comments used in a speech without first placing them in a proper context, it was claimed yesterday.

Stanley James, a medical student and St. George's Seventh Day Adventist Church member, levelled these accusations at VSB reporter Bryan Darby.

Mr. James, who spoke at Young United Bermuda's family fun day and kite flying event at Horseshoe Bay on Good Friday, obtained a transcript of the story that appeared on VSB-TV news that night.

After listening to its contents, Mr. James said his comments were misrepresented and misconstrued.

But Mr. Darby stood by his story and said Mr. James addressed the audience for ten minutes and it would have been impossible to publish all of what he said.

"We felt we were justified in taking the sound bite approach to what was quite an inflammatory and controversial speech,'' Mr. Darby explained.

"We went to Horseshoe Beach to cover the ordinary Good Friday festivities and we were approached by members of the audience who were outraged at what (James) was saying.

"I have spoken to Mr. James and he told me that his comments about `Uncle Toms' were references to people in Jesus' day, but he was relating that to the Bermudian situation.

"I don't know where we have done him any harm. He used the word `Uncle Tom' to describe Jews who were sucking up to the Roman establishment but there was also a very strong Bermudian flair to his entire presentation.

"We drew the inference that any intelligent person would have drawn which was to relate the oppression Jews experienced in Rome to that of Blacks in Bermuda.'' The Seventh Day Adventist Church had asked Mr. James to speak after two other people were suddenly unavailable.

In his speech, Mr. James said Bermuda was facing some tense times which would either divide or unify the community.

"During Jesus' time it was not different,'' he said. "The Jews were a minority being dominated by the Romans who were considered the enemy or the establishment.

"Some Jews like the Pharisees used strict observance to the laws and became self-righteous and no one liked them. Others Jews became tax collectors and were used by the Roman establishment to fleece the Jewish community.

"Then there were the Zealots who were the rebels who wanted to get rid of the Romans by any means.'' Sadducees were perceived by others as the equivalent of modern day "Uncle Toms'', Mr. James said.

Consequently, he said Jesus came at a time when tension between these competing groups was at its highest.

But Jesus, he said, used a message of neighbourly love to transcend this animosity.

"I used this Christian story to tell the audience that Bermuda is faced with a similar level of tension today. And the only way to resolve it is through the Christian ethic of love.

"In my eyes, if the Christian tradition has nothing substantive to say about the divisions in our Bermudian society then it is irrelevant. I spoke at that meeting with no political agenda because I am a Christian who speaks to the moral issues. It was incorrect to label me as a UBP member.'' However in the story that ran on Friday night, Mr. Darby characterised Mr.

James speech as a "bizarre attack on Bermuda's uncle Toms and the enemy who had historically raped and oppressed the blacks.'' Mr. Darby went on to label Mr. James as a "self styled UBP motivational speaker,'' and said that his comments were said in the hearing of Premier Pamela Gordon and "a number of visibly annoyed Cabinet Ministers.'' But when asked, neither Premier Gordon nor deputy Premier Jerome Dill said they were upset about the "Uncle Tom'' comments.