Bermuda conference in London produced Bermuda's Constitution. Basically that Constitution, which was very similar to some others handed out in London, resulted eventually in a Premier and a Cabinet and a Loyal Opposition party.

At the time there was considerable excitement and a good deal of controversy over the contents of the document. It meant that Bermudians took on major responsibilities for their own daily affairs and that idea was not taken lightly. There was enormous interest in Bermuda in the events taking place in London and on the doings and sayings of the delegates. The whole event took on an air of both drama and mystery when the Progressive Labour Party delegates decided to attend at the Russian Embassy in Kensington Gardens. At that time Russia was the giant enemy and held the Western World in terror.

This newspaper had taken the then highly unusual step of sending a reporter, Tomasina Fountain, to London to cover the talks. Her reports were very carefully read in Bermuda.

With some notable alterations at the subsequent Warwick Camp conference, which Sir Peter Ramsbotham wanted, the Constitution has been serviceable. It is not a great document nor is it dramatic reading but, by and large, it can do the job. The fact that it is seldom complained about and very little publicly referred to is probably an indication of that service.

Bermuda's Constitution is written, unlike Britain's, and does not need great interpretation and it certainly does not generate the passion that talk of the Constitution can generate in the United States. However it is there and it does serve as the basis for the Bermuda we have today.

We do have a problem with the way the Constitution is used in Bermuda. The Country honours the Constitution in the sense that we adhere to the technical requirements used to set up the structure of our Government. We suggest that there would be a huge public outcry if Bermuda did not follow those requirements. However, when it comes to the high sounding philosophy of the Constitution on how the people should be governed and what their rights and freedoms should be, Bermudians often turn a deaf ear.

It was thought necessary to create the Human Rights Commission to be sure that people have a means to complain when their rights are violated. Yet we still have laws which violate human rights and clearly contravene the Constitution.

Thus the document our Government has decided we should celebrate this week is a damaged instrument. We celebrate 25 years of constitutional government at a time when the homosexual population is fighting for rights which are denied gays but granted by that Constitution. That does not seem to be very sensible or very fair. It is certainly not very honest or even very Christian.