future. As we give thanks for the birth of Christ we should also give thanks for this extraordinary island called Bermuda.

In the concluding paragraph of last year's Christmas editorial we noted the need to pray for less intolerance and healthier race relations. Little did we know at the time that race would become the pivotal issue of a general election or that it would be on the "front burner'' this Christmas. While we agree that race should be a major consideration, Bermudians should remember amid their Christmas celebrations that while we are deeply concerned about race relations, others compare us to their countries as a model of what can be achieved. That is not good enough but it does demonstrate that Bermuda can progress.

The future of all four military bases is a problem for us to solve but it is not an insoluble problem. Some good management and some sensible choices ought to serve us well. Government has to make those choices understanding that they will not please everyone. Solving the problems presented by base closures is a major challenge but it is also a great opportunity for Bermuda to move into the future.

Bermuda has demonstrated in the last few years that challenges can be met and that the Country will co-operate and work together to help Bermuda. We have come out of the recession as well as anyone, and we were better prepared for the recession than most countries. Co-operation among Government, businesses and the banks to dull the impact of the recession was remarkable and typical of the way Bermuda responds to a crisis. However, it should not be taken for granted because it is Bermudian but it would not have happened in many countries where it would have been "every man for himself''.

If we compare the effects of the recession on Bermuda and the effects on other countries, we survived very well because our economy was strong. When we bemoan our hard times, we are quibbling with excellence.

We can give thanks this Christmas that Bermuda is still the best of the islands and a leader in world prosperity.

Bermuda's people are concerned and free and speak their minds. Nowhere was that more evident than during the 1993 general election. The free vote was widely exercised without hindrance. Bermudians had their say and whether or not you liked the result, it was a free choice. That is to be cherished when you look at the countries where there is a need for outside scrutineers and UN supervision to get anywhere near a free vote. We can give thanks that Bermuda is well run and well governed and well served by the general array of public servants and not too many countries can say that.

We are also free to have religious tolerance and even intolerance on the part of religions. While some churches should pray this Christmas to rid themselves of persecution in the name of God, being free to give thanks to God for the birth of his Son is something many of the world's people do not enjoy.

It is difficult to believe that any country has ever provided the good life for such a wide array of its people as Bermudians enjoy. Bermuda is the best place and too often we forget that. We have been spared the hard core poverty, extensive homelessness and wide unemployment that plagues so much of the world. We complain and we want things to be better but very few economies are as strong as ours and ours is basically healthy and vibrant and feeds and clothes us well. We take for granted in our every day lives things which most people consider extreme luxuries.

Before next Christmas we will be challenged again but we are strong. As we give thanks for the birth of Christ, we should also give thanks for those strengths.