Time for a rum summit

July 30, 2009

Dear Sir,

Obama has to hold a "Beer Summit" in order to help defuse a potential "politically dangerous" racial situation that he contributed to, by jumping in unprepared! Ewart Brown would have to throw a three-day "Dark'n Stormy" or "Rum Swizzle" event to even come close to pacifying Bermudians for all his political gaffes!

BRUCE MCCLARRON

Arizona

No graduation gap

August 1, 2009

Dear Sir,

Consider this.

You can vote at the age of 18.

You can drive a four-wheeled vehicle at 18.

You can legally drink at 18.

You must sign up for the Bermuda Regiment at 18.

You can create a legally binding contract at 18.

You can go to college at 18.

You can legally marry at 18.

You are considered an adult at 18 for all intents and purposes.

But … you cannot join the police department until you are 19.

With all the money spent on consultants to determine how to reach our young men and women to help them make better choices and steer them in a better direction, you would think someone would notice this obvious resource.

Lower the age to 18 for recruitment to the police service and/or reserves. Why are we allowing a one to two-year gap from graduation? The Police Service should be an option to those graduating. Not everyone wants or is able to go to college. Some would willingly do both (college and the Police).

Where do we think these young adults will go upon graduation? Some will take on menial employment, some will work for the family business, some will go to college and some will fall through the cracks because there is not a great deal of employment options for inexperienced workers. Those that fall through the cracks will turn to gangs, drugs, and unlawful activities for the money or for what they deem as survival.

Why are we willing to "lose" these young adults? The police service should be in the schools recruiting students in their last year of their education.

Perhaps we would need fewer overseas recruits if we hired our own adults – fresh out of school. My son has wanted to become an officer for the past two years, but we recently found out that he had to be 19. Now he is in limbo and does not know what he will do. He would make a great officer but we will probably lose him as he must find something else to do and will likely stay with his choice.

Can someone please shed some light on why we do not change the recruitment age to 18?

MELINDA MAYNE

Hamilton Parish

Cures should heal

August 2, 2009

Dear Sir,

In response to Dr. Eva Hodgson's letter "Now That You're Listening", dated July 10, firstly I would like to express my admiration of Dr. Hodgson's relentless, unyielding tenacity in bringing the issue of "race" to the fore, and with the help of the freedom of the press, keeping her views on our breakfast tables for decade after decade.

Then, if Dr. Hodgson would allow me, I would like to address her points:

1. The various governments of Bermuda have implemented Affirmative Action for years, by limiting the length of foreign work permits, and thus limiting the ability of businesses to choose the expertise they would prefer to engage; such expertise which in former years would have trained Bermudians through the ranks to develop and be promoted according to their abilities.

2. The various governments of Bermuda have not directed "capital funds" towards white businesses. It is the shareholders and investors who direct capital funds. And the businesses in the main are not "white", they are owned by shareholders of all classes, creeds, and colours.

3. The past is so full of evils perpetrated by one group of peoples against another group of peoples it would be very hard to know where to begin to "make redress". It may be that both Dr. Hodgson's ancestor races were free of blame, or it may be that both Dr. Hodgson's ancestor races were guilty of blame. The same with mine, and everyone else's.

4. Most people who enjoy positions of "unearned privilege" are the beneficiaries of trust funds and large legacies and lottery wins. Why should we ask any of these people to forfeit their good luck to satisfy our resentment? – That smacks of the excesses of the French Revolution, the horrors of Nazism, totalitarianism, facism, and the abject failure of communism. The rest of us have been working all our lives for the little we have garnered. Most of us do not have "rental apartments" and tenants to live off.

5. See 4.

6. Must we still be antagonistic to The Education System? Must future generations of children be the experimental fodder for political agendas? Why in an island community such as Bermuda's should children not enjoy the best educators the world has to offer and the best schools and colleges the world has to offer? I reckon that if worldwide investment was sought to build and staff Bermuda schools to the highest world standards, the income from foreign student attendance alone would underwrite all grants for Bermudians to attend and be exposed to world thought and experience through a whole new look at education's potential for the island. Take politics out of child development. Please.

A quick look at the world's history tells us that voices within tribes whipped up hatred and division and we went to war and killed each other. Later, voices within nations whipped up hatred and division and we went to war and killed each other. Later, voices within religious groups whipped up hatred and division and we went to war and killed each other. Later, voices within societies grew resentful, and whipped up hatred and division and we killed each other.

The fashion of placing the blame elsewhere than where it truly lay became the order of the day. I find it hard to assimilate Dr. Hodgson's view that " the black community has disintegrated" because of a "resisting white community". I see a hard-working Bermuda community, working in a symbiotic relationship with international companies and international guest workers to generate an economically successful cosmopolitan society to give every child the ability to aspire and to reach the goals which they and their parents set for them.

The fact that there is crime here only confirms that Bermuda, though it is "another world", shares with the rest of the world a problem which will not go away and any suggested cures must be healing cures, not confrontational divisive ones.

TACITURNUS

Southampton

Concern goes both ways

August 3, 2009

Dear Sir,

In view of today's article (Royal Gazette, Aug. 3) – which may or may not be seen as "playing the racecard" – I am wondering what have the same whites done, collectively, to reduce the economic and social disparity between the black and white communities which they imposed, maintained and benefited from.

It is all very well to call for a "Mandela" like Leader as if the comfort of white folks where the only criteria and without any regard or concern for the continuing grinding poverty of most black South Africans, the resulting (and increasing?) crime and the continuing racial attitudes and racial divide in South Africa, particularly since most South African whites have no interest in sharing the country's wealth or their unearned privilege. No one man, not even a Mandela, can solve the consequences of the terrible economic and social in justices of their past. And no one man, not even a Dr. Brown, is responsible for our continuing racial divide, no matter what his rhetoric, particularly when Bermuda whites show the same lack of interest in sharing this country's wealth and their unearned social privilege.

While whites are concerned about their political marginalisation and irrelevance many more blacks are even more concerned about their economic and social marginalisation and apparent irrelevance – and they are not the ones who imposed and maintained our racially divided society.

Governments have always condemned protesters – and that has nothing to do with race! Today white protesters are called "bigots". Yesterday the black Progressive Group were called "hoodlums".

It is ridiculous to pretend that whites have no responsibility when they have not even been prepared to join in the black and white dialogue initiated by, and supported by, the Premier. It is all very well to condemn him for his "complex agenda" and moderate blacks for voting for the PLP merely because it is black, when whites make it clear that they view blacks as they have always viewed them as too inferior to associate with – or to even dialogue with.

When whites show even a little concern about the economic and social marginalisation of Blacks then they can expect black concern about their "political marginalisation". At least they have the vote, most blacks do not have any capital.

EVA N. HODGSON

Hamilton Parish

Not much of a welcome

August 3, 2009

Dear Sir,

It is so sad that when you are abroad on vacation and have had such a good, relaxing time only to come back on the Island and be greeted by hostile Customs officers. Your trip is forgotten immediately. I notice that this seems to happen mainly with the women Customs officers. Are they that unhappy with their jobs? Your whole trip is ruined by the attitude of these officers. You come back home and get harassed and badgered like you are lying about what you purchased abroad. Should we lie on our customs declaration form and say we spent more than we did, just so we don't get harassed?

I want to specify a particular officer working on August 2, 2009 between the times of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. After paying for duty, you go to the line that either sends you straight through or to the side to be searched. This particular woman was so unhappy and grunted when you got to her, not a good morning or a smile. Nothing! She proceeded to harass me about "did you really spend that little for a three- day vacation", which may I add involved an overseas doctor visit. Why do they feel the need to question you like some criminal? The woman was so rude and unfriendly. I declared over $700, Which to me was more than adequate for three days? Meanwhile, every poor tourist who went to her was sent to be searched.

My point in all of this is that the tourists entering this Island are greeted with a grunt and interrogation. What a start to a lovely vacation. And you wonder why our tourism figures are down? I would never recommend Bermuda to anyone with the type of service you get at the airport. Even when you pay your duty, you are greeted with an attitude. It's really sad as Bermudians are supposed to be so friendly and helpful and hospitable.

TRAVELLER