Thanks to Dr. BrownNovember 9, 2006

Dear Sir,Please allow me space in your column to send Premier Dr. Ewart Brown this well overdue note. Congratulations are sent out to you at this time and I wish you all the best in your endeavours and work load for our Island home. First of all I thank you for looking out for us patients who visit the indigent clinic. Off the top some of us are treated as though we are of another species. I do believe as individuals who visit there we are treated unfairly. We get shoved around as though we are cows in a pasture. Some of the so called nurses and volunteers act as if they are prison guards. When one comes for a visit they act just like attack dogs waiting for a prey to pounce on.

When it comes to training they could take a course on, "How to treat another human being like themselves". Some of the doctors could use some training as well in bedside manner and how to treat those who visit for their health reasons. They sure can use a course as such. They have the degree and that's all that matters now. God forbid if they ever get sick and go to the place where they can't help themselves.

Who are they going to call on in their time of need? I hope they can call on the Great Physician and when they learn from Him then they will know hoe to treat His people. Jesus is love — He's the Great Physician. We all come from different walks of life and have different backgrounds yes, but the keyword here is love and when we do this then we fulfil the Law of God. Let us love one another.

My prayer is that a training program can begin soon for medical professionals (MD's etc.) who treat the public in the Hospital Clinic and other facilities as soon as possible.

Thank you also for addressing the senior/elder abuse problems as well. I've seen too much of it and I'm sick of it. Thank you Premier Dr. Ewart Brown you have earned your degree as premier, our leader of Bermuda. May your works and life continue to speak for you. May God bless you and yours, I'm a caring and concern citizen of Bermuda. Looking forward to some positive solutions that have offended our people.MS SOUTHAMPTONHonour Sergey PremininNovember 16, 2006

Dear Sir, In today's paper, there is a letter from Anonymous expressing his/her support of the erection of a monument for Sergey Preminin. I fully agree. This near disaster occurred so close to our island and that makes it part of our island's history so, if not a monument, then a bust or plaque or something which will keep his memory and what he did alive. I too cut the article out (the photograph is haunting) and I have kept it on my computer desk, at which I sit almost every day. I was never a history buff and it is shameful that I did not know this brave young man's story or about the ultimate sacrifice he made for every person on earth.

If nothing else recognition of this young man's death needs to be taught to our children as a true tale of what it means to be brave and not forgotten. His death must have been extremely painful and the fact that he knew he was dying but not how long it would take or how painful it would get before he stopped breathing is unimaginable. He was a hero and our children need to learn about real heroes.J. GREIG

WarwickThanks from Bishop TutuNovember 3, 2006

Dear Sir,May we use your columns to share the sentiments sent back to us from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in response to the message sent on behalf of the people of Bermuda on the occasion of his 75th Birthday.GLENN FUBLER

Co-Chairman

Imagine Bermuda 2009November 2, 2006Dear Friends on the beautiful Island of Bermuda. My very warm thanks to you for your greetings and good wishes on my 75th birthday. I am deeply touched by the messages of love and support I have received on this occasion. Thank you for your share in that. I appreciate it all. God bless you.DESMOND M TUTU

Archbishop EmeritusRescue memoriesNovember 13, 2006

Dear Sir,The article "Mission Accomplished" on the front page of the November 10, 2006 issue of The Royal Gazette brought back some very poignant personal memories. On October 22, 1987 while on voyage from Bermuda to the US aboard my 50 foot motor vessel Full Hot, we struck a submerged container approximately 90 miles off the coast of North Carolina.

Despite every effort of Bermudian crew members Douglas Anfossi , Brian Anfossi , Stuart Smith, Durham Stephens and Harry McHarg to deal with the severe damage to the hull, we were finally obliged to abandon ship and use the life rafts we had onboard. A rescue effort was made by the vessel Gypsum Countess but because of the danger of the 15 foot seas, it had to be called off in order to avoid smashing Full Hot against it's hull.

The United States Coast Guard came to the rescue and (within two hours) safely 'plucked' us from the 15 foot seas into the helicopter, and flew us to the Coast Guard station in Atlantic Beach, N.C. There, we were given first class treatment which included clean clothing, food and drinks and thorough physical examinations by a medical doctor.

Despite our insistence, the Coast Guard officials refused to accept any form of remuneration. To say we owe our lives to those brave young men is indeed an understatement! We (among so many others) continue to hold the United States Coast Guard in our highest esteem. Their knowledge, expertise, bravery, and generosity do indeed make them "Rescue Heros" — and we will never forget them.J. CYRIL COOPERWould you rather Cuba?November 15, 2006

Dear Sir,In today's Royal Gazette was a very well written letter titled 'Disgusted by Sun picture'. Although I agree with most of what was written, as I also felt that the photo montage verged on disrespectful, I disagree with the last paragraph of the letter. The writer asked in what country could a reporter do this type of journalism and 'walk around and not look over your shoulder' and said to ask our guest reporters 'if they would feel in their homeland if they did this type of reporting and people knew who they were' I would like to remind this writer that we live in a democracy. Does the writer ever read any of the UK newspapers? They are absolutely brutal in their reporting of politicians, and make no apologies when they print mocking caricatures of their politicians — even the royal family isn't off limits.

The same said over in the US where the tabloids have a field day attacking celebrities and politicians and delving into their personal lives and printing stories whether they be true or untrue. We should be thanking our lucking stats that we don't have any gossip rags here like the National Enquire or Globe, which seem to be carrying the likes of this ongoing story about the supposed inappropriate relationship between President Bush and Condoleezza Rice.

As information in print seems to be believed over things heard by ear, and as we seem to have our own rather nasty rumour circulating the island right now, we have to be thankful we have some taste, and that we don't see that extreme kind of journalism here — they make the Sun story benign by comparison.

Finally, if you ever watch the late night talk shows, they too enjoy making fun of politicians. Jay Leno regularly features a George Bush look-alike who acts in an exaggerated dim-witted manner to the delight of viewers. Who is more important than the President of the United States — the most powerful man in the world and he gets more than his fair share of the this kind of thing

I'm not saying any of this is right, but it happens. I'm not saying that just because other countries do it, that Bermuda has to follow. The point is, these are the benefits of living in a free world. Who would want to live in the type of country as you seem to endorse, where the government controls everything and there is no freedom of the press, freedom of expression, etc. like Cuba or North Korea, or some other dictatorial country where journalists regularly disappear for printing something the government doesn't like? To me that's a very frightening thought, indeed. So whether we always like it or not or agree with it or not, we should just thank God that we live in a country where we have the right to express ourselves without having to 'look over our shoulders.'LAND OF THE FREE, TOO

Hamilton ParishHorton was disingenuousNovember 13, 2006

Dear Sir,During a press conference on November 2 called by Education Minister Randy Horton to update the public on the CedarBridge Academy situation, he made the following statement: "I'm going to review and check that all steps have been taken in terms of where we ae. When we do the INTERNAL review, we will find those answers." This was aired on the 7 p.m. ZBM evening news.

A day or so later, Mr. Michael Dunkley, Shadow Deputy Premier, appeared on the same ZBM evening newscast and was asked to comment on Mr. Horton's statement. He said that he was in agreement with the Minister, but only up to a point, which point was that any review or commission of enquiry should be conducted by an independent, non-partisan group and should be open to the public.

Several evening later, Mr. Horton appeared again on the evening news as he addressed what I believe was a meeting of parents and teachers of CedarBridge Academy. He was obviously under some pressure from the floor and became quite agitated when he was queried as to why he had called for an internal rather than an independent review of events leading up to the closing of the school. He appeared to be almost amused on the one hand and full of righteous indignation on the other that anyone should dare ask such a question. He categorically denied that he had ever suggested such a thing and insisted that he had called for an open and independent inquest from the start.

Following this little charade, we heard a voice-over from Mr. Gary Moreno of ZBM and I quote: "But did he really say that?" Then followed a tape of the press conference of November 2, in which Mr. Horton clearly said that there was to be an internal review. (As quoted in paragraph one above.) Mr. Editor, your reporters, Mr. Strangeway and Ms Ford, commented on this matter in The Royal Gazette of recent date by saying the Minister "seemed to contradict himself". This seemed to be somewhat of an understatement under the circumstances. The word which came immediately to mind to describe Mr. Horton's performance is disingenuous; a trait which, unfortunately, he shares with a number of Government Colleagues.DAVID M. SKINNER

Smith's Parish