January 9, 2012Dear Sir,Why I believe that Bermuda can never become Independent:Firstly, Bermuda has never been a British colony. It has never been a colony in the usual sense of the word, in that when the British rediscovered Bermuda, history teaches us that the island was uninhabited, and there were no claims existing against it for ownership. That being the case, Bermuda is different because there are no indigenous and original people with competing claims of ownership to the land. In America the American Indians were the original inhabitants of the land and the Pilgrims colonised the land for their own benefit, having done so by force.Given the circumstances of Bermuda’s beginnings and development, Britain has claim to Bermuda as its own sovereign Overseas Territory, and there are no indigenous people to whom to return the country. It is within the scope of Britain’s prerogative to give the Island to the Bermudian people, should it so desire, but I imagine the fallout from such a magnanimous act would be a calamity.There are ongoing tensions between Spain and England over Spain’s claim to own Gibraltar. Periodically the matter flares up into a front burner, full-scale diplomatic crisis. The people of Gibraltar are staunchly British, notwithstanding that there is complete integration between La Linea Frontera, Spain’s border area and Gibraltar, including the fact that even policemen wearing the traditional English Bobbie’s pith helmet routinely speak Spanish on the Rock. (That is very difficult to get one’s mind around as you see one thing, yet hear another.) However, any suggestion that Gibraltar should be ceded to Spain meets with major protest.There would also be the matter of Northern Ireland over which there has been a long history of violent struggle over the demand that Britain should withdraw from the territory. An uneasy peace exists today, but should Britain simply make an outright gift of Bermuda to the people of the country, I would rather not think about the reaction in Northern Ireland. I mention these things now because of the resurgence of Independence fervour in Bermuda, and I think it just cannot happen. If it could I think it would have taken place long ago. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.BERMUDA EXPATSpain