Dear Sir, Mr. Michael J. Stubbs is quite right, Mr. Editor, when he says "It's easy to preach hatred in the face of ignorance''. And he is to be applauded, Mr.

Editor, for bravely speaking out for his and therefore the community's human and divine rights. Mr. Editor, God doesn't make mistakes! And to suggest that he/she does, Mr. Editor, would be sacrilegious! DR. CLARK GODWIN City of Hamilton It makes you wonder April 6, 1999 Dear Sir, I'd like to share the following with your readers. It's what I call "Things that make you go "hmmmm''': Taxis -- they can park anywhere they like, but put your car in a taxi bay...watch out! Newstead -- a lovely piece of property, painted in a shade of green that made it blend in so well in an otherwise overbuilt area-now it's yellow! The Millennium Clock -- great idea, but is it Y2K complaint? Package notices that take 12 days to get from Parcel Post to a Post Office box one floor up.

Mail is never delivered on days that are rainy/windy/both -- or the day after a public holiday.

That tacky jewellery store on Front Street whose staff wear t-shirts advertising the Caribbean... they sell them, too.

Planning allows the construction of one of the biggest eyesores this island has ever seen, but Joe Public can't extend his patio because it's too close to his neighbour's yard.

The ambassadors at the Airport are terrific, but what's with the beauty pageant sashes? TCD fails a one-year-old bike in immaculate condition because it has stickers on it, but passes cars which are loud, have obscenities plastered on them, and have tinted windows.

Derrick Burgess, a member of the ruling party (on the verge of industrial chaos), and president of the BIU. Conflict of interest? Delta and American Airlines both fly you to Boston -- same price, same distance -- but you get a meal on American...

Beanie Babies -- the same Bear sells for $8, $9.95 and $40 in three different stores.

Pedal cyclists seem to have a different set of rules of the road. They don't have to stop at stop signs, ride in single file and they can ride on the sidewalks. Why can't I ride my 50cc bike on the sidewalks? Car drivers -- gotta love `em-turn, pull over or stop first, then signal.

We bought a gallon of locally-produced milk in the USA the last time we were on vacation for about $1.09. We bought a half-gallon of locally-produced milk right here at home for $3.55. What do they feed those cows? Thank you, Mr. Editor, for allowing me to share a few of my ponderings with you and your readers. I hope it makes someone else go "hmmmm''.

THINKER Pembroke Dual citizens and bias April 26, 1999 Dear Sir, An inaccurate distortion of remarks I made at a press conference held on Thursday, April 22, 1999 attended by your reporter Mr. Gareth Finighan may have led to a further misunderstanding by ZBM talk show host Linda Marshall and your editorial today entitled "Better Democracy''. I've decided to respond using this medium in order to have my utterances correctly reported in the vain hope that media reporters appreciate the value and goal of fair and honest reporting. This letter is to set the record straight.

The remarks attributed to me arose out of inquiries currently being made of me by Bermudians, black, white and "status''. I remarked, at this press conference (attended by Gareth Finighan of The Royal Gazette , Bryan Darby of VSB, Vicki Abraham of ZBM and Ayo Johnson of The Bermuda Sun) that the inquiries of me by those Bermudians will no doubt be one of the subjects of discussion likely to arise at a Forum to be held on April 29, 1999 at St.

George's Town Hall. I added, however, that my own view is that if someone has a right of abode and a right to UK Citizenship then for them to take part in an Independence Referendum seems to be rather biased. A position you sir, seem to hold as well. I went on further to say that if it was decided that such a restriction was imposed, then mainly white people would be disqualified because of their eligibility to UK Citizenship through parentage under the racist British Nationality Act 1981. A simple statement of law and fact. This issue was raised by my inquirers as a result of a survey published in The Royal Gazette that suggested that more whites than blacks were opposed to Independence or more likely to accept British Citizenship offered in The White Paper. The British Nationality Act was cited as one possible reason for whites' lack of enthusiasm for Independence in that, in the main, white Bermudians were merely the relatives or cousins of the British in Bermuda.

How Mr. Finighan can derive from those remarks a definitive statement that, "Phil Perinchief is DEMANDING that Bermudians who have the right to UK citizenship should be BANNED from any referendum on the issue'' is beyond me.

Unless of course, Mr. Finighan hopes by sensationalising my remarks to tap into the sensitive, latent emotions of racists who react in `knee-jerk'' fashion whenever an analysis of the advantages or disadvantages of one race in relation to another race is aired. For too many closed minded individuals, such analyses of taboo subjects like race, income tax and Independence assume emotive proportions when all that is required is a cool, rational debate in search of answers for the negative attitudes engendered in our small community. Engendered by the same small-minded people who have made debates on race, income tax and Independence, taboo subjects that other, more open-minded societies accept and encourage as indicators of a healthy democracy.

Accordingly, I invite anyone who is interested in what I REALLY said at that Press conference to obtain a transcript or view the videotape. I openly challenge them to find where I demanded a BAN on any class of Bermudian to vote in a referendum on Independence.

For a more complete record, Mr. Editor and Mr. Finighan, a few Bermudians, black and white, have approached me before and after the above mentioned press conference objecting to "status'' Bermudians voting in a referendum on Independence on the basis that because some of these "status'' Bermudians have dual citizenship, including UK citizenship, that they should be excluded from voting because they may bias the result against Independence. That's not my view but these are the views expressed in our community. Like you Mr.

Editor, some of the people who hold these views believe that these super-Bermudians have nothing to lose if Bermuda goes Independent since the passport offer is irrelevant to them. Unlike you, however, there are others who believe that these super-Bermudians will deliberately sabotage a vote for Independence by voting against it. In this light, the voter will in fact be stacked against Independence by the inclusion of these "classes'' of Bermudians. Whereas all Bermudians are equal under the law, it is an indisputable fact that some are more equal than others under some other laws.

As a result, some hold the view that after Independence is achieved in Bermuda such "classes'' of Bermudians, those eligible for UK citizenship and who enjoy dual or multiple citizenships, may be forced to declare where they stand i.e. Bermudian or non-Bermudian after a period of time as has been done in other countries such as Trinidad, USA and even this country. I fall in that category. Those `classes' of Bermudians may thenceforth be considered "foreign nationals'' in an Independent Bermuda. Accordingly, they may have something to lose.

I repeat, these are the views alive in our community. Please raise your sights to appreciate that every inquiry into a race or class issue is not necessarily an act of racism. In the spirit of academic and intellectual debate or pursuit, please grow up to understand that the broader issue is not about race or narrow partisan politics. We must think outside of the "box''. The real issue is of a higher calling; the issues of national sovereignty and progress towards defining and honing a sense of an independent Bermudian identity in an ever-expanding global world order. Are you Mr. Editor, your staff and media colleagues equal to the task? Come out and air your views at the next forum and dare to print this letter before then, OK? PHIL PERINCHIEF City of Hamilton Headline was unfair April 22, 1999 Dear Sir, I have the highest regard for your esteemed newspaper; indeed I don't consider my day has started until I have read it. But occasionally you produce a non sequitur, as is the case of your headline on April 20: "UK wants locals in charge of Police'', carried over to the next page under the banner `UK signals support for Bermudianisation'', as though that is not what we have been doing successfully for many years. I thought at first that this was a constitutional change whereby the Government would take over responsibility for the police from the Governor.

But reading on: "Baroness Symons said the Territories were small communities and needed `policing by consent'. They must have local members of the force trained effectively to manage and occupy key appointments.'' There is the inference that to date this might not have been the case -- and probably in most of the "territories'' it has not been. And it rather confirms that a blanket application which includes Bermuda in the "territories'' is misleading.

For the record, what Baroness Symons says has, for the past 20 years, been the policy of successive Governors and Governments in Bermuda. In confirmation prior to Mr. Edwards' premature retirement on health grounds, Bermuda has had four successive Bermudian Police Commissioners -- Messrs. Clark, Bean, Donald and Edwards -- all trained extensively abroad, at Brahmshill Police College in the UK and/or at the Canadian Police Staff College. Indeed, this training has been received by most senior Police officers.

So the story is redundant as far as Bermuda is concerned -- at least as it refers to, or infers about, the Bermuda Police Service. This is one of the problems of the UK's general application to the territories. And this is why I take the view that for discussion and negotiation we should not be lumped in with territories with which we have so little in common -- we should paddle our own canoe. We are wasting our time (and money) discussing problems which do not apply to Bermuda.

With continued good wishes to The Royal Gazette , I remain, SIR JOHN SHARPE Warwick Think before you build April 20, 1999 Dear Sir, Before plans go ahead to build a new, badly needed, Paget Post Office on the Bermuda College grounds on the South Shore, I ask you to pause and think for just a moment.

More than two-thirds of Pagetonians live or have access to their homes from Harbour Road or Middle Road. The South Road is largely hotels, commercial, Botanical Gardens, Guest Houses, Grocery Stores, etc.

The only roads that lead from Middle Road and back again from the proposed location are St. Paul's Lane and Southcote Road leading to S Hill on Ord Road.

I would like to point out that the South access to and from St. Paul's Lane is, at best, precarious. S Hill is a challenge as it is, and the lower portion of Ord Road is narrow and between high walls all along the Rectory. The telephone poles are in the road and make it even more dangerous. Both these roads already have high pedestrian use and already need to have sidewalks.

Before the first shovelful of dirt is removed to build the Post Office I hope the Minister will make the appropriate improvements to these two roads. If not -- every accident there will be on his head.

PAGET P.O. DRAWER Sports Day a success April 19, 1999 Dear Sir, We would like to commend Mr. Wendell Smith, headmaster of the Paget Primary School, for a wonderful job he did with the Paget Primary School sports day on Wednesday, April 14, 1999.

To all the parents and former parents, sports fever was in the air and well attended. When I arrived at the school you could feel and taste sports. I was thrilled as the feeling of my old school memories came over me, bright tents for each house stood tall as excited participants awaited their turn underneath. A podium was erected as 1st, 2nd and 3rd participants climbed up to receive their respective ribbons once their event was completed, cheerleaders chanted throughout the whole day and every race was on schedule.

I have an eight-year-old son attending and he was so excited to be a part as his first three sports occasions at Paget Primary were not at all of this nature. House ribbons were pinned on all parents attending and all students alike. Mr. Smith, my 11-year-old son was very much disappointed when he heard all about the success of your first sporting occasion at the Paget Primary.

"How unfair,'' he said.

The best part was the time spent awarding the children at the end of all races not just champion boy and girl, but children who were well behaved throughout the whole day were also awarded. Mr. Editor, describing this atmosphere is such a joy as I have been a parent at Paget Primary for some seven years and have never seen such organisation since my days.

Mr. Smith, we hope that you realised that not only we noticed, but several parents noticed as we chatted amongst each other. This is definitely a boost of accomplishment for a government school system that many parents fear.

Well done! And, oh yes, my son was named champion boy, something else he will treasure. I also ran in the parents race with all my heart and I stood on that same 1st place podium as did my son five times previous with great pride. I enjoyed my whole experience at Paget Primary School Sports.

WELL DONE, MR. SMITH Paget P.s. We can't wait for cricket season.

Public needed fair notice April 18, 1999 Dear Sir, I wonder why Bermuda Digital took almost a full page advert recently in The Royal Gazette trying to assure the public how safe their cellular towers are? It is a stark contrast to the half-inch advertisement they had hidden in the back of the Bermuda Sun seeking permission to build.

If they had alerted the public fairly in the first place then there would not have been the controversy that we are now having, as we would have had a chance to object.

CONCERNED Warwick