election results was: "There's a positive message for all political leaders that voters respond to future-oriented, positive messages about issues that affect their daily lives.'' Then too US Vice President Al Gore said: "Americans had a choice and they chose progress over partisanship.'' We see those as strong messages for the political leaders of Bermuda and for the people of Bermuda as next Monday approaches.

"Future'', "Positive'', "Progress''. We see those messages as applying directly to Bermuda today and next Monday.

There has been a tendency during this campaign in Bermuda toward negative messages, not necessarily from the political parties themselves but from their supporters of one kind or another. We are concerned that some of the messages might unduly influence people who should be giving calm consideration to what is best for Bermuda's future and for their own future. Al Gore said that Americans chose progress.

Far too often Bermudians beat themselves with the sins of commission and omission of the past. Yet there is little we can do about the past except recognise the failures and work together to avoid them in the future. We can choose the best for tomorrow and the best for a new century. The past, warts and all, is what our forbearers left us. We must try to leave our grandchildren something better. If we live in the past we blight the future and the future is what we and our children have.

Bermuda's road forward is together, not in a segregation created by self-choice, not in cells sweetened by tokenism, not in groups and associations where we might feel protected, but united together to solve problems for the betterment of Bermuda. The will to be united and to solve problems and to go forward, not backward, is growing.

If Bermudians choose an uncertain future of exclusion then they choose years of negative growth, years of trying to find another way which will lead to togetherness.

Those who advocate togetherness today are often criticised by some people who see separation as punishment for past sins. Yet separation will only punish the future.

Bermuda needs to learn a lesson from South Africa, a lesson which it should have learned earlier, but late is better than never. That lesson is the politics of inclusion. Together Bermuda can go on to even greater success.