February 11, 2002

Dear Sir,

Please allow me the space in our newspaper to open the eyes of some people and to help bring the whole community together as one.

Why have we, as the people of Bermuda, become so selfish? I feel the Bermudian people have become so self-centred that it is hurting our whole community.

We do not do things in the name of love anymore. We do not hold the door open for the elderly, or even another man or woman. We constantly complain about the uncontrollable youth but they are only a product of us. We do not let vehicles out of gates into the main roads. We would charge people outrageous prices for our services rather than having reasonable prices for work done. We are willing to import cocaine and dope into the Island, give it to someone to sell while managing the family business.

We are living comfortably in our personal homes and not doing what we can for others to have their own piece of the rock. WE ARE SELFISH PEOPLE!

The reason why people have become this way is because of money, and therefore there is no order in our lives. We put so much energy into making money, building houses, and fornicating, that we forget all about the Creator, and putting Him first and foremost in our everyday lives.

We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord but we judge one another by their possessions and appearance. Why are we so evil? Why don't we try to do good for one another? When your judgment does come, what do you think will be your outcome? For those who do not believe that there is a God, just read you Bible and see for yourself that there is a God and all that He says shall come to pass. How can we even think about gay rights when we know that this IS NOT the way of the Lord? How can we imprison a man for a joint of marijuana and a visitor that gets caught with 'X' amount of grams receives a crack on the knuckles by the Judge. Where is the justice?

When it comes to taking on jobs we have to always put out best foot forward. In other words, we have to do the best we possibly can in whatever we do and we definitely cannot put ourselves up on a pedestal as if we are above or higher than others, or let money or fame come before our duty that we must serve to the community. Whether you are a leader of a pee-wee soccer team, president of an association, or Premier of Bermuda, you have to do it to your utmost and with a good heart, not for personal fame or money.

As leaders of the Bermuda Football Association, past and present, how is it that we have received money over the years from the banks, companies and FIFA, and nothing has been done to better the game in any way? How is this money being allocated and who is benefiting from it? There aren't any national teams training, youth or senior, and no talk about a technical director, what are you all doing? Oh, I forgot, you are making sure that there aren't any drugs at the football games. How is it that the fans are of more concern than the development of the game? We all know that drugs are on certain parts of the fields, but if football was better more people would come to games and sit where drugs aren't. I believe that the game is keeping people home, not drugs. You can always police drugs once the sport has improved. Members of the BFA travelled to England to meet with the English Football Association for some type of guidance to improve our domestic league. What was the outcome of this trip? The priority conversation should have been about getting as many Bermudians as possible on trials to play in England. I cannot see why our Bermuda Football Association and our present government cannot make this a priority. By making this stand it can give people the opportunity to not only display their talent and live out their dreams but can also improve the living of families in this country. National pride will again be instilled into the community and young people will have something to look forward to if they apply themselves academically as well as on the field. We are talented enough to compete with some of the best in the world and being a British Colony should count for something.

With our Government, I think we can all see that it is quite evident that it really doesn't matter if UBP or PLP are in power. Both have run from the biggest issues in this country, housing and employment. It doesn't take a genius to realise that the Kindley Field and Southampton Naval Base are the ideal places for low cost housing, the enjoyment of musical entertainment, development of sporting activities, another stop for cruise ships, ferries, and buses. More tourists would come to the island. Could you imagine the amount of jobs and homes that this would open up for people? Rather than fifteen to thirty jobs to run a golf course, leaders of Bermuda, let's be for real!

A CONCERNED MEMBER OF THE BERMUDA COMMUNITY

Somerset