others even until Doomsday?

And it also goes without saying that in those areas of the world where slavery still exists (even flourishes) — mainly sub-Saharan Africa — black people are enslaving other blacks. But that is rarely mentioned by the likes of Mr. Burgess

I will end this by saying that it is Derrick Burgess who is manifesting attitudes that might fairly be deemed racist. And not only that, he is doing so in an uninformed and ignorant manner! His rantings in Parliament carry no more credibility than those of a poorly educated schoolchild.SINCLAIR LEWIS

Paget

Abide by the rules

June 27, 2006

WHY is it that so-called Christians speak out of both sides of their mouths? How is it that when a gay person marries a member of the opposite sex these so-called Christians criticise your journalist because he is seeking to discover the truth? Sounds fishy to me.Maybe Dr. Christopher Johnson is a good doctor. Maybe he does help people who cannot afford his services. Still doesn't alter the fact that he's gay. And Rev. Vernon Lambe and others have told us that being gay is not Christian-like (although I thought God loved all of us and He did not discriminate).

So why are some of these so-called Christians rallying around Dr. Johnson on the one hand while telling the public that God does not approve of gay or lesbian people on the other hand? Please explain this to me as I am totally confused now.

Who married this couple? Was it a church? If it was a church, was it one of the ministers who has been speaking out against homosexuality who married a gay man to this woman? I'm not trying to be rude but this whole situation is ridiculous and makes a mockery of what the church has been saying recently — that God does not approve of homosexuals.

Whether he is a good doctor or not does not give Dr. Johnson the right to treat people without dignity — which is apparently the case at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. Out of 24 surgical nurses, 22 will not work with him because of his demeaning manner.

Our nurses work very hard and most are very kind. The Bermuda Hospitals Board really needs to figure this situation out quickly. Let our nurses get back to what they do best — helping people. If this doctor needs to be told to watch what he says, then tell him. If he does not abide by the rules and regulations of our hospital and does not know how to treat people, then send him on his merry way.M. DUBOIS

City of Hamilton