I am surprised that Mr. Commissiong takes such a reactionary view as to wish you not to print letters under pen names. I am a former editor and his view takes me back to the days when the persons who wished the paper to discontinue pen names came from the other end of the political spectrum -- and my memory goes back to the days before universal adult suffrage, as well as to the period when the United Bermuda Party was in power.

I know that pen names give editors far more trouble than signed letters, for if the matter in the letters is libelous the newspaper takes the entire blame on its shoulders. At the same time the mental burden of knowing the identities of writers and carrying these secrets about is not an easy one.

Pen names are used for a variety of reasons, and I would like to tell about my personal experience. As a reporter I was not allowed to write letters to the editor, period. As editor I wrote editorials and in these I did express my opinion on matters of the day, always bearing in mind that they would be taken as representing the views of the paper as well. When I resigned as editor to become Director of the Bermuda National Trust I felt that I was free to comment on public affairs, but not in such a way as to affect the membership of the Trust. I did not wish my views to be construed as reflecting the views of the governing Council of the Trust so when I wanted to comment on matters which did not affect the Trust I used a pen name. If I did not agree with Trust policy I kept it to myself.

Occasionally I wrote in the name of the Trust, usually to clarify a Trust stand or reply to an accusation, and signed my name.

There are many people who are in a similar position who do not wish to saddle an organisation or family with which they are connected with their particular views. Of course some use the protection of anonymity maliciously -- but this is a danger with all sorts of freedoms which we enjoy. If the government of the day were to take away the freedom of the newspapers printing pen names letter they would certainly be regarded as having a leaning to dictatorship.

It can be argued that the kind of government we have today is the result of persons who, 40 or 50 years ago, used pen names to put forward views which ran far contrary to the views of the leaders of the island. If today pen names are used to express views which run contrary to those of today's leaders, it is part of the democracy which today's leaders so proudly proclaim. And I think it is fair to forecast that if another political organisation should rise to power then activists like Mr. Commissiong might want to use pen names in their turn.

There is one other point to be made about pen names: the public will pay more attention to a letter to the editor signed with a proper name then with a pen name. Therefore I will sign myself, WILLIAM S. ZUILL SR.

Smith's Parish Not above the law October 31, 2000 Dear Sir, Minister Renee Webb should be thankful that the only thing she has to deal with is an article in the paper. All of us commoners would have no other option but to go to court, pay a fine and lose our licence. 70 KPH is serious stuff. In fact, it's outright lunacy on a road like Harbour Road. As an MP, Ms Webb is not above the law and she should actually conduct herself in a manner that sets an example for the rest of the public. Driving at 70 KPH is exactly the wrong type of message to send to Bermudians particularly when certain members of our society regularly abuse the privilege of driving on our roads.

If she continues condoning that behaviour by speeding, the public should hold her singularly responsible for the continued degradation of driving behaviour in this country.

Ms Webb, my mother once told me that one can tell a lot about one's character by a person's actions and that actions are worth a thousand words. Well Ms Webb, you should be ashamed of yourself for your actions are a disgrace for a person of your stature. You are an elected official who has pledged to serve this country with dignity, honour and within the law. How can you expect people to respect your opinions and judgment if you blatantly disobey the law and then moan and groan like a spoiled child when your crime is discovered? Yes, Ms Webb it is still a crime even if you are never charged. Clearly, your previous conviction did nothing to deter you from speeding again. Let's hope that some good old public embarrassment and humility might get you to change your ways. How true the saying, "Power Corrupts. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely''.

Proud to drive within the law Devonshire ...mightier than the sword October 31, 2000 Dear Sir, Thank you for this space.

Bermudians, when November 11, Remembrance Day, comes, remember those who gave their lives in those six years of the War against the murderous dictator, Adolf Hitler.

In the same way, Premier Smith is planning to silence normal opposition in the House of Assembly by having single seat constituencies, and no opposition whatsoever.

She wants no healthy discussion "for and against'' any of her plans.

Single-seat constituencies means there will only be "yes men'' in her parliament -- in other words, democracy out, dictatorship in.

All our disaster signals should be going full-blast. It took nearly the whole world to overthrow Adolf Hitler, the beastly dictator of Europe, who began his career the same way as Jennifer Smith plans for her disastrous career -- by silencing all opposition of any kind, in the House, and in the newspapers.

Such an evil had to be overthrown and, in the process, Germany and several other countries were devastated, and countless millions of innocent people died.

When the ego of these dictators becomes so unbalanced, they cannot resist going too far in the wrong direction and invariably come to grief when the "proletarians'' no longer will put up with the loss of democracy and their basic human rights.

Freedom of speech must not be lot, either written or spoken. Freedom to disagree in Parliament is imperative to the life-blood of any country, large or small.

Bermudians, insist on Democracy, not a Dictatorship.

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD Pembroke Webb's bad attitude November 2, 2000 Dear Sir Your paper yesterday reported that Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb was given a caution for speeding.

It must be common knowledge that most people here sometimes speed and that some people speed most of the time. Moreover it is evident from your report that Ms Webb had previously been caught speeding when a Minister and been prosecuted, found guilty and fined. Only passing interest was aroused on that occasion. Little more would probably have been taken this time had she again been fined, or even lost her licence.

As it is, the "procedural irregularity'' which led to the withdrawal of her speeding ticket and the issue of a caution instead will cause many a tongue to wag and many an eyebrow to be raised: there will be allegations that some improper pressure must have been brought to bear and that the police must have succumbed to it. Regardless of whether anything of the kind really happened suspicions will linger. The consequential publicity is likely to do lasting damage to Ms Webb's reputation. So if somebody did exert pressure then in my present view that person did Ms Webb a serious disservice.

But I am writing because it seems to me that she may have done herself one which is far more serious still. For your report quoted her as saying ". .

.tell them it's none of their goddamned business whether I was speeding or not.'' If she did indeed say that, or something like that, she must believe that the public does not have a legitimate interest in knowing when a Minister is alleged to have broken the law. Such an attitude could have alarming implications. It could, for example, soon lead Ministers to suppose that they were entitled to suppress all inconvenient information. Elsewhere it has eventually led to regimes in which corrupt Ministers, contemptuous of press and public, regard themselves as above the law and abuse their power with impunity.

I hope therefore Ms Webb will make clear that, no matter just what she said, she recognises that public figures must accept that the public was entitled to know what you reported.

Yours faithfully, G.P. Lloyd Not impressed with Webb October 31, 2000 Dear Sir, It seems as though Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb has the same attitude to driving as she has to the placement of cellular towers. Full speed ahead and to heck with public safety.

JOE BLOGGS