BDA as predicted

November 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

It was with a feeling of elation that I learnt from last Friday's Royal Gazette that the new party formed by Shawn Crockwell and his supporters will be called the Bermuda Democratic Alliance. I had predicted this name in my letter dated November 2 and in several previous letters appearing in The Royal Gazette. Great minds think alike.

My regret is that more UBP supporters have still to come forward and acknowledge the need for a new party to form, in due course, a majority party in Parliament. When the anticipated new government is formed it will provide equality of opportunity, social justice and fiscal responsibility for a better Bermuda.

A glimmer of hope. The RG of Monday, November 2 published an article on veteran MP John Barritt. He had discussed with his constituents the need for reform and he may resign from the UBP. No doubt he will be one of the leaders of the Bermuda Democratic Alliance.

OWEN H. DARRELL

Pembroke

Marina location rethink

November 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

I write in reference to a letter submitted by a Mr. Alan Gordon yesterday.

One can see the logic and common sense in the proposal Mr. Gordon has made, in particular that Government should consider the mega-yacht marina location.

Mr. Gordon's points "hit the nail on the head". People of extreme wealth "don't usually rub shoulders with those on the lower rungs of the social ladder". To build the proposed marina at the former NOB makes perfect sense. That is a place where the "well to do" will be socialising, (amongst their peers) and obviously they will feel far more comfortable and safe in that sort of environment.

Dr. Brown, please reconsider, before throwing good money down the drain…

RAYMOND RAY

St. George's

Curb your water speed

October 31, 2009

Dear Sir,

Why do those driving speedboats, especially when they have a water-skier hanging off the back, assume that the five knot speed limit within 100 metres of the shore does not apply to them?

The "no wake" law applies to all shores, even those where there are few houses. There may still be swimmers, sailing boats and wildlife, and erosion is always a problem.

If you want to go above five knots you are spoilt for choice–- it's called the Atlantic Ocean.

Yours on the crest of a wave,

ANDREW R. DOBLE

Hamilton Parish

Road snarl-ups

November 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

I am sure I am not the only one writing to vent my frustrations at the impossible traffic situation this morning in Hamilton. I sat for nearly an hour trying to get from one end of Front Street to the other. In the end I gave up trying to reach the shops and had to head back out of town.

Only today did I re-read yesterday's paper and found the small Notice in the paper advising of the road closures. Why oh why didn't the Police have diversion signs at the roundabouts or along East Broadway advising of alternative routes etc? Absolute craziness. There were container trucks trying to get to the docks but getting seriously frustrated because they along with the hundreds of cars could not get anywhere. One container truck took a car's wing mirror off in his sheer determination to get moving. A little forethought by the authorities would go a long way.

So much for Buy Bermuda – I couldn't even reach the shops. Looks like I will be making my purchases online!

Also another morning wasted – yesterday morning I was stuck in the traffic at Paget because a Police bike had collided with a car and couldn't get to my appointment on time.

FRUSTRATED DRIVER

Warwick

Question on statistic

November 4, 2009

Dear Sir,

I would like to know where did the statistics that 50 percent of black men fall out of public school come from? I find that hard to believe, and would like The Royal Gazette to print its findings, based on all Bermudian Black males born in Bermuda over the last 20 years. It may be that in the early 1960s, when men worked to help their families, that quite a few were not educated, but in today's society it appears to me that more successful black males finish high school and either move on to college/or then go out into the public sector to work than ever before.

GINA GIBBONS

Smith's

Editor's Note: The statistic was taken from "A Study of Employment, Earnings, and Educational Gaps between Young Black Bermudian Males and their Same-Age Peers" commissioned by Government and carried out by Dr. Ronald Mincy and his colleagues.

Sidewalk is lacking

November 5, 2009

Dear Sir,

I walk most days through the streets of Hamilton and its outskirts and thus have the time and opportunity to observe ongoing construction. Today I took a few extra minutes to observe the sidewalk in front of the new car park at the side of the Belvedere Building, Pitts Bay Road (formerly Bermuda Bakery location).

I was surprised to note that the sidewalk does not have gentle slopes/ramps to enable wheelchair users or persons with young children in push chairs to easily progress along the sidewalk. Some attempt has been made to lower the sidewalk at some of the ingress and egress points but the lowering is not consistent either as to height or location.

I trust that the owners of this property and the contractor will review the situation and make alterations so that all persons can move easily and safely along that stretch of pavement.

MARION SEARSON

Pembroke

History and education

November 6, 2009

Dear Sir,

Re: Black Males and Education

Your article of November 6, 2009 concerning the educational performance of black males vis-à-vis black females has a long history. The Speech from the Throne on that same date extols the value of Bermudians being aware of their history, but, in my opinion, that is mere rhetoric as no Government in the past 30 years has made any serious effort to research and record that history and provide books in schools so that students may be aware of that history.

Men and women of my generation are well aware of the unwillingness of Government to provide education for the general population beyond the primary school level. Many black parents at that time, taking into consideration their economic circumstances, encouraged the males over-13 years of age to go out to work in order to support the family and, at the same time, facilitate the fee-paying-education of their sisters in secondary schools. It was only in the 1960s that this attitude began to change with the extension of the school-leaving age from 13 to 16.

However, Government had had a long history of inhibiting the education of blacks. Until 1955, Government supported five white secondary schools and only one black secondary school. In fact, in the mid-1930s, the Mayor of Hamilton had stated publicly that blacks should be educated only to use their hands, and nothing else. That attitude probably informed Government policy and continues today in the suggestion that we need to encourage black males to take up training in which they can use their hands.

I can hear persons saying already that I am an academic who looks down on manual labour. In fact I believe that a person who is technically trained and can apply his knowledge is more intelligent in many ways than the academic. What I am concerned about is the hidden racism and sexism in these statements.

There is a need for the community to expect similar levels of educational and work performance from all ethnic groups and both genders. In addition the business community needs to accept and reward all ethnic groups and both genders similarly. This latter principle has never been the case and remains an unachieved objective.

Incidentally, in 1964 or thereabouts, Mr F. S. Furbert, principal of the Berkeley Institute, decried the situation with black males and education and opined that the increase in the school leaving age might help to correct it!

History is never an excuse for current situations, but people who believe that history does not influence attitudes are sorely mistaken.

DR. J.T. CHRISTOPHER

Warwick

Turks gets tourism

November 7, 2009

Dear Sir,

The Government keeps telling us it's the recession we are in that is causing the loss of tourism. I don't think so. The following from the Turks and Caicos Sun suggests otherwise. I can"t wait for the spin from the Government:

"Tourism officials expect good winter season

"The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board is pleased to announce that in spite of the tough economic times worldwide, destination Turks and Caicos continues to be one of the most sought after vacation destinations in the region.

"While long stay visitor arrivals are down slightly – two percent – for the first ten months of 2009, arrivals to the destination continue to be better than expected, all things considered.

"For the first ten months in 2009, long stay visitors totalled 222,834 compared to 227,288 visitors for the same period in 2008. In 2008 the total number of cruise passengers to our nation's capital Grand Turk totalled 237,871 visitors.

"For the first seven months of 2009 (January to July) the TCI welcomed 237,113 cruise passengers. By the end of 2009 the Board expects that the total number of cruise passengers visiting these islands will surpass that of 2008 by an estimated 45 percent.

Acting Director of Tourism Ralph Higgs said that he is very optimistic about the upcoming winter season, noting that: "We have reliable airlift from all of our major gateways with additional air service from the Canadian market via WestJet and American Airlines will be re-introducing its flight from Dallas Forth Worth which will make the Turks and Caicos more accessible from the Midwest and West Coast markets."

SMITH'S