Stop all discrimination

August 17, 2009

Dear Sir,

I write in response to an anonymous letter signed Smith's in The Royal Gazette of August 15, 2009. The letter identified CURB President Lynne Winfield as his/her target.

To Smith's: Discrimination against any human is unacceptable. If you sincerely believe this also why deprive yourself of the development you and others would gain from working to remove discrimination toward Black people because removal of discrimination against gays is the not the specific focus of Ms Winfield? If you feel passionate about removing discrimination against gays then work as hard as you wrote you are capable off to remove it. This will require using your real name, real face, and real public action and real courage. This is what Ms Winfield does for what she feels strongly about. I encourage you to do the same.

FRANCES EDDY

Warwick

Stop creating divisions

August 10, 2009

Dear Sir,

Can I just say that I am absolutely tired of hearing "black" and "white" in the news whether it is on TV or in a paper. Enough is enough. Although from what I see, there is too many ignorant people on this Island that it probably never will end. But you see, everyone sits back and says "we need to cut the racial divide" or "we need to end this racism in Bermuda", but what I see is more and more people creating it! All this Island seems to see lately is Black and White, but yet it only gets called "playing the race card", sorry but no, here's a wake up call for you – it is racism – point blank.

Come on Bermuda! As said in a previous letter: "It's 2009 last time I checked ... not 1969", so stop creating a bigger racial divide! Stop creating racist issues and start worrying about the real problems we are now facing! (Like say the increased violence, gun problems, teen pregnancies, and just overall nonsense this island has but is being overlooked)

I am a youth myself and I have to say it disgusts me to watch my island fall to pieces over the ignorance and bull-headed actions of both races.

CONCERNED BERMUDIAN TEEN

Pembroke

The wisdom of 'natives'

August 10, 2009

Dear Sir,

The inquiring minds of the Invisible Natives want to know the answers to the following:

Have we made common sense and wisdom irrelevant, or should we seek wisdom and apply it?

Will this proposed new anti-gang law apply to all ethnic groups, (since all communities have deviant sub-groups as a rule of nature)?

What would be the definition of the deviancy that would be the common denominator for the need to be arrested?

What happens after the arrest, and what happens when they are to be released into the public?

What are we to expect to have been changed during the tenure?

Why is it that advice given by wise natives is consistently overlooked? "Natives" refers to those who have lived here long enough to derive common sense answers to common problems. Some are so wise that they can be here one day and see what many others have complained about for years!

The "native teachers" from all of our ethnic groups told government years ago that the megaschool system was a failure in the countries that tried it, but the "experts" who originated from those same countries were well paid to consult at great expense to oversee the implementation here. Now the same "natives" have to live with the product while the "experts" have returned to their countries.

Another "native", Mr. Butler, wrote an excellent brief textbook years ago on how to raise good boys in Bermuda. The amount of money that has been spent on importing motivational speakers reinforces the theme of the "natives being unqualified to provide advice".

Another "native", Mr. Bierman, designed and built pre-poured concrete modular housing which would be inexpensive and durable, but was not supported in his efforts for many years.

Another "native", Mr. Brown, drew up an energy retrieving and distribution system 30 years ago utilizing the water, wind and solar attributes of the islands, but it was "not appropriate" to accept any consultative advice from that individual at the time. Now the broken, brand new generator has to be replaced and we cannot afford it.

Perhaps the Premier needs a vacation and proper quiet time to reflect and recollect before making more mistakes. He has headed a great team, but these intelligent "natives" have become restless for good reason.

Time to take some nasty medicine! (... Don't forget the spoonful of Bermuda honey to soothe his throat.)

DOC MORRIS

Smith's

Revitalise tourism

August 10, 2009

Dear Sir,

In 1997, I wrote to the Bermuda Sun responding to another story about how Bermuda finds itself at the crossroads in our tourism industry, and in an earlier article I wrote how Bermudians are like an orange and all the juice is squeezed out.

At a time when Bermuda has never experienced what it is now facing, my question to all Bermudians is: "Are your eyes open yet, and are your ears open yet?" If not my prediction is Bermuda will experience Hell very soon. My name is Capt. Dendrick Taylor, of First Ocean Marketing Inc., it was in the year 1991 I wrote an article voicing my concerns about Bermuda. Having worked in the hotel industry for 30 years, I believed it gave me a full understanding of our tourism industry, so I later wrote a Five Year National Tourism Plan to benefit all Bermudians, but no one listened.

I am now an Elder at my church, planning to do missionary work including other projects around the world to help others. My relationship with God has really given me a deeper understanding for today's problems, and how to approach Bermuda's problem relating to our social problems, but Bermuda has to want real change for all its people, which has to start from the top.

For instance, out of all the politicians I spoke to (many), only one, Deputy Premier Paula Cox, acted and supported my project – not because it came from me, but because it was for Bermuda. I made my first presentation in the 1980s, now it is 2009. Wow! What is going on, Mr. Politician, are you here to serve the people or reap for yourselves? Could it be the number one indicator why Bermuda is in the position today? God says the government will be on his shoulders. In other words every government in this world throughout history will be judged by Him, and today He still continues to raise up and pull down governments likewise leaders, and nations, which means the races of the Earth a hint, of how God operates.

God never places a people in any country that totally relies on experts from other countries. Bermudians, it's time to wake up! I am not anti-foreign. I'm fully aware every country needs guest workers. In Bermuda, after all, how could we have made the progress we enjoy today without foreigners?

How do we move forward? Bermuda,we need to open our ears to what our youth and our young men are saying. Ask yourself whether we assisted in placing them in this position or, like some, do we blame them for not learning like most, or have we failed to address their concerns by closing our eyes and shutting our ears, failing to offer a solutions because its not our problem directly? It is now all of our problem. So Mr. Politicians, we have trusted you without experience, and put you in the highest seat in the land, now we expect you to stop trying to be politically correct and to trust us the people.

We have had experts for education, experts for gangs, experts for energy, experts for consultants, experts for tourism.

A car manufacturer who produces luxury cars hoping to sell them on the international market, he places his marketing funds into the wrong areas and the result was less demand, less profit, and less staff required to sell the product. Sounds familiar?

We just fired a group of Bermudians and hire a foreign team, and quickly had to make a decision to dismiss them. And there is Global Hue who hasn't yet conquered our market along with other discrepancy, but gets re-hired anyway. We were told we should be happy – a black firm has the contract. More dollars overseas, and you wonder why our youth is displaying different behaviours? Or do we see ourselves as a people thinking "no, we cannot", maybe our young people's eyes are open, ears are open only. Cruise ships taken out of the mainstream, creating fewer jobs for Bermudians in our stores rather then sharing the wealth around the Island. Bermudians failing to train one another to be successful and prefer to mistreat and under pay a foreign worker for the sake of the mighty dollar to take care of his self interest.

We need to stop blaming Bermudians for the problems in tourism. Yes, we are a pain sometimes when holidays comes up, not showing up to work similar to our taxis drivers on Cup Match holiday.

Yet we we are so well liked by the visitors that they kept coming back and back to this wonderful country to see not so much Bermuda any more, but the Bermudian people who took the time out to build relationships, recognising our main ingredient for tourism and success is the product (The Bermudian people and its culture) of our tourism industry.

Now let's start by building the blocks back in the hotel industry before too many more people have bought into the saying 'tourism is finished'. When has a vacation become outdated in the world? In Bermuda it was always the older hotelier who trained the younger Bermudian like myself. I was taken off the street and put to work under a Bermudian as a busboy and worked my way up to assistant manager in a Bermuda hotel. I also travelled around the world including Europe studying the hospitality industry and later opening up my own business. So let me say this, did Bermudians let the industry down or did someone else?

I'm still like yesterday, offering a Bermudian Five Year National Tourism Plan to our Tourism Department, and to our Tourism Minister featuring the following:

1) Making Bermuda the ultimate vacation.

2) But we must reduce crime.

3) Increase profits for the airlines, hotels, and the merchants of the land.

4) Increase international business making our banks more profitable.

5) Train young Bermudians not just to serve, but to own a part of the industry. (Did you know few Bermudians really own a part of Bermuda's Tourism industry? Look around.)

6) Address Racism from a spiritual focus to create healing in the land that we might move forward as a country.

7) Many of our older black Bermudians have hurts to be addressed from our business community of the past, which has a great effect on our youth today. All these are hard, and difficult issues to address, but God gives us the answers to overcome and be the one country as he would like us to be. Have a national pride Bermuda has never had, even as we celebrate our 400th anniversary. Something is still very wrong.

Finally, I wasn't surprised when our youth admitted this week of their mistakes, and now they are reaching out to end it all. What are you willing to do, Mr. Premier, Mr. Politician, Mr. Church Mr. and Mrs. Bermuda?

We have spent millions and I won't say on the wrong things, but now it is time to spend millions to enhance the quality of life for Bermudians, young, and old, male and female. It's time to drop the racial comments. It's time to stop blocking each other from prospering, for we are all God's people. Open your eyes. Open your ears. No more legislation to keep us in bondage. Bermuda is small enough, crime has increased, our people are concerned, the land is spilled with blood. How long Bermuda? How long Mr. Politician, when we know the answer remains within our people?

God is so good if we only give him a chance, think about it what is so bad about the seven pointers above. Let me end by by borrowing. The President of America's quote "Yes, we can!"

ELDER AND CAPT. DENDRICK TAYLOR

St. George's

Bermuda schools beat US

August 10, 2009

Dear Sir,

I take exception to Mr. Slayton's criticism of our private schools in Bermuda. He obviously is not aware of the excellent examination results our Bermudian children achieve and the top universities they attend after leaving Saltus, Bermuda High School, Warwick Academy and our other private schools.

Our private school system is far superior to education in the US. Perhaps the problem was not the school. He really should have sent them to school in his home country.

This latest outburst is just another example of him speaking out about Bermuda when, as a guest diplomat, he should keep his mouth shut.

ST. GEORGIAN

Edge trimming victim

August 10, 2009

Dear Sir,

I would like to comment on your article in today's Royal Gazette about landowners being notified in advance prior to Works and Engineering crews carrying out trimming on overgrowth. After hearing a few comments on the radio talk shows it seems as though I am not the only one who has encountered the butchered hacking to their property.

On July 10, I arrived home to find a W&E crew outside my property just hacking away at my manicured hedge which I have maintained by a private landscaping company. After calling to complain and arranging a meeting the manager on site I was told that my hedge obstructed walkers on the side walk. Mr. Editor, anyone in the area can attest that for the past 20 years this hedge has never grown past the stone wall and has always been trimmed ongoing by a private service which I pay for. I have never ever encountered a situation like this.

Because my hedge sits behind my stone boundary wall that has a v-cap and the branches were just beyond this cap, it was abusively hacked, not in its entirety, but the majority I guess until the workers got tired. I have over the past six months been tediously working with my landscaper to allow the hedge to grow over the top of this cap to stop the amount of litter that is dropped daily between the cap and the hedge. I was not approached by, nor have I ever received a letter from, W&E and find your news article of their warning a joke. Through today, I have never received an apology nor been contacted as to how they might rectify this wrong that was done.

The W&E crew have recently moved sites but were stationed for over three weeks on Cobbs Hill Road. There are so many hedges and trees within close proximity that are visible to a blind person but were not cut back. For the length of time they were there, the entire parish should have had each and every road side tree/hedge cut back. I am a senior citizen and have never had an occasion or reason to write but I feel that I have received a disservice and after reading that article wonder what do they actually do – retrim hedges?

BUTCHERED IN WARWICK

A Bermudian expert

August 10, 2009

Dear Sir,

I see in Saturday's paper that local-boy-makes-good Dennis Rahiim Watson has once again received an award for his work with America's youth.

Your reporter has rightly been impartial and called him a Bermuda motivational speaker. I'll call him what he is: The Bermuda motivational speaker – a lightning bolt of positive thinking with a deep love of Bermuda.

So why bring down Minister Farrakhan when we have Dennis? How could Farrakhan possibly relate to Bermuda's problems? No offence at those who follow his teachings, but he's old news. And what did he accomplish while he was here, except ruffle the feathers of the police?

My friendship with Dennis goes back to the early 1980s in New York when he invited a group of us who worked for tourism to hear one of his streams of consciousness talks. He had privately published inspirational poetry too.

It was apparent in those fledgling days that Dennis had his pulse on the personal and social challenges of teens and young adults.

I heard Spike Lee and Bill Cosby when they were invited to speak here at the Southampton Princess some years ago. Bermuda College brought down Spike. Simply billed as Spike Lee Live!. But both he and Cosby covered race and the negative influences on America's black youth. We all know them, BET (specifically targeted by Spike), gangsta rap etc. For sure, there are specific cultural differences, but don't for a minute think these influences escape young whites.

Dennis is on the same wavelength as Bill and Spike, and he's one of us. We have the Mirrors programme, but we need more initiatives. Enough of holding public lectures for adults too. It's time and timely to get him here for some serious straight talk – direct talk – with our youngsters, perhaps funded by the Education Ministry. I know he'd be here in a nano-second, full of ideas, tough talk and solutions.

PAMELA H. WILLCOCKS

Smith's