July 24, 2002

Dear Sir,

"And it was Britain who invited the Americans here in pursuit of these foreign policy", Arthur Hodgson - The Royal Gazette, July 23.

Who left a mess which smells almost as bad as this comment. Look folks, no one is denying there's a large job which needs doing here but we can start by remembering our manners and that includes addressing Baroness Amos as 'a colonial'.

The 'Foreign Policy' that was so blandly referred to, was of course, the Second World War.

This, as we have been told, just isn't relevant to young Bermudians.

America, that imperfect society to our left, was invited here by that other imperfect society Great Britain, (not England, Mr. Hodgson!).

To establish its bases on our soil, as Britain was in the middle of fighting for it's very life, against one of the most 'perfect' institutions in history, the third Reich. Not our problem.

In facing the full horror of the racial policies of Nazi Germany, both societies emerged from this conflict forever changed and commenced the long process of soul-searching, which has led to the social improvements which many of us take so much for granted today. Young Bermudians just can't relate to this.

If however, America had just minded it's own flawed business and clung to a policy of isolationism, Britain would finally have been overwhelmed. This, of course, would have meant that the Nazi war machine, still reeking and seaming with the blood of six million Jewish and gypsy, men, women and children would have assimilated little Bermuda into its new world order and possibly turned it into a cosy resort for the Aryan elite.

Young Bermudians still don't get it.

Of course, to fulfill their ideals, and Mr. Hilter was a real stickler on this point, (just ask the former Soviets who lost up to 20 million people to operation Barbarossa). The names of Astwood, Bean, Brown, Burrows, Brangman, Cannonier, Dill, Edmead, Flood, Hall, Hodgson, Jackson, Ming, Minors, Philips, Simmons, Shorto, Steede, Todd, Trott, Wade, and Warner to name just a few, would have very swiftly disappeared from the national registrar, at the same time as a large mound of earth appeared over what used to be Warwick Pond.

Still don't get it huh?

While we are asking, very diplomatically, for some assistance from our two old, and still slightly imperfect friends, perhaps we should remember to slip in a small thank you for that particular contribution given, that no amount of money could ever replace. My mother was nine years old when the telegram came to her home in the bombed Scottish town of Dundee, telling her that big brother Philip would not be coming home. Over fifty years later, she finally found, and wept over him, where he lies beneath the grass at Normandy, amongst all those other thousands of British, Commonwealth and American men who through their suffering, made the world a better place to build upon.

On her behalf, and for all those who were once young and for who the war was relevant, I say thank you to the memory of that old man in his wheelchair, who was invited to lea his country, in pursuit of their foreign policy.

GLEN LIMA

Paget