Race, front and centre

November 30, 2004

Dear Sir,

It appears the issue of race has once again come to the fore, with the United Bermuda Party appointing for the first time in their history a Shadow Minister of Race in David Dodwell as well as inviting former Newark City councilman Cory Booker to address the topic at a public meeting while PLP Minister Dale Butler discussed it in an opinion piece in Monday's paper.

On Friday's "Peoples Show" with host Everest (Silver Fox) DaCosta one caller, Mr. Michael Jean-Jacques, a very knowledgeable man who has contributed greatly to this community, stated that his first experience of racial prejudice came upon his arrival in Bermuda from the Caribbean. In fact he declared that much of that prejudice came from black Bermudians who would often refer to him derogatorily as 'jump-up or 'jigga-foot'. He said that this type of prejudice between blacks and whites did not exist in the West Indies although he did say unfortunately the islands suffer from class bias.

Something about his assertions did not sound quite right to me so I used a subject that both he and I love, cricket, to prove otherwise. I stated on the show in response that racial prejudice did indeed exist in the Caribbean and in the book "A History of West Indies Cricket" by former Jamaican Prime Minister the late Michael Manley (a white Jamaican) he declares unequivocally that Learie Constantine who later became Lord Constantine as well as George Headley were overlooked for the captaincy of the West Indies in 1933 and 1939 respectively primarily because they were 'black' not because they did not possess the ability to lead. In fact it wasn't until 1959 that Sir Frank Worrell, a Barbadian, became the first black captain.

On Monday's "Peoples Show" Mr. Jean-Jacques took me to task for refuting his claims and stated that I did not know what I was talking about. Having never been to the West Indies and not having first hand experience of living there I have decided to take him at his word and am therefore calling upon the Bermuda Government to send a bipartisan committee to the West Indies to research this issue, and discover how our Caricom partners have managed to avoid this problem which has tormented our country. I would like to see the following people included: Minister Dale Butler, Mr. David Dodwell, Ms Renee Webb, Mr. Trevor Moniz, Dr. Eva Hodgson and Mr. Michael Dunkley.

Required reading

November 30, 2004

Dear Sir,

I often tell my friends that when I write to letters to the Editor, I'm usually feeling a bit better health wise. Whilst in my hospital in Boston just last week, my mindset was working on very similar lines to that of the Hon. Dale Butler.

I opened Monday's (November 29) and read with interest what the Honourable Gentleman had to say.

Mr. Editor/Mr.Butler, I think you should run this opinion column once a week for the next several weeks/months, and maybe even have the Ministries of Education and Cultural /Community Affairs to have it as required reading material during the next Black History Month. Mr. Butler, your list of accomplishments by blacks in the past was admirable and so true.

I would like to add the Bermuda (Black) Muslim Fraternity also.

I'm so proud of my West Indian heritage; they left a tremendous legacy for me to continue with.

Few questions left

November 25, 2004

Dear Sir,

This letter is addressed to my Bermudian brothers and sisters. Now that every question known to man has been asked, and every question known to man has been answered, on this thorny question of Independence for Bermuda. Now that every trick known to man has been used to avoid Independence for Bermuda. Now that every bogeyman has been paraded before the Bermuda public to scare Bermudians out of Independence, with every bogus expert opinion known to man. Now that the Internet has been flooded with information on Independence from the UBP Interim Report, the Green Paper, the Implication of Independence for Bermuda, the Independence Bibliography, the Independence 1977-1987 report and the Independence Compendium compliments of the Bermuda Government www.gov.bm/portal/server listed under Cabinet Ministry. Now that the United Nations Overseas Commission on Independence Committee has been refused participation by the Bermuda Government without a whisper from the UBP. Now that the UBP refuses to state its position on Independence, and apparently has its members under the whip, notwithstanding that they have been under the whip all along. In fact they are thoroughly whipped on this matter.

Now that the Premier has been to Britain to discuss the matter with the British Government, I would humbly and respectfully suggest that there are only a few questions left to answer. Like how, when and by whom. In other words to put it plainly, who's going to hang the bell around the cat's neck. Surely not the mouse. This political pussyfooting and feeble Parliamentary pontificating is strangely like the dance of the daffodils. No real movement, just a swaying in the breeze.

Well, I guess there are only really three types of people in the world after all. Those who make things happen, those who wait to see what's going to happen and those who wonder what happened. Well it was interesting to see what happened in 1998. The will of the people made that happen. It looks as if this will be history repeating itself. One politician said that they were waiting for a groundswell to happen, instead they got an earthquake. Perhaps that's what's needed for this one. Soon come. My brother and sister Bermudians for Independence, let's take this one forward. Thank you. See you in the trenches.

Cruelty to horses

November 2, 2004

Dear Sir,

As a recent visitor to your beautiful country, I feel compelled to write to you about the use of horse drawn carriages.

It saddened me to see the horses clearly in distress at the end of a ten-hours workday.

The carriage driver told me he loved his horse. Surely there must be a better way to treat an animal you claim to love. Perhaps their workday could be shorter, as perhaps this practice could be eliminated completely. The heat must be very hard for the horses to bear.

It was very upsetting to me and other tourists I spoke to about this. Hopefully you will find another alternative to showing us tourists your beautiful land.

'For their own ends'

November 9, 2004

Dear Sir,

It should be obvious now to most of us why the 11 PLP Parliamentarians brutally stole the mandate from Jennifer Smith at the time of the PLP's second chance to form the Government of Bermuda. It was not to govern, nor was it to improve the state of Bermuda. It was clearly to use the power of leadership for their own ends. It was a cruel and dastardly act that Bermuda will always remember ? shades of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar!

Some of the immediate and superficial advantages: High salaries for Ministers and first-class trips, which are not always in the people's interest. Classic example of the latter: the trip to the Turks and Caicos to enlighten or instruct the leaders there of the Premier's (or PLP's) stance on the matter of Independence. The Premier stated in the Press that he had been invited to share his views on the subject because the leaders in government in the Turks and Caicos had rather fancied his ideas on the subject. He took along with him, not only members of his Government, but also members of his political party! And did the Bermuda people pay for that? The people of the Turks and Caicos are known to be poor people, and are not even equipped ? at this time or in the foreseeable future ? with the potential mechanics of taking the road to Independence. Only a few years ago, these islands were getting a grant of $3 million a year from England. And now they are interested in talks on Independence? Dreamers!

And now, the subject of income tax rears its threatening head yet again. The thought of introducing income tax here is really taken too lightly. The bureaucracy of running it would be prohibitive. Even now we are not collecting the many taxes that are currently on the books, such as land tax, payroll tax, pension contributions, parking tickets, child support and so on. As we stand now, according to the Auditor General, millions of dollars in taxes are currently being unpaid or uncollected. And sometimes, monies that have been collected just seem to disappear ? in the "Bermuda triangle" perhaps? Millions of dollars just go missing. For one reason or another, we are not good collectors. Are we now going to add income tax to that lot? What has ever happened to creative thinking? I am sure that there are many ways of designing and formulating reasonable forms of taxation. Again, what above creative thinking?

According to what is published in the media, the PLP Government's strategy for achieving Independence is by way of a General Election. This route not only presents opportunities for fraudulent behaviour, but also a distorted indication of the will of the people. In contrast, a referendum would simple state the wish of the people of Bermuda. So why then is the PLP Government so much averse to the idea of a referendum? What ever happened to democracy?

The PLP Government changed the voting system to one-man one-vote without considering a referendum and without informing No. 10 Downing Street. Do you realise that now no one can run as an independent for a seat in Parliament? I complained about this in a letter to the Press some time ago. The system of "one-man one-vote" gives the PLP more power and more opportunity for dictatorial rule.

On the one hand, there were the activities of a militant group known as the Black Berets; some of whom were members of the PLP. They burned the Union Jack in front of City Hall in August, 1970. Some time later they threatened the lives of three UBP leaders, including my own.

On the other hand, "Heritage", the book by the late Dr. Kenneth E. Robinson, gives an enlightening historical account of how Bermuda came out of slavery. It is in contrast to the activities of the Black Berets. It shows how remarkably the emancipated slaves began to contribute to the political, spiritual, sporting and business life of Bermuda with comparatively little animosity for the injustices that they and their forebears had suffered. The book also showed that despite the cynical increase in property qualification for the franchise, which denied them the vote until they began to prosper, they were not bitter. Eventually they overcame.

Nelson Mandela spent more than 20 years in prison in South Africa. He gained his freedom and became leader of the country that once punished him in its wicked system of apartheid. He rose above hate to lead the country. He is a remarkable example of genuine leadership. Our leaders should have taken note. Hopefully, it is not too late.