to Bermuda from the Caribbean and bringing in plants despite warnings about a devastating plant bug. Customs and Department of Agriculture officials did their job and handed out warnings about the dangers of the "pink mealybug'' before charter flights left Bermuda. Despite that, passengers still brought plants back to Bermuida. The bug is causing havoc by destroying crops and plants in the Caribbean.

The alarming fact is that Bermudians could be so careless about Bermuda. The insect that destroyed the cedar trees has already taught us all what problems can be caused by a bug from the West Indies. The threat of plant devastation is very real. If people had not been warned, bringing back plants might be understandable but after a warning there is little or no excuse.

The grey Bermuda created by the cedar blight in a very few years was unbelievable and could happen again. Much of what Bermuda offers is its beauty.

In these early days of 1997 we should all give some thought to how we treat our Country. Too often we complain about the way other people behave without being especially careful ourselves.

There have been a number of letters to the Editor recently about litter thrown from cars. Clearly, people are becoming serious about keeping the streets clean. They are, and should be, willing to complain when they see littering.

The response to the idea of dumping asbestos in the sea has demonstrated that a great many Bermudians are concerned about the waters around us. We can only hope that the people will be concerned enough about the sea to push for a "look but do not touch'' law for our wrecks. National treasures are being plundered now.

We should be constantly on guard against anything which can diminish the quality of life in Bermuda. It often seems that today we take less care and express less concern for the look of Bermuda than we did only a few years ago.

If that is true, then we need to be careful not to lower our guard. The easy way is to "let someone else do it'' yet we all have a responsibility to look after Bermuda just as we all have to look after our own homes.

Bermuda is unique in its style and its ambience and its God-given beauty is quite extraordinary. We all must remember to care for that style and that beauty as we go about out daily lives.

The signs we erect, the colours we choose for houses and cars, the attention we give to gardens, the care we take of beaches, and the way we deal with our trash all impact on our daily lives. We have only one Bermuda and that Bermuda deserves our care and our concern.