Letters to the Editor
How open is the door?
July 6, 2007
Dear Sir,
With regard to Dr. Brown's brown bag lunches, it's not much of an "Open Door" policy if you have to be invited in.
Yours asking for two scoops,
ANDREW R. DOBLE
Hamilton Parish
High praise for JetBlue!
July 2, 2007
Dear Sir,
I have just returned from visiting Boston for ten days using JetBlue as my airline.
I am a senior and need assistance and I write to say I received such caring attention, both here in Bermuda and on my return at the Boston Airport. The cabin staff were both friendly and helpful — the seating generous and comfortable with two seats on both sides of the aircraft added to which we were 20 minutes early arriving home in Bermuda.
I was assisted through Immigration and Customs by Sharon — a JetBlue employee assigned to help me and who was most helpful.
This letter is unsolicited — I just felt compelled to write and tell you how excellent is JetBlue and the price so reasonable.
HAPPY TRAVELLER
Pembroke
Question on name calling
July 2, 2007
Dear Sir,
How is it that we, the public, know all about Larry Dennis' arrest but we do not know the names of the two gentlemen who were arrested in connection with the actual leaking of the BHC dossier? Do the Police have a policy of advising the public of the names of those arrested in certain cases and not in others?
JOHN FAIELLA
Southampton<$>
Thanks to the community
July 9, 2007
Dear Sir,
The committee of The Children's Appeal , May 2007 and The Bermuda Nurses' Association wishes to thank the community for all of their efforts in helping to make our project a success.
The amount raised was over $24,000 in donations from businesses, schools, Doctor's, churches and from the public via contributions to the donor buckets. This total includes donations from the John Hayward Memorial Golf Tournament held on June 10, 2007.
The Bermuda Nurses Association and the Children's Appeal Committee sought contributions from the community and they responded. Again, thank you so much.
We want to assure you that the monies will be used to:
The Children's Appeal was a lot of work however your support and belief in our vision made it a worthwhile event. With your partnership we were successful in realizing our dream that ...Charity begins at home—.Faith unites us all—. and Hope spans the globe.
THE CHILDREN'S APPEAL COMMITTEE: GAYNELL HAYWARD, CORRENE DUMMETT, JOANNE ARMSTRONG, VERONICA COBURN, CILMARIA OUTBERBRIDGE, PATRICE SMITH AND THE BERMUDA NURSES ASSOCIATION
Make project a priority
July 6, 2007
Dear Sir,
We agree wholeheartedly with the general gist of "Yankee Onion's" letter in the July 5 Royal Gazette, wherein he suggested a proper sidewalk and crosswalk be built to safely link the Consulate's public parking area and the Consulate itself. I know that Consul General Slayton has made a point of this since his arrival in September of 2005 — as have other US diplomats in Bermuda. Specifically, Mr. Slayton has emphasised the danger of the current arrangement — and the need for a safe sidewalk and crosswalk, directly in conversations with Governor Vereker, Premier Scott and Premier Brown as well as Minister Burch. It was in response to the CG's specific request that uniformed officers are now on duty at the Consulate during all work hours to help pedestrians — and maintain law and order if needed. For this we thank the Governor, the Premier, the Commissioner of Police and Minister Burch.
However, please know that Margaret Pride and I — as well as our predecessors — have also had numerous discussions with members of Works and Engineering on this problem. Just this past winter I personally demonstrated to W&E engineers the dangers of the current crosswalk and what we feel are the minimum steps required to provide safe transit for the thousands who visit the Consulate via car every year. And as we normally do, I was sure to send an official letter to the Ministry on this subject.
The US Government has long recognised that the lack of a genuine sidewalk on the south side of Middle Road near Montpelier — as well as the lack of a safe crossing place from the existing sidewalk on the north side of Middle Road to the south side — are significant hazards to pedestrians. Our visitors, employees, and those who have visa and passport business with us will all breathe easier when this important initiative gets underway and completed as soon as possible. We respect that the Ministry of W&E has many important projects on their plate; but we agree with "Yankee Onion" that this project should be moved to top priority before a tragedy occurs — and not after.
Matthew E. Johnson
Deputy Principal Officer
US Consulate General
Dale Butler to the rescue
July 10, 2007
Dear Sir,
I would like to publicly acknowledge and thank the Hon. Dale Butler for his time, effort and personal expense that he incurred to ensure that my students received a box of DVDs, CDs, books, newspapers, souvenirs and information regarding Bermuda. As an educator, I was disappointed that there are limited publications; CDs or DVDs available in the United States about Bermuda.
The focus of my summer class for children ages 5-9 years-old is to visit different destinations in the world to experience and learn about different cultures, traditions and values. Without the necessary materials, it would not be possible for my students to experience Bermuda.
I contacted the local bookstores and I was shocked that the response was the store would not ship any books to the United States.
The Hon. Dale Butler came to my rescue, to purchase materials, provide educational suggestions and make my project his own. Mr. Butler did all this without asking for repayment. As a man proud of his island, he truly wanted my students to experience his beautiful home.
Mr. Butler went above and beyond for a stranger across the Atlantic Ocean. This experience and connection should remind people that we are all connected and more alike than different.
I will share my story with my students and they will not only learn about Bermuda, but also their caring people.
Thank you again, Hon. Dale Butler for touching lives across the ocean to make the world a better place.
WANDA BLOCK, EDUCATOR
Elmhurst, Illinois
Hate is all-consuming
July 2, 2007
Dear Sir,
The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Michael Dunkley, is being constantly taken to task for not attending Dame Lois' funeral.
I haven't heard anyone ask the Premier, Dr. Ewart Brown, or being equally drilled as to why he did not attend the Queen's Birthday parade on 11th June.
Just last week when the five BHS students appeared in the newspaper regarding their proposed march, on the talk show, Dr. Eva Hodgson was extremely critical of the girls so much so, that the following day she sent a letter of apology to the talk show host, but the spoken word comes not back!
After the march, Ms Laverne Furbert, on the same talk show, was equally critical of the young ladies. She fully analysed them: one was "mixed", one was black and not even Bermudian, etc.
A frequent caller on the talk show circuit, on seeing Mr. Dunkley and Dr. Grant Gibbons in attendance at the Berkeley Institute graduation exercise as seen in a photograph in The Royal Gazette, asked what were they doing there.
The above are recent examples of why things are the way they are. The whole talk of racism boils down to one thing: HATE, and hate is all-consuming.
White people are getting on with their lives. The Portuguese as well. They are not bemoaning the fact that 30 years ago they could not have their families here with them, and that their living and working conditions were terrible. Black people, on the other hand, are stuck in the past and are thus being left behind. It's nobody's fault but their own.
If Mr. Black feels wronged by Mr. White, take him to Court and let the law run its course. It's as simple as that. I'll be watching and waiting for the first test case.
KEEN OBSERVER
Devonshire
Clear the stench
July 9, 2007
Dear Sir,
Today, Shirley Dill interviewed Julian Hall on her talk show. Unfortunately, I only heard part of it, but what I heard left me thinking.
Mr. Hall mentioned quite a few times his loyalty to Dr. Ewart Brown. He also spoke of his loyalty to the former Premier, Alex Scott. Loyalty is fine, great, commendable, but blind loyalty is ignorance, and I am sorry Mr. Editor, but in my heart of hearts, I could not believe what he was saying. There was something that just did not sit right. I guess you could call it a gut feeling.
First and foremost, Mr. Hall is a lawyer by profession — and granted, Mr. Hall is an excellent lawyer. Well today, Mr. Editor, Mr. Hall showed his true colours as a defence lawyer by his strong defence of Premier Brown on this talk show. According to the defence strategy Mr. Hall put forward, Dr. Brown has done absolutely no wrong. There was no evidence to prove that he had done wrong and the case was closed! As we all know, the only thing that came out of all of the evidence was the fact that he (Dr. Brown) was "unethical but not illegal!" (The allegations remain unanswered, and if true, we must ask, "How can taking a $150,000 loan from BHC and not paying it back be only "'unethical"? And how can selling that same private real estate to BHC for twice its market value be only "unethical?" And another thing — Could it be possible Mr. Hall is one of the government's new well-paid "consultants", consequently his passionate defence of Dr. Brown?)
Now I have to ask, is the case really closed? Could this now be considered a "closed cold case file"? You know, just like the ones they have on TV where after ten, 15 or 20 years some little shred of evidence pops up and they find out the culprit was guilty after all. Could it be that by taking this to the Privy Council, this is just a delaying tactic, hoping it will be nine days talk and then the public will forget what was exposed, and they will try to bury what has not been exposed?
Mr. Editor, we as voters of this country need to know more of what has happened. We need to know the whole story. We are talking about millions upon millions of dollars of taxpayers' money that is involved. This is not a private and personal matter even though certain people are trying to make it so. This is a very public matter and if there is corruption, fraud, stealing, and the use of the public purse for one's own personal gain — we need a Royal Commission and we needed it yesterday so that we can put this matter to rest and get on with our lives. This stench has destroyed this Island enough, and when this is over and the dust settles, I hope some won't be left choking on the dusty fallout of reality! Simply said, the allegations suggest serious corruption; Bermudians need to hear flat denials of all charges under oath in court.
Basically people don't care who runs this Island, all they want is good governance. As far as I am concerned, two parrots and a pussycat can run it, but we need honesty, openness and fairness.
Also, this is where we do need a Voters Bill of Rights, along with new and updated laws to be put in place so that whatever party is the Government, we the public will be protected from crooks, fraudsters, and con artists.
Just a little FYI: I once asked a lawyer friend of mine this question: "How do feel when someone you are defending gets off, knowing all the time that they are guilty"? The answer was: "It's just a job!" And to think—there are times when we do need lawyers! Frightening!
PAT FERGUSON
Warwick
Looking like juveniles
July 9, 2007
Dear Sir,
All the braying and bleating emitting from the government and its appointed defenders over the leaking of a confidential document to the press has been a curious phenomenon. One wonders why so much noise has been made over the BHC investigation when it purportedly ended in "exoneration."
Perhaps a passage I recently came across in The New York Times from an op-ed piece by A. A. Gill could illuminate our fearful leaders' bullying of the press:
"Blaming journalists for the mood of nations is a futile venture. Enoch Powell, an especially reviled statesman, dryly pointed out that for a politician to complain about the press was like sailors complaining about the sea. Newspapers may like to imagine they have power, but none of them can afford to travel far from the prejudices of their readers. Politicians blame the messenger because the alternative is to blame the public. And the annoying corollary of democracy is that the public is always right."
As surely as wind carries odour, words carry the feverish thoughts of the guilty. For all of the frenzied verbal deflections and rhetorical contortions, the arrests without charges, and the censorship of the media, the ruling party is looking increasingly like a gaggle of overgrown juveniles, hiding in plain sight, with their hands in the public pocket.
TIM LEE
Brooklyn, New York
Presidential entourage
July 7, 2007
Dear Sir,
I have read with great interest the stories in the paper relating to the security that is now being given to the Premier, all paid for by the taxpayer. It appears that public sentiment overwhelmingly is of the opinion that this is all very excessive.
"Doc Hollywood" has returned to his American roots by building a presidential entourage that started with a chief of staff, a public relations "expert", a race relations guru, someone to manage the affairs of his home (as advertised in the paper) and now continues with presidential style high speed escorts and the need in the Premier's mind for bodyguards (probably armed ) and a fenced in house that will be a real eyesore!
So much for living on an Island that is supposed to be safe. Well if we are not safe why is it that only the Premier can ramp up security for himself? We have been calling for greater police presence on the roads and in our neighbourhoods for months but the cry has fallen on deaf PLP ears!
Finally, if the Premier and his entourage are so concerned about security why was the person who supposedly had box cutters on his person not detained after the incident at the Airport? I am aware that he was seen freely moving around after the event, surely if he was deemed to be such a threat with these box cutters he would have been detained at least until the Premier had left the site.
I think that incident was set up from the start and the person accused might have even been a relative or friend of the Premier!
Only in Bermuda! After all we are another world!
BERMUDIAN
Devonshire
Making others envious
July 6, 2007
Dear Sir,
I have a suggestion based on the method used to calculate high school graduation rates in Bermuda, as revealed in The Royal Gazette of July 6.
If we can identify those students who are failing and expel them before the end of the year, we could achieve a 100 percent graduation rate. This would make us the envy of the entire world, and add another feather to the cap of Ewart (Statistics) Brown.
DIOGENES II
Devonshire
