December 16, 2001

Dear Sir,

E. Simmons of Sandys Parish's letter, dated December 7, 2001, misses the whole point of my objection to the Bermuda College's handling of the Honorary Fellows programme. In fact, it is obvious that he/she did not read the article in your sister paper as he/she seems to be unaware that I am still a member of the Bermuda College Board.

As a Board member, I should know the College's selection process as E. Simmons suggests. The crux of the problem is that my numerous attempts to have the process explained to me were repeatedly rebuffed to the extent that during the September 25 Board meeting, the Chairman even denied that he had ever authorised that I should be given a report outlining the Honorary Fellows selection process. A report was prepared, however, after I pointed out that the April 24 Board Meeting minutes reported that he had instructed Senator Patrice Parris as Deputy Chairman to prepare such a report. She did not do so until some six months later at which time Senator Parris failed to address in her report any of the points I had originally raised. I have since asked for further information but she has refused to answer and neither has anyone else at the College.

Perhaps my efforts to quietly resolve this issue between May and November-during three board meetings and three private meetings with the Chairman - are not sufficient for E. Simmons. I rather suspect, however, that if it had been a person of colour objecting to blacks being excluded to the same extent that the Portuguese have, E. Simmons being of colour would have been far more sympathetic.

But alas, E. Simmons suffers from the same condition as many other Bermudians-"me-itus." That is, if it does not affect me, it is not important. As long as they are taken care of in the general scheme things, they don't wish to hear from the likes of Robert Pires. E. Simmons response is exactly the same as that I received from the PLP politicos on the Bermuda College board. It is no different to Col. Burch's "we don't care what you think." We need not guess about E. Simmons' political affiliation.

If the process of selecting an Honourary Fellow is so pure and perfect as E. Simmons believes, what is the problem with explaining fully to a Board Member what that process is? Perhaps it is because as the token person of Portuguese heritage on a ten member Board, my concerns specifically and the Portguese generally really do not count at the Bermuda College. . . . or in the Community at large, as E. Simmons seems to acknowledge.

I think that explains why I and so many Bermudians of Portuguese heritage are angry.

ROBERT R. PIRES

Pembroke