“Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea

And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honnah Lee

— Peter, Paul and Mary

Oh, the irony. My writing career began when I would submit letters to The Royal Gazette.

I later found myself writing columns in the Bermuda Sun where I was blessed with the opportunity to present a patchwork of Bermudian stories from different perspectives.

No matter your background, ethnicity or political views, you have reached out and entrusted me to hear your plight, your challenges and your dreams.

And now it is only because of you, my readers, that I have decided to write this column in The Royal Gazette. Bermuda, our voices and stories must be heard.

You can trust that I will continue to spread the diverse messages you want heard.

Guy Fawkes?

Recently, I have read, and with great wonderment at the continuous drumbeat of many, including the editor of The Royal Gazette, that we must do away with the Westminster system of party politics as it is contributes to our divided country.

While party politics has been around for 50 years, Bermuda has been divided for 405 years.

Guy Fawkes’ ghost could blow up Parliament and both parties could cease to exist tomorrow, however the deep rooted divisions will still exist.

Bermuda, let us look past the superficial issues and be willing to delve deeper into the core reasons for our economic, racial and social divisions.

As a prime example, the recent land grab and immigration issues are sensitive matters that stretch back before party politics.

These things cut to the very bone of most Bermudians.

To callously dismiss them as mere political stunts, only inflames the soul of the masses and sets the stage for a bonfire of the vanities.

Road map?

Where do we, as a country, go from here?

• Do we just close our eyes and wait until next year’s two-day unity fest at Cup Match?

• Do we place all of our trust in politicians?

• Do we buy into the belief that the next generation will see neither colour nor creed?

We can do all of these things, yet still the divide will continue to exist and grow wider.

Westminster politics is not alone in fostering division. Party politics merely reflects the divisions that already exist.

As long as there is sexism, we will be divided.

As long as there is educational inequality, we will be divided.

As long as there is homophobia, we will be divided.

As long as IB is not reflective of our demographics, we will be divided.

As long as we have biased media, we will be divided.

As long as we are force fed trickle-down economics, we will be divided.

As long as we have ageism, we will be divided.

As long as we have rampant consumerism on one side, we will be divided.

As long as our economy is not diversified, we will be divided.

As long as we do not listen to each other, we will be divided.

Until we not only view each other as equals but also treat each other as equals, we will be divided.

Time to wake up, Bermuda, this is not Honnah Lee.

If this were Chewstick, I would now drop the mic.

carib_pro@yahoo.com

@ryderz777