January 9, 2001

Dear Sir,

In my opinion the responsibility of a newspaper is to print the news and keep its readers well informed. If a mistake occurs then it must be corrected and if someone is affected negatively then an apology must be printed.

If the newspaper prints the truth which it can substantiate, that is all that is required of it.

Because substantiated facts may not be desirable to some readers, that is no reason to apologise to them. If there is the perception that the newspaper is biased then the reader has a forum to put forward evidence to verify his opinion, and only if the reader is denied the opportunity has he reason to seek recourse.

Recently a regular columnist claimed on talk radio that he was invited to write an article dealing with the newly appointed leader of the UBP, to create balance. That article irritated many readers, one of whom questioned the writer's credentials and referred to his criminal background among other things. Interestingly enough, many readers, when discussing the subject, did not know much about the writer including his background or other pertinent details. In fact the writer in question is largely a “media creation” in the opinion of many. When one becomes a critic and a public figure, he will as a matter of course come under close scrutiny.

What would be helpful of any columnist who sets himself up as a critic is a personal background i.e. academic qualifications, personal achievements, professional qualifications and direct personal involvement with community programmes etc. This would allow the reader or listener to judge for themselves his or her ability to criticise and so be able to form their own opinions accordingly of him or her, relative to their value.

With reference to someone who signs himself UBP supporter, in the January 1 letters to you, may I point out that an attempted armed robbery with a loaded revolver, which was discharged threatening the lives of customer and bank tellers, is more than simply a “brush with the law”.

It was a most serious offence. I would personally invite anyone to question the credentials of anyone who sets himself up as an authority, just as I expect anyone who is redoing my bathroom to be a qualified plumber. Is that unreasonable?

LIBRA

Paget

January 7, 2002

Dear Sir,

As a staunch supporter of the UBP I was very disappointed to see the Trevor Moniz bid to rejoin the party was rejected. Trevor Moniz is one of the few people with the courage to voice his opinions, even when they go against the party line, and the party line can be very misguided, sometimes.

If it wasn't for the likes of Trevor Moniz we could be littered with fast food outlets, and perhaps stumbling down the rocky (and expensive) road to independence.

On quite another note, it is shocking that our present government is contemplating trying to hoodwink tourists into thinking that we are part of the Caribbean. By joining Caricom and sharing advertising space and slogans, visitors who have never been here before will be arriving in mid-winter equipped with bikinis and sun lotion, not realising that our temperatures have been known to drop below 60.

This is downright dishonest and enticing people to Bermuda under false pretences. This government may not be with us much longer, but the damage they can do can last for years.

Wake up Bermuda, before it is too late.

E. RABEN

Paget

January 11, 2002

Dear Sir,

As I hope Bermuda is aware, we are approaching the 50th anniversary of the Queen's reign as Monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. The Queen is now Britain's third longest reigning monarch, and it would be fitting that Bermuda, Britain's oldest Crown Colony, does something to celebrate this joyous occasion of the Golden Jubilee.

In Britain, the event is to be marked by official celebrations and much pageantry, and June 3rd and 4th have been designated as public holidays (at the expense of a public holiday in May), thereby affording one additional public holiday in the year.

My question, to the Government of Bermuda, is what plans has it made to celebrate this occasion, in the way that the people of Bermuda want? My official list of Bermuda public holidays does not include a public holiday for the Jubilee. Why is this so? Is the Government not intending to acknowledge the Jubilee, or has it not yet informed the population of the public holiday? The people of Bermuda need to know, and certainly Bermuda business must be informed.

The Queen has expressed the wish that the Golden Jubilee should be an occasion for her to give thanks to the whole nation and Commonwealth for the support she has received during her reign. It is only fitting that Bermuda marks the Jubilee with at least one public holiday, and I call on the Government to make a decision about this and announce it as soon as possible. Yours patriotically,

ROBIN GRANT

Warwick