AM glad Mr. Peter Cooper (, January 2) is as concerned as many of us are with Ms Jessie Moniz's gratuitous article on Bermuda prices ? and her unthinking swipe at the thousands of Bermudian jobs that depend on the success of the local retailers' "Same price as US" and "Buy Bermuda" programmes despite having to swallow the duty US retailers do not have to pay.

First of all, as far as most of Reid Street is concerned, she is quite wrong in any event. If she actually looked, as I have taken the trouble to do, she would find that whole floors are US price ticketed by the manufacturers specifically for sale in US stores.

Also large areas are ticketed at an actual discount on US prices, even though the merchandise still attracts local duty. Furthermore, the US ticketed merchandise eventually goes on sale at prices that match US sale prices, and throughout there is no sales tax.

Unless she is asking Bermuda to compete with so called factory outlets that are often stocked with seconds or defective merchandise, one can only assume her research has been, to put it politely, superficial. From the point of view of damaging Bermudians' jobs, the article is irresponsible and thoughtless.

Ms Moniz would be better off wondering at how this US pricing policy is possible in Bermuda in the face of the duty, and congratulating the local retailers who are making the effort to carry it out.

To differentiate (not Ms Moniz's strong suit) between those retailers and those who make no effort at all, she might inquire why it still is that much of their merchandise, and many services, are still being sold here at frankly exorbitant prices, prices that undermine the efforts of those determined to establish in Bermuda a consistently competitive price environment with the US.

She might use the case of, for example, Estee Lauder and Clinique (and other products) with a 20-plus per cent duty, that actually sell here below US prices, while a duty free paperback book or magazine often sells at some 20-25 per cent above US prices. Why cannot the magazine sellers in this case, especially as they pay no duty, match US prices?

An effort to rectify this incongruity for everyone's benefit would be constructive use of the power of the press, rather than simply destructive populism.

Ms Moniz's claim that in the US she can buy "three nice pairs of pants, two shirts and a pair of earrings for the price of one pair of pants on Reid Street" clearly shows that she does not, or cannot differentiate between differing qualities. Clearly no one can help people who do not realise that Cadillacs and Fords, while each has four wheels and a spare, come at different prices.

She certainly would be very well advised to take someone who can differentiate between glass and diamonds with her when she goes to buy the earrings, especially in the US off-price sector that she may be most familiar with.

In short, it is too late to undo the damage done by Ms Moniz especially among less discerning shoppers, who, as it appears to be the case with Ms Moniz, may not be able or have time to tell the difference. Sadly, more people will read and believe Ms Moniz than otherwise, perhaps because most people believe what they read.

As far as that goes, Mr. Editor, a little better editing would not be inappropriate.

N reply to a Commentary by Alvin Williams: I did read your article and the additional information on Zimbabwe and Mugabe.

Eighty this year, Mugabe's dessert better come soon, or he will join Idi Amin. Land ownership may prove difficult, as defining the true indigenous population is not going to be easy, and will not be possible until Mugabwe goes.

Thabo Mbeki must shoulder some responsibility for not challenging him, and for his stand on the Aids issue, no doubt because of black solidarity, etc. As far as the West is concerned, I feel Africa was becoming the forgotten continent. It appals me that all of sub-Sahara Africa (plus Latin America and the Caribbean) a total of 1.5 billion people receive less US aid than the postage stamp-sized Israel (smaller than Wales) with six million in spite of the misleading information printed in another newspaper's Letter to the Editor, i.e. approximately $64 billion to the former and $71 billion to Israel. (from 1949 to 1997 reference www.washington-report.org).

An another upsetting statistic is that Europe and the US spend $40 billion on pet food, enough I am told to feed the entire world's population, many of whom are dying of starvation.

I do have doubts about the benefits of sovereignty or Independence for Bermuda, because I do not yet understand the ramifications of it. Ireland was different, as it was a populated country brutally occupied and exploited to swell the English coffers.

Bermuda was unpopulated and developed as a colony 400 years ago. Most of Bermuda's population have relatively shallow roots and did not arrive in chains but by plane as I did in the '50s to take up employment.

I am as selfish as the next person and if can have more jam on my bread without sacrificing anything I will take it.

I am not without sympathy for the black population of Bermuda who live in a white-dominated western culture, where they feel the stigma of a misplaced people who in many cases never feel truly a part of the world they live in.

This can lead to a feeling of not being in control of their destiny in a way not experienced by the white race, and so feel Independence is a way to improve their situation as masters of their own destiny. It is the expectations after achieving sovereignty that is my concern.

As we live in a country divided in two and for many they may have difficulty in severing the umbilical cord with the mother country, and if this was forced on them it would simulate a style of democracy such as two hungry wolves sitting down with Little Red Riding Hood voting on what's for dinner!

With regard to the north or Ireland uniting with the south: No doubt England would love to be rid of the responsibility and cost. When the peace marches started in 1969 they were not for joining the south, they were for equality and civil rights, etc. At that time there was a thaw in relations and a waning interest in radical organisations like the Orange Order and its nationalist counterpart, etc. and people just wanted to get on with their lives.

Naturally, this did not sit well with politicians and some religious factions and the rest is history as they say.

What outsiders do not know is that it is not religion but a form of tribalism that separates the parties. Religion merely reflects the colour of the shirts to distinguish the players who are manipulated by politicians and some religious leaders to further their own agendas.

Regardless of its historic beginnings Northern Ireland developed over 400 years into Ulster, a unique part of Ireland with its own personality. When the Scottish Presbyterians came with their renowned work ethic and puritanical lifestyle, ie. locking up the children's swings in public parks on Sundays and having relatively small affordable families versus more easy-going Catholics with larger, less affordable families due to contraception being outlawed by papal decree but who could relax after mid-day on Sundays, play hurley and have a drink, etc. much to the envy of the Protestants.

Of course, all of this was exploited by politicians saying Catholics were lazy, dirty, etc., careful not to mention discrimination in the workplace that held them back.

Naturally, the Unionists were fearful the roles would reverse in a united Ireland and the fact that church and state were not separate in Ireland would oppose their cultural lifestyle.

That said, the people of Ulster are culturally closer than with the south I feel and when hundreds of nationalists went to Eire they were treated coldly and returned.

Eire right now is doing very well, booming in fact and underneath it all is in no hurry to take over Ulster and all that it entails any time soon.

So the much sought-after solution by Gerry Adams et al is no panacea by a long shot.

The best chance was during the civil rights marches to promote peace but now an entire generation of people have grown up never knowing peace, only hatred and bloodshed, more divided than at any time. The idea that uniting Ireland at this time is a workable solution is simply a pipe dream.

The surprise that visitors find in going to Northern Ireland is how hospitable the people are, how friendly and cheerful, in spite of their troubles, etc. And it is obvious that the overwhelming majority are far removed from involvement in terrorism or in support of it.

Mr. Williams, I did appreciate your personal comments and we do indeed share similar concerns.

I feel we both are interested in truth and justice, conflicting at times with what you see as a racial issue, I see as a human issue, but in the Palestine/Israel travesty it is, of course, both.

The racist, colonial ideology of Zionism is or should be repugnant to any civilised human being, not encouraged by the two most powerful countries in the world, and I hope you will speak out against it and encourage others to do so. It is a struggle, I know, but a worthwhile one I feel.

We can delay the liberation of Paget until Palestine is free?