be answered before Bermudians can make an informed choice as opposed to an emotional choice.

There are those in favour of Independence who simply see the step as a question of "freedom'' and a kind of overdue coming of age which is not to be compromised no matter what the situation or how challenging the realities.

There are those who are opposed to Independence, who are driven either by emotional attachment to a "Mother Country'', very often an emotional attachment to Britain, or by fear of the unknown after Independence, or by both.

There are some politicians who have selfish motives for Independence because they see greater personal power or enhanced personal glory for themselves in an independent Bermuda. However there are well-informed politicians who simply feel that Independence is the best way for Bermuda to go.

We think that very few Bermudians can detail the pros and cons of Independence in any educated way. Plenty of people will tell you that it is time for Bermuda to be independent and that Bermuda "must'' be independent. Many others will tell you that there is no good reason for Independence and that those people in favour are all emotional. There are very few people without strong and often very emotional opinions on the subject of Independence. It also seems to us that there are very few people "in the middle'' or ambivalent on the subject. Independence is a major step being talked about at a very uncertain and difficult time in Bermuda's history. We think it should be considered calmly and rationally and on the facts.

Bermudians and non-Bermudians should be told honestly what the situation will be on Independence with Bermuda Status and what will happen with non-Bermudians who have lived here for a long time but do not have Status.

There are people who seem to believe that those who have Bermuda Status will not have it after Independence. If that were the case, then our relations with other countries might well be severely curtailed. Bermudians need to know that.

If Independence will impact heavily on the international companies which have become so important to Bermuda, then those in the know need to be honest with the people. If these companies are not concerned about Independence then that is important to our thinking.

If Independence is being considered because Bermuda needs to be a part of international trade agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement then those with experience in the subject should tell us what the advantages are to joining NAFTA and what the disadvantages are if we are not free to join NAFTA. Bermudians are constantly told that Britain is drawing closer to Europe. We need to know as best we can how that will impact on an internally self-Governing colony if we stay with Britain.

There are conflicting and widely differing estimates of what overseas representation might cost Bermuda after Independence. There needs to be discussion of how, where and to what standard we will need overseas representation as an independent country. Once we decide that, we can begin consideration of the possible costs, both as a start-up and on an ongoing basis.

Bermudians are the most widely travelled people in the world and certainly will want to know how valuable their passport will be overseas after Independence. They also need to know whether or not it will be difficult for Bermudians to secure visas to visit abroad and whether or not arrangements can be made quickly to alleviate visas. This is very important to Bermudians with only one passport, remembering that many Bermudians, both born and status, have more than one passport.

What we need now is a system which will give the people reliable information so that individuals can make informed choices.