Setting the record straight

March 30, 2005

Dear Sir,

I am grateful for the opportunity to reply to the letter on March 30 from Bill Nearon concerning the deportation of Kenith Bulford by private jet from Jamaica to Bermuda. Since 9/11, most commercial aircraft will not allow persons who are considered a ?risk? to be transported on their planes. In the instant case, there were also many other jurisdictional issues associated with this deportation, as at least one other country would have needed to be involved (USA or UK).

As you are aware there is no direct flight from Jamaica to Bermuda. All efforts were taken by the Bermuda Police Service to ensure the return of Bulford at the most reasonable cost to the public. However, it will always be difficult to put a ?price tag? on justice. I appreciate the opportunity to set the record straight.

Felt like a criminal

March 30, 2005

Dear Sir,

I am writing to complain explicitly about the treatment my partner and I received on our return to Bermuda on the British Airways flight on Saturday, March 26, 2005 after a wonderful but busy short vacation in the UK. We arrived at the Immigration desk where the officer there told me to rewrite my declaration form converting the Sterling amounts to dollars. After diligently doing this task I then stood in the queue for the duty cashier, however, only to be told by the cashier on reaching the window that I did not have to do the conversion in advance because they can do it at the desk! You can imagine how I felt after spending time doing an unnecessary task. Once we retrieved our bags we were put in a queue to be searched in the Customs hall. Then our troubles really began.

I refer to the Customs lady?s name as ?Ms A N Other?, but she was not wearing a uniform or an ID name tag or displaying a number. However she was the only lady working that night and wearing what looked to be denim. Many of us in the queue observed Ms A N Other as she saw persons known to her further back in the queue and had them jump ahead of us other weary passengers in the ever-increasing queue for the search area. These persons were able get searched very briefly with no apparent observation for anything barring a quick chat about how she was and her family, and then off she went. Again, you can imagine the feeling of the weary passengers at not getting the same special treatment.

I have no problem with the officer who searched our bags (he was very pleasant and did a thorough and professional job), but I do have a problem with the way my partner was treated and spoken to by this lady, Ms A N Other, whilst we were being searched. We were the last people to leave Customs which was very frustrating as we had declared everything but still had to go through this search. Half way through the bag search my partner had to rush to the ladies room as she was going to be sick (having been in the Airport for such a long time, my partner was feeling decidedly nauseous).

This lady rushed into the washrooms behind my partner and saw her being sick, and instead of helping she proceeded to accuse her of being on drugs and then demanded to know was in the water that my partner had taken out of her bag. My partner informed her that she was pregnant and the water was a natural remedy to help with nausea. Ms A N Other then accused her of getting pregnant on purpose and questioned why she was pregnant on a work permit. This was purely none of her business and I take real offence to that remark as I am a Bermudian. Ms A N Other then wanted to know if she was going to keep the baby and then commented that should not have gotten herself pregnant while on a permit! Where on earth does she get off talking to people like that?

After some time my partner returned to me at the search table ? she was extremely close to tears, visibly distressed after being sick, and amazed at the way in which she had been spoken to by this woman who had constantly harassed her during her time away from me.

I completely understand that quite normal looking people can turn out to be drug smugglers/mules and can be nauseous due to the ingestion of illegal drugs (we hear it on the news all the time), but I have to say that questioning my partner over her pregnancy in that manner was completely discriminating, disgraceful and separatist. We finally left the Airport two hours after our arrival feeling very angry, but also saddened and disillusioned about being in my Island home. I would like this to be addressed as this lady is no ambassador for Bermuda, let alone making us feel like criminals returning home. I look forward to hearing from you.

Already independent

March 25, 2005

Dear Sir,

I hail from an analytical marketing background having spent many years in an industry wholly dependent upon facts and figures to maximise response rates and average dollar values, etc. The business I was in was not tourism, but the math strategy is the same. Which is why after over two decades in Bermuda, I feel I owe it to my friends and neighbours to offer an alternative view of the potential resurrection of tourism, so, if you?ll spare me a few minutes of your time:

a) Over 120 million people live in the eastern states of America.

b) Facilitating most of those people are direct gateways providing short, comfortable single flights of Paradise Bermuda.

c) Only one half of one percent, or 600,000 people, of this one hundred and 120 million people population is required to be attracted to the idea of visiting Paradise Bermuda for Bermuda to welcome the 600,000 visitors it enjoyed in one of the Island?s best visitor years.

Dense saturation marketing to the eastern states of America, followed up by examining the response rates and subsequently dense saturation marketing to the most responsive areas is the key. Those same densities, as they ?mature? will provide yet further harvests from season to season as the weaker responsive areas gain momentum and join the lucrative fold. I challenge anyone to illustrate that, employing standards marketing procedures, securing the response of 0.5 percent (point five of a percent!) is not possible. I know that not many influential people want to hear this, but expenditure of time, money, and pontificating, in any other form is indulgent and unprofitable and purely panders to political posturing.

Sure, I?m simplifying the issue. I can?t ask people to treat tourism as the source of their stable lifestyles, if they perceive that their incomes derive solely from the international financial sector ... but the financial sector, and its precarious is a whole other letter. I can?t ask industry employees to see the tourism industry as a valid world-competing service industry, rather than a ?servile? industry in which some individuals find pleasure in causing distress to unsuspecting visitors.

I can?t ask impatient and resentful drivers to care for the visitors perilously riding bikes between lanes of revving vehicles. I can?t ask hotels to renovate and refurbish and provide more beds. And I can?t ask the Island to find new and creative ways of offering more value for the visitor?s dollar, and treasurable vacation-memories which will be shared with others on safe and secure arrival home to the United States. And I can?t ask the Government to ponder the logic of adding 22.25 percent duty to goods already weighted down by exorbitant freight rates climbing ever-higher propelled by menacingly ? rising oil prices.

But you can ? because you are Bermudian, a nationality and a status envied and respected by all those with whom you come in contact. Don?t ever let anyone sell you the idea that because you have judiciously decided to utilise the benefits and services and diplomatic and consular facilities of a time-honoured partnership with the old Mother Country, that you are ?not independent?. Because the ultimate choices are yours ? you are one of the most truly independent nations on the face of this earth! I urge you to work together and overcome and vanquish antiquated hostilities for the sake of future generations who will inherit this Paradise Island.

Take advice from the UN?

March 29, 2005

Dear Sir,

A UN committee has arrived to ?advise? Bermudians regarding ?options? vis-a-vis Independence. I?m sure the individual committee members are fine people. But the UN itself is an utterly corrupt, illegitimate organisation that should not be welcomed. The UN is an organisation allegedly dedicated to peace and freedom ? yet it includes (and has included) the world?s bloodiest dictatorships as full members and ?partners?. This is like forming a committee to fight crime and inviting Mafia bosses and gang leaders to have an equal place at the table.

The UN is a morally illegitimate institution at its very root. In recent years, Libya ? a socialist dictatorship where political opponents are jailed, tortured and killed ? was elected chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights. Is the Libyan-style of government one of the ?options? that the UN will offer as ?advice? to Bermuda? Cuba ? a communist dictatorship that shoots citizens who try to leave ? has also been a member of the UN Human Rights Commission. Is Cuba?s system another political ?option? that the UN will present to Bermudians?

Bermuda is one of the freest, wealthiest and most successful societies in the world. If anything, the UN, with utmost humility, should be visiting to seek what it can learn from us. Regarding Independence itself, Bermudians already have all the freedoms they could want or need. Political freedom means freedom from government interference in one?s life.

Bermuda possesses this freedom to a very high degree. One wonders if the ?freedom? spoken of by some who favour independence isn?t rather ?freedom? for a future Bermudian government to impose any regime it chooses on Bermudian citizens, free of the meddling of the UK. Bermuda?s ties with the UK imposes few, if any, restrictions or obligations on Bermuda.

In fact, Bermuda?s tie to the UK serves as an additional protection for Bermuda?s political freedom, as a kind of ?insurance policy?. If ever a dictatorial ?strongman? were to attempt a coup in Bermuda, the British military would quickly arrive to restore the parliamentary system and freedoms. Farfetched? Let?s hope so (though the record on this score, over the last six decades, has been spotty at best for countries that have gone independent). However low the probability at this time, why would we dispense with a free ?insurance policy??

Furthermore, political stability and safety is a primary concern for any business searching for a jurisdiction in which to locate. The international business sector is the largest segment of Bermuda?s economy. Does anyone think that severing ties with the UK would actually increase Bermuda?s stability and safety ? and the perception thereof? If not, what consequences might this have for Bermuda?s future growth and prosperity?

Finally, to those who argue that Independence is a matter of ?pride?: Anyone who bases his self-esteem on whether Bermuda is independent or not, has very low self-esteem indeed. True self-esteem is based on an individual person?s own actions and character. To use vague metaphors and false analogies about ?growing up?, ?going out on our own?, ?taking control of our destiny?, etc., is pure demagoguery. Such phrases and virtues apply only to individuals, not countries. Moreover, individuals are able to achieve such virtues only in a society with political freedom ? the very political freedom ensured by Bermuda?s tie to the UK.