Genetic challenge

July 8, 2009

Dear Sir,

Perhaps when Dr. Brown opens his stem cell clinic he can also incorporate a gene therapy service. All he would then need to do is identify the 'anti PLP gene' and he can cure all the racist bigots of their genetic predisposition.

HOW BIZARRE

Southampton

Weak UBP hurts us all

July 8, 2009

Dear Sir,

I just finished the article about the UBP promising to improve. My personal feeling is that it is time for the UBP to fold, not try to improve. They've had ten years to try and improve and have only become weaker. They consistently question the Premier's decisions, which they should, but they don't offer any alternatives. The last motion of any importance I can remember them putting forward was John Barritt's concerning absentee voting.

They are lacking in their attention to detail, whether it be ensuring everyone is on the same page prior to a critical vote or even their own website.

The UBP website still shows Darius Tucker as a member, Michael Dunkley as the party leader and Kim Swan as a Senator. If they can't even organise their most accessible propaganda site why should anyone believe they can improve? They selected as a leader an individual that barely won his own constituency. A margin so close it is questionable he will even be around after the next election.

We operate under the Westminster system. This system relies on, and needs, a strong and organised opposition. The opposition is part of the checks and balances we need regardless of what party is the government of the day.

Over the last few month's disgruntled PLP members have been a better opposition than the UBP. Because the UBP refuse to acknowledge their ineffectiveness they are in fact hurting the country because they are not able to act as a strong and effective opposition.

JAMES JACKSON

Devonshire

Now that you're listening

July 10, 2009

Dear Sir,

Re: Polly (Royal Gazette, July 10). I have, indeed made many proposals over the years. It does not surprise me that Polly has ignored them. Until recently it was more or less pointless since the white community completely ignored both the black community and the implications of their past injustices and many blacks chose to minimise both racism and its implications.

However, now that a few whites, under Premier Brown, are not only paying attention to blacks and what they have to say but, like "Polly" are even responding, I beg you to publish a few of my proposals once again:

1. This PLP Government must introduce and implement Affirmative Action Legislation.

2. This Government must find some way to direct the same kind of capital funds towards the black economy that it has directed towards white businesses and the black American economy.

3. The white community (including Polly) must recognise that merely acknowledging the evils of the past is not sufficient without some effort to make redress – with or without an apology!

4. They must recognise that they will have to make some adjustment to their position of unearned privilege in the process.

5. They must begin by not resisting the feeble attempts of the PLP, like the Equity Bill – unless they have some more productive alternative.

6. Government Scholarships should only be given to students after they have spent two semesters in a school with a majority of the opposite race – however they accomplish this – irrespective of the nature of the private schools.

I have put forth others but in the interest of space, I will only say what I have begun to propose more recently.

The nature of Bermudian society depends almost entirely on black society despite the economic power of the white community. As a result of the internalising of the racist philosophy of first their slave masters, then that of a segregating white community and then trying so hard to integrate with a resisting white community, the black community has disintegrated and turned its back on those values which sustained it for generations.

So today we need a Big Conversation among ourselves to address our internalised racism and our current social dysfunction and black on black violence.

We have the political power and we can find the solutions – we are prepared to be as honest as we have demanded that the white Community be. I, personally, will continue to "bleat" about racism and its long term impact of economic disparity and a racially divided society as no one makes a serious effort to address either – even if whites and some blacks are tired of "the echo'.

EVA N. HODGSON

Hamilton Parish