Don't accuse the UK

August 28, 2009

Dear Sir,

I would just like to point out to Mr. David Williams, of Sandys, that Megrahi was not released by the UK government, but by the Scottish government, and Prime Minister Brown wasn't even part of the equation. They, similarly to Doc Hollywood, went ahead and released him without conferring with the UK. government. I suggest you check BBC online and you will see that the UK government isn't too happy with Scotland at the moment.

Also, and this has been said time and time again, the furore over the settlement in Bermuda of the Guantánamo detainees had nothing to do with them, neither you nor I know if they have or haven't committed a crime. The furore was over a man who was elected by the people, and is there to serve the people, but who didn't even have enough respect for the people to advise them of his actions, and brought them into our country under the cover of darkness.

JC SIMPSON

St. David's

Justice or 'just us'?

August 31, 2009

Dear Sir,

The recent release of the only convicted bomber of the Pan Am flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, does present us with various scenarios … One that doesn't gel well at all is "the exchange for oil possibility". The reception that individual got when he disembarked in Libya was a shocking sight for anyone who lost a loved one on board that flight. There is no way that the truth will surface, just as numerous other questionable acts of Governments worldwide haven't. For example, the recent release and transporting of the four "political prisoners" from Guantánamo Bay in Cuba … we the general public await the "truth" in reference to them, yet, to date, to no avail. Why is this so, and who will ever tell us? There is "Justice" and then there is "Just us". Now you figure out where it is that you fit into the "picture" Who got the short straw this time?

RAYMOND RAY

St. George's

Outdated laws

August 28, 2009

Dear Sir,

I still find it hard to believe that a convicted rapist was allowed to murder a beautiful schoolgirl. Yes, I said allowed! The system has failed Rhiana and Bermuda. Mr. Editor, in investigating how a convicted rapist was paroled after serving less than three years of a six-year sentence, I would like for your newspaper to find out the following and report for the public to know:-

Why was a rapist who laid in wait for his victim to come home and smothered her face with a chemical soaked cloth before raping her, only given six years in jail in 2000? This was premeditated! What are the guidelines for sentencing crimes such as this? Six years was a ridiculous sentence to begin with. Can the DPP and legal fraternity make changes to the sentencing laws to ensure that this doesn't happen again? If a young man is caught with a knife or weapon on his person in a public place, he is handed an automatic sentence and will serve about the same time in jail as this animal served for his first rape conviction even if this young man never used the weapon. If you are caught with a firearm there is a mandatory minimum sentence – but not for rape?

Who allowed this man to be released on parole? Identify this person or persons and let them answer to the public why they felt that he was no longer a threat to the community. People need to be held accountable for their actions and decisions! I have read numerous articles where Selassie was identified as a sociopath and it has long been established that the counselling available in prison and out is inadequate to deal with such. So why would he be released before his time was served? How come no one is having to answer for making such a decision in light of all the facts presented?

I am angry that once again the legal system has failed women and children. The laws and punishments that pertain to child sexual abuse and rape of women is out dated and needs to be corrected before this happens again.

VANESA PERSAD-EDWARDS

Southampton

Misplaced accusation

August 29, 2009

Dear Sir,

I appreciate fully Mr David Williams' concerns over a perceived double standard held by the UK government regarding the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, given its condemnation of our own Premier's actions regarding our Uighur friends. However, I find it necessary to point out to Mr. Williams that this decision was not made by the UK Government at all. Scotland enjoys some autonomy within the Union, somewhat like individual states to our West, and as such it was a decision of the Scottish Minister of Justice and his Parliament to allow the compassionate release. In fact the Prime Minister, who is himself a Scot, spoke out against the decision and reiterated that Westminster had no say.

The ruling party in the Scottish Parliament is the Scottish National Party, whose main aim is secession from the United Kingdom – very much like our own Dr. Brown. With this agenda, and the great opportunity for a display of tail feathers to the UK afforded by the respective decisions, I would half expect Dr. Brown to invite Alex Salmond (the SNP's leader) to dinner to discuss how much they hate Britannia. Her Majesty's Government has acted precisely the same way in both cases, and Mr Williams' accusations of hypocrisy are misplaced.

JOHN GIBBONS

Devonshire

We have a cellphone law

August 26, 2009

Dear Sir,

We already have a law banning the use of cell phones while driving any vehicle – it's called "Driving without due care". Having a new law to specifically ban the use of cell phones is nonsense – it is too specific and would need to be reinforced with other new laws such as – banning the application of lipstick while driving, the reading of newspapers while driving, writing while driving, the watching of TV while driving, the changing of CDs while driving, browsing the Internet while driving, driving on the wrong side of Harbour Road while driving, spitting while driving etc. We already have so many laws that are just not being obeyed by drivers and not being enforced by police.

LOOK MA – NO HANDS

Warwick

Time to decide

August 29, 2009

Dear Sir,

For over a quarter century, my wife and I lived in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Minnesota metropolitan area; a community with a population of 3.5 million people. We purchased numerous different properties, and in each instance the seller had no idea where the keys were located, as they never locked the doors. What a contrast to here.

My wife is a Bermudian, and we wish to return to live here. However, with a population of less than 70,000, we are faced with having to stay inside, with the doors locked, to prevent burglary, even while we are present. We can't park in the car parks without worrying that we will be robbed in daylight. We can't be on the streets, without worrying about being shot.

Yet, everyone claims that they don't know who could possibly have done such heinous crimes. You lie. A year ago, two workers at the Southampton Princess were robbed while waiting for the bus. They provided a description of the criminals that included their height, size, sex, and age. By applying merely that information, to the demographics of Bermuda, there were only 41 possible miscreants – without regard to race. Once acknowledging the fact that many of the demographically nominated were overseas in school, and then examining the descriptions of the features of the criminals, both should have been arrested immediately; it was not an unfathomable group.

Hopefully, the new powers of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) will enable the police to execute sufficient authority to apprehend such miscreants. However, until that is proven, why would anyone risk being here? They wouldn't. Until Bermudians decide that they are unwilling to tolerate these criminals, everyone will be subjected to their abuse. So be it.

I, and the rest of the world, await the response of Bermuda; to see whether they want the corruption of TCI, and the drug prevalence of the Bahamas, or the civilisation that Bermudians once enjoyed.

CURMUDGEON

Paget