Laying down a challenge

April 5, 2004

Dear Sir,

I have just read the article in today?s paper entitled, ?Can Independence foster national unity?? and as I did a few years ago I feel compelled to take Mr. Trevor Moniz to task over his comments about the Bahamas because ? again ? he speaks about something he clearly knows nothing about.

Mr. Moniz, as I stated in my letters to you over Sir Lynden Pindling a few years ago, ?Just because you have read a few articles does not mean that you know your topic, it only means that you can read.? Sir Lynden was never charged with any crimes and the Commission of Inquiry exonerated him of any wrong doing.

Mr. Moniz has obviously never been to the Bahamas if he believes that Independence did not bring about unity within the population. To see unity Mr. Moniz should visit the Bahamas on Independence Day, July 10, before he makes any comments.

The Bahamas has a total population of roughly 300,000, with 180,000 living in Nassau. When there is an Independence celebration the country virtually shuts down and people attend the celebrations. Just ask my parents, they were here during both the 25th and the 30th anniversaries of Independence. When the Bahamas women?s 4 x 100 relay team won gold in the last Olympics you could literally feel the unity and the national pride of Bahamians.

In closing I would like to do two things, to remind Mr. Moniz not to comment on things that he knows absolutely nothing about and just because you read it somewhere does not necessarily mean that it is completely factual and encourage him to make a trip to the Bahamas and I will make certain that he has the opportunity to talk to a great many people about their thoughts and feelings on Independence and the unity of the Bahamian people.

Take me up on this offer and visit the Bahamas, you might just learn something and at the very least you can get your information directly from the experience rather than relaying on others people?s views.

Don?t justify discrimination

April 5, 2004

Dear Sir,

There is a letter to the Editor in today?s signed ?The Cobbler?. In it ?The Cobbler? tells Mr. Dolding to get over being discriminated against. That blacks and members of the PLP have spent years being discriminated against. True enough. Was it right that blacks and members of the PLP were discriminated against? Was it correct? Was it fair? Was it just? No, no and many more no?s.

It never was right, and it can never be right. To discriminate against a person because of their colour, political stance, religious beliefs etc. is totally ? one hundred percent wrong. Any time. Any place. Any occasion.

And that is why it is wrong if Mr. Dolding was passed over because of the colour of his skin. Should we want justice for past discriminations, for past wrongs? Yes we should. I want it. People should have to pay for their wrongs ? then maybe they will come to understand that evil should not be allowed to live and grow in our society. I want true and honest-to-goodness justice (and not necessarily the watered down and pathetic kind of justice we find meted out in our courts of law), in the name and memory of all the human beings who where made into slaves. I want justice of the harshest kind for those who sold humans to the slave traders, and the traders who sold them to the shippers, and the shippers who sold them to the land owners.

I want justice to be visited upon all those people, those living then ? and now ? who discriminate against another person because of their colour, sex, and religion, whatever the reason. Let them pay. Let those who are guilty, pay, that is. Those who are not guilty should not have to pay. That would not be justice; that would be discrimination. And there is no excuse for discrimination.

Now the shoe is on the other foot? Now it?s your turn? You cannot justify discrimination. So, discrimination is alive and well. It is being kept alive by ?it?s my turn?. It is still wrong. Discrimination is still evil, whatever the colour or the occasion or the excuse. I suspect Cobbler and his kind are not really interested in things like justice or the end of discrimination. Not if it?s now their turn.

Let?s avert destruction

April 7, 2004

Dear Sir,

When I first saw the photos and read the report of the violence at the Wellington Oval football game, I was horrified and, out of a growing cynicism of where Bermuda seems headed under the present Government, penned a sarcastic letter to the editor that said:

?It looks like someone has been quietly consulting with Jamaica already on what we need to do to become Independent ? visibly increase the level of guns, machetes, knives, drugs, gangs and maintain ineffective police and judicial systems. I?ll bet they didn?t count on us being such quick learners?shucks, we?ll be ready for Independence in no time! The crowning moment in this most recent show of our ?readiness for Independence? will be for these hooligans to be ?let off? on some legal technicality?that is if they are ever charged in the first place. Once that happens, let?s go, crack open that champagne and hoist that Jamaican flag!?

I do not like to be sarcastic because I don?t think it is beneficial. However, this trouble has been brewing for a number of years now, with little, if any, condemnation by those in positions of leadership and authority. This behaviour is typical of Third World countries, not First World countries and the fabric of this society has declined exponentially over the past seven to ten years.

I am more convinced now that the escalation of this type of violence (and the underlying root causes) exists to serve some sort of purpose. I have to wonder what part it plays in the current Government?s plan for securing power; fear is one sure way of producing a compliant population! Or is it simply evidence that they are without the necessary leadership skills?

For those holding leadership positions: If you do not have the interests of Bermuda and all of its people truly at the forefront of your agenda, then please, have the courage to take your pride and step aside. Bermuda is in crisis and we need leaders who have the ability to influence and inspire the people of this country to greatness, not to complete and utter destruction.

I want to add my support to Rolfe Commissiong?s call for a Commission to be established to address the ills in our society that are producing these self-destructive individuals. I just hope that he is asked to lead the charge and not some other, less-perceptive individual appointed for some politically-motivated reason.

A CableVision success

April 2, 2004

Dear Sir,

As a dedicated couch potato, I?ve been waiting for some time now for either digital cable of WOW to finally make it to my house. A neighbour told me at the weekend that they were having digital cable installed by CableVision on Monday morning, so I knew it was now available in my area. With an impending sense of doom, I picked up the phone on Monday to attempt to get through to a real live human being down at Laffan Street.

I was fully expecting the following; No one would answer; If they did, they?d be unfriendly, unhelpful, and probably hang-up on me; If I did get an appointment, they wouldn?t turn up; If they did turn up, they?d somehow get it wrong. Isn?t it amazing how past performance colours your expectations?

Well, I am happy to report that they did answer the phone, first time. The young lady called me sweetie and was very helpful. She said she?d get someone to call me back with all the details. Guess what, within 24 hours someone did call me back! I nearly fell of my chair! They set me up with an appointment, for the very next day! They turned up, on time! They installed my digital Cable TV, and it works like a dream! Hallelujah!

Now I?ve been wondering what?s been going on here. At first I thought that when I went to bed on Sunday night, something weird and wonderful happened, and awoke in a parallel Bermuda universe! A Bermuda where friendly service, expedience and proactivity were the buzz words of the day. But then I thought, not in my lifetime mate!

We all know exactly what?s going on... 15 years of having a monopoly and a captive market breeds arrogance and complacency. The moment some real competition appears on the horizon for the first time, the management of CableVision had a real kick up the backside, they are facing people cancelling their subscription in droves.

To be fair to Mr. Elmas and his buddies, they appear to have woken up and smelled the coffee, and based on my experience, have made some real positive changes to their operations. We should congratulate them for that, but it?s long, long overdue, and the moment their standards slip again, even this now happy customer will be off to the competition in a heartbeat.