14 things to changeNovember 18, 2006

Dear Sir,Regarding how Bermuda is these days, this is the agenda:

1. School behaviour: Schools lack discipline, which unfortunately were taken out of them. The strap needs to return to primary school. The ruler, probably middle school and the cane,senior secondary school.

2. Crime in Bermuda: The Police and judges should get tougher! How does an individual who’s 38 receive only a 15 month sentence for having sex with a 15 year old despite her involvement?

3. Violence in Bermuda: Apparently,this is probably the hardest thing to end since areas like Middletown/Curving Avenue are considered danger zones to cops. Cocktail bombs, bottles, rocks and others being thrown at police cars and bystanders refusing to give out info because they fear for their lives. Legalising guns isn’t the answer!

4. Speeding: With the number of accidents so far,you would think people would’ve wised up by now but nooooo. There just have to be extra idiots on the Island and some leave the innocent wallowing in pain or worse ... death.

5. Cellphone driving: Although some males do this and there’s no law saying that it’s illegal, some would wonder if a woman struck you while she is doing this, would she stop driving this way because she wouldn’t want the same thing to happen again? Would she pay for the damage she caused? Makes you wonder if a guy would do the same, doesn’t it?

6. CedarBridge: Is it worth keeping? The school’s mouldy. If you had left Devonshire Academy alone and not worry so much on the school getting changed and changing the uniform (what’s so special about a CedarBridge uniform anyway?) you probably wouldn’t be facing this mouldy problem right now.

You definitely wouldn’t have had a Town-vs-Country clash like you did the first day,the school was open. Gerald Simons as well as Pamela Gordon are to blame for that mistake.

7. BHB: Have you noticed the amount of cables leading to the Botanical Gardens? It’s because regardless of what people say they may have already chosen this site. Sounds sick but, how is it they could always build on the same site as the hospital and haven’t said: “Yes, we will build on the old hospital site so that Botanical Gardens could be left alone in peace?”?

8. Racism: This is something that needs to be squashed and yet,will continue to rear its ugly little head time and time again.

9. Holding grudges on people who apologise for past mistakes: This solves nothing. All this adds is deeper problems because you show others the lack of love you ought to have.

10. This Sodom/Gomorrah issue (you would think seeing as how God destroyed those places that obviously He dislikes men lying with men,women lying with women). God created Adam/Eve not Adam/Steve or Adamina/Eve so obviously, he wanted men/women to multiply. Why should the Government become another Sodom/Gomorrah? If you don’t like how the island is now, leave!

11. Pedestrian Crossings: Some people seem to ignore these. Sad but true.

12. Overrevving: Even though there’s nothing wrong with warming up a car, there’s something wrong with doing it for 15 minutes just because the car is old. Not only are you wasting gas, you’re also wasting time. You could also be annoying if you have children, live close to the school and are revving up before 8 a.m.

13. Roundabouts: Soon to be added to frequent accident sites.

14. Thaao Dill still claiming Hott 107.5 is better than Power 95 even though Raddigun is a better DJ than he is and he still can’t seem to understand that.

These are some of the issues that need to be addressed. Solutions are hard since no man is perfect and the justice system is seeing injustice in some areas instead of more justice.THE AGENDA AT HAND

Pembroke<$>A letter to Dr. BrownNovember 19, 2006

Dear Sir,Can you pass this on to Doc ... I lost his address.

Dear Doc,

I see that you now have a Chief of Staff, a chauffeur, a Press Secretary and probably a few other attendants that we don’t hear about. I want to say that ‘I agree with you. We are a sophisticated country and if George and Tony want to talk to us then you need to look the part and also show them that you have all the trappings.

I am right behind you, man! Now look, I hear that nice new store on Front Street — are they kin to you? — are bringing in some big thrones from England just for Christmas.

I think they may be used but you should be able to pick something up cheap... although I appreciate that’s not your style. And, I almost forgot, same store has some leftover tiaras from the Queen’s birthday promotion this summer... they really are a good deal.

Anyway, I also saw Randy the other day (you know, the guy who always looks like he’s a deer caught in the headlights in all them RG pictures?) and he said, since I was writing to you, to thank you for the unbelievable and very visible support that you’ve given him while all this mould thing’s been going on... he thought you may have already left on the College Campus Tour, but he did say that your pictures are always so pretty.

So far, so good, my man and good luck with your idea of wiping the United Bermuda Party off the face of the earth... those ‘you know what’s’ sure complicate things and it will be much easier if you have a one Party State. Heil ... and sincerely HATARI

SouthamptonSupport for free bus serviceOctober 20, 2006

Dear Sir, It is encouraging to see the new Premier’s support for free public transport. Although not a new idea, it is the first time that a top official has adopted it. It will be quick and easy to put the concept into practice and the benefits will immediately be apparent. Let us hope that it will not become a victim of its own success. In order for public transport to be attractive it must be comfortable and efficient.

That means putting on sufficient buses to ensure that passengers don’t have to stand for most of the journey, and providing either additional parking at the ferry stops or, better, laying on minibus services to them. When new buses are ordered, it will now be feasible to specify those with a door at the front for getting on and one in the middle for getting off. Throw in a peak periods bus lane along Front Street and Church Street and it could be quicker, cheaper and less stressful to leave the car at home. Yours hoping to exact change.ANDREW R. DOBLE

Hamilton Parish<$>Wave our flag highNovember 18, 2006

Dear Sir,As I looked out of my window this morning I saw a Bermuda flag fluttering in the breeze high on the hill opposite my house and suddenly thought that all of us who oppose Independence should buy a Bermuda flag and fly them in our gardens and put them on our cars. Our flags would show that this country is against breaking our relationship with Britain.

Just as Americans blanketed the US with flags after 9/11 we could do the same and the message should get through to those who are anxious to remove all traces of the links we have with Britain. When I hear the politicians’ Afrocentric ideology, I despair that this country will ever unite and recognise the contributions of all those who built and developed this Island. Most countries acknowledge those who were there first, but listening to current chatter, one would have thought the first person to set foot on Bermuda was from St. Kitts or Jamaica.MUSINGS

Pembroke