Free shackles of language

July 11, 2007

Dear Sir,

When I read that the 2006 Cure workforce survey showed that the number of black senior executives was down by two percentage points, I had to wonder if that statistic took into account those black executives who identified themselves as "Black and White", "Black and Other", "White and Other" or "Other" on the Cure survey form.

As a Bermudian, who is a proud mixture of black, white and Native American ancestry (as many Bermudians are), I have always been confounded by the choices offered on the Cure survey form. As a result, year after year, I have identified myself as "Other". I am quite sure that I am not alone in feeling that the options set out on the survey form are inadequate and confusing.

I raise this issue not to call into question the practise of collecting information about how skin colour affects people in the workforce or to mock the important job that Cure does. I raise it because I think that it is time for the Bermuda Government to do something revolutionary. I think that our government should reject the inaccurate and anachronistic language that it currently uses to collect information for the CURE survey. The labels of "black" and "white" were never meant to accurately describe skin colour, they were meant to amplify the division between those who had power and those who did not. So why, today, do we continue to define ourselves with these unrealistic terms? Why do we continue to exaggerate the "whiteness" of some of us and the "blackness" of the rest of us? Why do we continue to accept these labels as fact when they obscure the truth about who we are? Although we can't change the injustices of history, we can move forward. Why not start by seeing ourselves with fresh eyes?

Anyone who looks around Bermuda will see a variety of people ¿ not black as the night or white as lilies ¿ but all different shades of brown covering the spectrum from the palest beige to the darkest brown. Just think of how conversations about racism might change if the people who currently identify themselves as "white" could no longer do so, but had to pick a realistic shade of beige instead. Think about how a darker-skinned person's self-image might change if, instead of "black", they had the option of identifying themselves with colours like "chocolate" or "mocha." Imagine a Cure workforce survey that would give the people of Bermuda the ability to describe themselves as they really are and without reference to outdated abstractions like "black" and "white." Perhaps then the Cure statistics would show a clearer picture of what is going on in the workplace in Bermuda and perhaps then we'd all be freed from the shackles of language designed to restrain us from dealing with issues of race and colour together.

A BROWN BERMUDIAN

Paget

Editor's Note: Cure does release the statistics for "Mixed/All Other Races". In 2006 and 2005, this category made up six percent of those people holding executive management posts.

Put SDO in 'dead' storage

July 17, 2007

Dear Sir,

This is a supplication to the Premier and Minister of the Environment Dear Premier & Minister Re. Southlands Vibrations are building in the community that the Southlands Special Development Order ("SDO") is a done deal without any thought for the wishes of the People of this country. I am sure that, should it proceed, it will be claimed that it is in the "vital interests of the Nation" as, I believe, the Law requires. In fact, I can see no advantage what-so-ever to us, the People, at this time, but rather the opposite¿..another green space gone under the bull dozer. Why? Because it has been decreed and so shall it be.

Look at the list of hotel projects currently on the drawing board:

Hotel Developments

Grand Atlantic Resort

Tucker's Point Hotel & Residences

Club Med.

Ritz Carlton, Hamilton

Ariel Sands

Belmont/Newstead

Coral Beach

WyndHam Hotels (Sonesta)

The Reefs

Southampton Princess

Lantana

Coco Reef

Horizons

(Estimated cost at least $1 billion)

On top of which there is a proliferation of office and apartment blocks going up, such as:

Office & Apartment Blocks

Seon Place (Swan)

Harbourview (BoB)

131 Front Street Bermuda

Church Society

Athletic Club

Sago Building

Atlantic House

Par-la-Ville Trio

Purvis Projects

Argus

Magnolia Towers

Belvedere Place

6 Dundonald Street

(Estimate cost at least $1 billion)

There are also a number of Government sponsored low cost housing developments, as well as the overcharged private housing and commercial sectors.

Furthermore we have at least two major brown sites begging to be developed at Morgan's Point and Southside.

Isn't that enough to keep us going for awhile? I implore you, the Premier to come forward as the Man of the People that you claim to be and put the SDO in "dead" storage. And I beseech you, Madam Minister of the Environment, to give serious consideration to all the representations made by both experts and ordinary people and refuse to sign the SDO, since having met you on occasion, I honestly believe at this point that you are not in favour of it and realise the damage that signing it will do to your credibility, as well as the Bermuda environment. Once the bulldozers move into Southlands it will be too late, and future generations of Bermudians will hold you both accountable. In any event, whatever you decide, we would all appreciate it if you gave us, the People, full details of all the reasons you considered to justify your decision.

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP PLEASE!

Devonshire

Why develop virgin tract?

This was sent to Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield and copied to The Royal Gazette.

July 16, 2007

Dear Madam,

Re: Southland Revised Drawings Ref: P1029/06

I wish to once again draw your attention to my objection to the proposed Southlands development as outlined in my letter dated 13th May 2007 as follows: I must implore the Minister of the Environment, who finds herself entrusted as the ultimate guardian of Bermuda's fragile environment and eco-system to search her heart and soul and reject any and all influences being placed on her to approve the Southlands SDO application.

Does the Minister want her legacy to be that she, the Minister, was responsible for approving this application which will, without doubt, go down in history as the one of the most catastrophic environmental decision ever made in Bermuda?

Once this section of the coastline has been obliterated with cement there is no going back. I believe that the Minister is someone who genuinely cares about Bermuda and will not be persuaded to approve something that she knows is intrinsically disastrous.

What is even more egregious, is that despite numerous professional bodies having produced reports categorically outlining their objections to the development of the Southlands property per the SDO application, that the decision is to be made by one Minister, who, apparently is not required to abide by their advice.

Does the Minister feel that she is better qualified to make this kind of decision than those professional bodies, including the Government's own technical officers, who are educated and employed in this field?

It must also be reiterated that although the Minister of the Environment is given the power to grant SDOS, surely this power must be used in the spirit of the legislation, i.e. to be used in a time of national crisis, such as a war or hurricane, and not at the whim of greedy Bermudian/non-Bermudian developers.

If the Bermuda Government is convinced that this project is in the best interests of Bermuda tourism, where is the supporting documentation. Why does this virgin tract of land have to be earmarked for major calamitous development when there are so may other 'brown' sites left derelict?

Also, how can an argument be made that the South Shore needs another new hotel when the Minister has recently granted a stealth SDO for the development of a 9 storey hotel immediately east of the Southlands property? It is also astonishing that the PLP Government is supporting this development.

On the one hand legislation has been passed to purportedly protect Bermudian property for Bermudians yet this SDO application is for an Arab based company to destroy this section of our heritage.

Finally, I would beseech the Minister to read Chapter l4 of the Willowbank Story written by Norman Grubb (www.NormanGrubb.com/PDF/TheWillowbankStory.pdf) to see what the vision was for this spectacular property.

This Christian based vision will hopefully resonate with the Minister and her country-wide constituents and that she will have the fortitude to reject this application and convince her Cabinet colleagues that this area must be preserved for all Bermudians, now and for future generations.

I respectfully request that the Minister gives serious consideration to the many objections and concerns regarding the proposed development before a final decision is made.

TINA FRASER-EPPS

Hamilton Parish