June 18, 2012Dear Sir,It was a lovely afternoon, a delightful programme and a beautiful setting: The Induction of Mary Prince as Bermuda’s 2012 national hero. “They” said “it brought us together”, but it did not. Not really. The black Community determines the nature of the Bermudian Society. It is crucial therefore that we recognise, acknowledge and address those aspects of our behaviour that are a direct result of four hundred years of segregation and psychological demeaning that told us that we were inferior to everyone else in the Universe.I could feel the frustration of A Simons, Paget (Royal Gazette, May 22) as he expressed his frustration in his criticism of the current Premier, among other things because he believes that she has given too much attention to her critics (obviously, primarily those in the white community) rather than addressing the problems of the Progressive Labour Party supporters. Whether or not one believes that to be true, one might also say the same thing about the former Premier, who was supposed to be racially radical. He spent far more time, energy and statements on attacking his white critics than in putting forward proposals for black affirmative action. Certainly he directed more financially substantive contracts towards whites than was enjoyed by blacks.Our real tragedy is that from its inception the PLP government has given too much attention to what the United Bermuda Party did. Worse, at the same time, continuing the financially profitable contracts which whites held under the UBP, without making any serious efforts to change the financial patterns which prevailed, often because of the jealousies and hostility which prevails within the black community. They would often prefer to support wealthy whites of whom they were not jealous than a struggling black of whom they were.To the extent that any of these charges are valid, they are but a reflection of the black community itself and the damage done to not only the black economy but to the black psyche of the entire black community. Walton Brown has recently made reference to the self-doubt of Bermudians and our lack of a sense of cultural identity. Our frequent insistence on bringing in foreigners, who know nothing about us, to solve our problems is an obvious indication of this self- doubt. But worse is the self- loathing, the dislike, the hostilities and jealousies towards ourselves and each other which we so often demonstrate, recently publicly expressed with such drama, while often showing our preference for those in the white community.If our political representatives have given too much attention to, either appeasing, or attacking, those in the white community rather than coming together with proposals for black Affirmative Action, or looking for ways to support struggling blacks, it is because they come out of a black community whose psyche has been so damaged that we behave in an “unnatural” fashion towards each other.The damage down to our psyche over 400 years of segregation and demeaning cannot be cured overnight. But no matter how frustrated or disillusioned we may be with the PLP, how self- damaging it would be to give political power back to a minority Community who has done so much damage to us already, particularly since they also hold the economic power? J Christopher (Royal Gazette, May 29) was very clear in his piece on our history and heritage that the PLP was formed to address the interests of the black community while the OBA clearly represents the interests of the white community. With all due respect to, and full recognition of, those exceptions and the changes between now and the time of Mary Prince, it is evident that we are seen today very much as we have always been. Those of us who think we want “change” may find that with “change” those attitudes which have been so destructive to us are still there and have not “changed”. We may have made mistakes but to give power back to those who destroyed us as they dominated us is not the answer. We must solve our own problems by controlling our own destiny and not by giving our power to others.EVA N HODGSONHamilton Parish