Men don't need strip shows

June 19, 2010

Dear Sir,

In regards to an article in last Wednesday's Bermuda Sun about the woman that came here on a holiday from Atlanta and was told to leave because the Custom agents thought she was in here to strip — for men for Father's Day — this is pathetic! If fathers are having a strip show in Bermuda for Father's Day, what kind of fathers are they? My brothers are fathers and they would never contemplate attending a strip show for Father's Day. Fathers are supposed to be honoured by their family and shown they are appreciated and loved. If you are a father and attending a strip show for Father's Day — I don't think you have your priorities straight let alone do you even know the meaning of being a "Father".

We usually had a cake and gifts for my dad and a nice supper that my mom cooked with love and it was a family day. What does "stripping" have to do with Father's Day anyway? This is pathetic and disgusting. If that is the kind of entertainment being supplied for fathers on Father's Day, no wonder kids are in trouble today and have the morals they do. Any father going to see a strip show on Father's day is not worthy of being called a father. What has happened to men today matter fact what has happened to this island?

DISGUSTED

Devonshire

Erratic driving

June 20, 2010

Dear Sir,

To the driver of the grey Toyota Corolla: Today (Sunday June 20, 2010 at 6.45 p.m.) you were driving erratically along Harrington Sound Road, and after racing to overtake us, you found yourself stuck behind 2 vehicles… plus a couple in a horse-drawn buggy who were celebrating an anniversary, (telling everyone by the sign hanging off the back of the buggy) Anyway, aside from your careless behaviour behind the wheel, I also noticed you toss a beer bottle out of the window of your car just prior to "Shark Hole" corner. It is people like you, that spoil the ambience of our Island …You know who you are, and I am not afraid to let you know who I am. This is why I'd made sure I had written down the correct plate number so I don't accuse an innocent person for such inconsiderate behaviour.

RAYMOND RAY

St. George's

Make parents responsible

June 19, 2010

Dear Sir,

With regard to whether parents should be held responsible for their children, I believe to a certain extent they should. Parents should be made responsible for any criminal act their child is involved with until they move out of the house or at least reach the age of 19 to 21. After that, they should be considered an adult and should be able to handle anything that happens to them. Today many parents have to work two jobs and with the economy the way it is, they have to work harder and longer hours, leaving children and teens unsupervised. They need to get relatives and family involved with child care for any child/teen left at home alone so they are supervised and not getting in trouble. Too many teens and children are being left alone whether they find themselves out of boredom getting into mischief or just because they are predestined to get into trouble due to lack of parental guidance in their lives.

This is the parents' responsibility and they should be held accountable. If children were taught family values and respect for their parents and society like we were in our day, we would have fewer criminals. Today children are unwanted in most cases and shoved to a grandmother's care, or foster care, or are just forgotten about and left to fend for themselves. From this kind of household children learn disrespect and have the attitude "I can do whatever I want and no one is the boss of me!" How can they learn to respect society let alone themselves without proper guidance? Maybe the churches can help with this day care and guidance? We are tired of the crime on this island and if you look at these criminals, a lot of them are students and young people who have little respect for anyone who walks by them. Teens and young people used to know the daily manners of good morning and good afternoon and were taught to give up their seat on the bus for elderly or the pregnant women — but no more. Society and manners have been forgotten. It's now all about "me"!

I am not saying all need supervision but a lot of the families today working two jobs and struggling to make ends meet need to have their children supervised by themselves or someone else. I may sound old fashioned, but I remember the "cane" in school at Whitney when I was growing up and it stung. You were afraid to be sent to the Headmaster's office for being disrespectful and rude. Today the teachers can't discipline the students. Manners aren't being taught in school or home. It's all very sad because these young people are the future generation of Bermuda and they are not being taught what society requires for them to become part of it.

CONCERNED CITIZEN

Devonshire

Looking for soldier's family

Dear Sir,

I am writing on behalf of the Royal Anglian Regiment in search of the family of a Bermudian soldier who died whilst serving in the British Army. Private John Frederick Handford was born in July, 1940 and served with the Bermuda Rifles and the 2nd East Anglian Regiment. He was tragically killed in a shooting accident on July 11, 1962 at Sennelager Ranges in Germany.

Contact with the family has regretfully been lost over the years. The Royal Anglian Regiment now wishes to inform the family of the dedication of a Regimental Memorial on Sunday 12th September 2010 at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambridgeshire. The Memorial will honour the 78 members of the East Anglian and Royal Anglian Regiments who have to date been killed on duty or as a result of enemy action since 1958. The families of the fallen are also invited to be the Royal Anglian Regiment's honoured guests at the dedication ceremony.

Having had no success so far through other sources I am requesting assistance from your readers in locating Private John Handford's family. The next of kin was his mother Mrs. Handford who resided at Bermuda Electric Apartments in Mangrove Bay. Private Handford's surviving family members or anyone who knows their current whereabouts may wish to contact me at the Bermuda Regiment Headquarters (238-1045) or alternatively the family may contact the Regimental Headquarters of The Royal Anglian Regiment at Bury St Edmunds in the UK direct on +44 1284 752394 or by email at chief-clerk@anglian.army.mod.uk.

Major PM BIRCH

Warwick Camp

Shame on leaders

June 20, 2010

Dear Sir,

The racial remarks of Ministers Derrick Burgess and Glenn Blakeney recorded in Saturday's (June 19) Royal Gazette, as well as recently past equally offensive remarks by Col. David Burch and of course Premier Ewart Brown are an embarrassment not only to all black Bermudians, but Bermuda as a whole! Shame, shame, shame on you! What is the matter with all of you and any others of you who echo their absolute nonsense?

What a pathetic excuse of constantly using the racecard to avoid responsibility of responding to perfectly appropriate questioning regarding litigate matters. When are you all going to grow up and stop using the racecard for every pathetic thing? Shame on you! Your pathetic conduct of Government business is far more offensive than those whom you accuse of such actions in the past. Your pathetic "They did it to us so we are going to do it to them..." will backfire! One can only imagine at how you would rule if we ever did go independent! Shame on you! Bermuda, for goodness sake wake up and get these losers out.

BERMUDA RISING

Pembroke

Slave to the racecard

June 20, 2010

Dear Sir,

I have spent my life in anger at the UBP for its corruption and general abuses of power. With the election of the PLP amid promises of good governance, the corruption and abuse was supposed to be behind us. What a twisted joke that was. The failure to account for hundreds of millions of dollars over the past ten years is a great insult and harm to Bermuda, but, somehow, not as painful as the drivel we hear in the lower house. Derrick Burgess is no slave's child, he is a slave himself: a slave to the current Government's continuous play on slavery, as if the history of slavery somehow justifies the lying and cheating the government now engages in. The handling of the Bermuda Cement Company involves lying and cheating, but, somehow, it is OK when the current government does it, because the previous one did. What a pathetic justification for a total lack of morality. When the UBP cheated, they were cheating the whole island, not cheating just the PLP. Now the PLP is cheating the whole island and justifying it by claiming precedent established by the previous government. No!

It was wrong then, and it is wrong now. But Derrick, somehow you further justify this by claiming that your parents were slaves. I fail to see the truth or the logic in that claim, but the electorate seems to buy it. What is truly ironic, however, is the comment about "whites" who join the PLP being considered dirty. Hell, the PLP called John Swan "white" when he was in the UBP government. He was as dirty as could be at that time. Now they want to buy his buildings to avoid lining the pockets of the "white" establishment. When was Swan rehabilitated? When did he become "black" again, and clean? Oh yes. Nice touch Derrick, that "boy" label you gave to Trevor. You felt really important and clever with that one, didn't you? You sure showed him.

DIOGENES II

Devonshire