Selfish driving

October 14, 2010

Dear Sir,

I agree with Leslie James Smith from Sandys to a degree. However, I also have to say that on a part, Government and the police are still to blame on another aspect: cell phone drivers/text drivers (remember the black Peugeot driven by a male nearly hitting people because he was texting when he should have been driving?). You see the Police seem to only stop a person for the basic thing like speeding, not wearing a helmet, helmet not secured on head, super tint on cars, running a red light however, they fail to stop a person based on the new law which I find will be listed as homicidal. Most drivers who feel this is cool (driving up/down while on a cellphone or text driving) have made it clear, their mind is simply on themselves. While they do this sort of thing, a message goes through their head: "Knock down anyone or drive into anyone who gets in your way because you're the king or queen of the road, I want you to be totally distracted with that cell phone. You have no power over the road and those people you just hit while you were texting or chatting to your friend on the cellular, they're nobody."

ISN'T LAW SERIOUS?

Devonshire

Divide the time equally

October 16, 2010

Dear Sir,

It was with great concern that I read the letter in your column some weeks ago "Consider the Fathers". You may ask: "Why my concern?" I am just so saddened to read the plight of yet another father here in Bermuda, being denied access to his children for no apparent reason, than the draconian laws that favour vengeful and greedy ex-wives. I know of many who are in the same position as the father who wrote the letter. They work long hours to keep up payments, going without a normal lifestyle, cars, their own houses, and holidays, and the ex-wife has it all. The mental anguish that these men are going through is heartbreaking, especially when they have done nothing wrong, just the victim of a failed marriage often ended on the wives part.

When is society going to recognise the fact that children never asked to be born, therefore they should not be used as "pawns" in messy divorces. Parents and judges should accept the fact that in a majority of cases the fathers love their children as much as the mothers. Fathers should have their children an equal amount of time as mothers and should pay accordingly, not just one or two days a week. It has been proven in my home country and others, by doctors and child psychologists that denying children access to either parent has a huge impact on a child's psychological and sometimes physical development. Very few cases go before a judge these days because the parents are forced into mediation and the children's needs are first and foremost, not those of the parents.

Why can't parents be the adults they purport to be? They act like children to the huge psychological detriment of their children. Come on parents, grow up, behave as adults and put your children first. Deal with the adult problems between yourselves and leave the children out of it all, they need you both equally. Avoid lengthy and expensive court cases and put that money towards their education. If this happened perhaps their wouldn't be so many problems with children who have lost their way because of dysfunctional family situations caused by one or both parents.

CONCERNED FOR THE CHILDREN

Warwick

Be more careful

October 14, 2010

Dear Sir,

To the male driver of the grey Toyota Yaris:

If the call you were on was of such importance that you just had to talk to the individual, why did you not pull off the road to give it your full attention? You seem to have a callous disregard for the life and limb of fellow road users. Please be reminded that using cell phones while operating a vehicle is illegal. I would only hope that the call you were on from before the south Trimingham Hill roundabout until when I transferred into the other lane on Crow lane was so important that it warranted your attention or should I say inattention to the road.

You were so engrossed in your call at the south Trimingham Hill roundabout that you had straddled two lanes and slowed as if to turn onto the roundabout heading east, you then hit the gas and continued up the hill into Hamilton. You were so engrossed that you did not see how you made others behind you brake as you finally made up your mind on the direction you wanted to go, still on the cell – over the hill and not around the roundabout as judged from your position in the road. In the interest of safe driving please hang up. Sir, you ought to be more careful, while you may not think this is a major issue, others do ... your call is not more important than my life!

FELLOW DRIVER

City of Hamilton

Enough is enough

October 17, 2010

Dear Sir,

Yet another fracas at the CedarBridge Academy! I mean seriously now, enough is enough! It has been a troubled summer of allegations and lawsuits ... wait ... more like a few years it seems. We also had the two school closure due to mold. Come on now. This is in my view one reason why the island is in totally chaos – a lack of good education for the youth. How can we educate our younger generation when the adults in the administration cannot get their own act together. and how many Education Ministers have we seen in the past four years? Our education systems and the entire ministry is seeming to be totally inept to cope with the demands of our younger society. Stop with the cock and bull stories and get on with it. I understand that this is a difficult ministry to cope; however, too much foolishness is going on. Clean up your act and let's get focused on these kids. Period!

ROBERT DAVIES

Young United

Solving unemployment

October 14, 2010

Dear Sir,

I read with great interest today's article (Oct. 14) about the Uighurs' new employment. This is fantastic that four people can find employment so fast after being on the front page of the newspaper. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against these men and if the Governor, the Premier and the Minister of Immigration approve it, then congratulations to them for getting new jobs. After all, we all need to work, get paid and have a roof over our heads. I would therefore like to suggest that once a week on Wednesdays the local newspapers run a front-page story on four people who are seeking employment. If it has worked so quickly for some, it should work for others. Unemployment solved!

ANNE HYDE

Paget

Absolutely un-Christian

October 16, 2010

Dear Sir,

As a concerned adult, I would very much like to pass along my thoughts on Hallowe'en to your readers. As Hallowe'en approaches, it is important to remind parents and children that the festival has an undercurrent of occultism and is absolutely anti-Christian. The feast of Hallowe'en was once the vigil feast of All Saints' Day, which is celebrated on November 1. It was the beginning of a day in which we rejoice in the work of God seen in his saints and cause of great inspiration and joy to the world. Sadly, it has become dangerously paganised and heavily commercialised. Parents should be aware of this and try to direct the meaning of the feast towards wholesomeness and beauty rather than terror, fear and death. Wearing skeleton suits, dressing up as vampires, witches or goblins or slapping on fake blood is not far removed from communing with the Devil.

As we approach Hallowe'en this year, let us try to provide a wholesome, non-pagan alternative celebration, which thus critiques and rejects the pagan holiday. Parents can, for example, dress up their children as popular saints instead of witches and devils. They can carve smiling faces, rather than menacing faces, into pumpkins. They can light a candle or display publicly another kind of light alongside, perhaps, an image of Christ. These things can be a powerful means of showing people that we have hope in someone other than ourselves.

VIC VERITAS

Kingston, Jamaica