Breaking News: Consultants to review corporations of Hamilton and St. George

[LostinFlatts]

Wow, good few new points on here, tackling in particular order (cause it’s interesting)

1.   At least Brown forced the conversation – What is meant by this exactly? What conversation did we have? The ones with Ralph Comissiong? That’s not a conversation, it’s a witch hunt. He never tried to have a conversation. It was never more than a political strategy, to pander to a certain segment of his voters at the expense of those who would never vote for him anyway.

2.   What do people think will come out of these conversations? I honestly don’t know that many Bermudians (and none my age) that want anything other than a fair shot at their lives, regardless of race. Is the whole point of these conversations really an apology? An acknowledgement of the past? Because those two things have been done countless times. And if the point is to bring us together, it’s surely failing, look around! Growing up I was always proud of Bermuda’s integrated society, especially when compared to other parts of the world I travelled. But things are more divided now then they were 10 years ago. And more divided today than 3 years ago. I’m not saying everything was rosy and there weren’t still issues, but good lord at least our kids all hung out together, we all played at the same sports clubs and all moaned about the same crap going on up on the hill. Everything is now us v them.

3.   In the end our system of governing is the real reason this has all happened. It’s too confrontational and we can’t hope to produce enough talent for so many places.

4.   Lots on these ferries, I don’t really think that’s on topic? (if my throw away comment is what triggered it anyway)

[jnc]

White Bermudians in particular choose to isolate themselves within their own community.

PS: It seems rather contradictory to make people "uncomfortable", and then also expect them to step out of their comfort zone into new things! When you make people uncomfortable, it's no surprise that they decide to get defensive and "circle the wagons", and retreat back to places they feel more comfortable.

Noel

[cash bar]

Ever notice how [Eva Hodgson] has endless moans about everything  in her mind 'racial' but never offers any suggestions or ideas to correct what she percieves as  'wrongs' ?
She always mysteriously stops just short of saying what she'd  really like to see done.

Do you have any guesses as to what she would in fact like to see; or is your point simply that she sees problems but has no ideas on how to solve them?

I think we all know what she'd like to see . It's not that she doesn't have any ideas, she's just a tad shy about saying how she's like to see it done .

[Martin]

PS: It seems rather contradictory to make people "uncomfortable", and then also expect them to step out of their comfort zone into new things! When you make people uncomfortable, it's no surprise that they decide to get defensive and "circle the wagons", and retreat back to places they feel more comfortable.

Noel

Exactly. The continual baiting from Rolfe etc isn't going to get white's sitting around the campfire and trying to find a way forward. That has to be the Govt's job by way of legislation and also direct funding of black entreprise, which is what I thought Ewart was going to do after his little chat with the Caribbean BBC Correspondent.

But - he didn't. Unless I missed it, what happened?

Eva gets upset, partly, because Ewart sends the money overseas and does not spend it here. She also gets upset because, the Govt doesn't come up with affirmative action programmes.

Ever wonder why not?

[Limerick]

Surprisingly, no-one here has posted Laverne's LTTE today blasting Wayne Perinchief. Is it available on-line? It's a dandy...

[Martin]

Lim

I think CO did.

[SmokingGun]

Lims - it's been posted and it has it's very own thread....

As to Rolfe's LTTE.... can you tell the odd man out?

http://bermudasun.bm/main.asp?SectionID=4&TM=61716.9

Rolfey baby - Democracy starts with a D.... same as Discussion. Something you and your guys didn't dare have before the fact even with your own people up in the north east quadrant of Hamilton. There's a few other words that best describe you that begin with D....

[Limerick]

Oh, my bad...I deserve a  for not looking around for it.

[Limerick]

It would be better if we didn't even see/notice.. because once you do, it makes the next step (the one you warn against) that much easier.

Humans being the visual creatures we are, it's pretty much impossible to not see someone of a different color, ethnicity, gender etc. I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with noticing those things, we are all unique individuals, and that should be celebrated, not ignored. It's when hate and discrimination based on those differences occurs than we run into problems. I believe our goal should be to look beyond race, not to ignore it completely.  The judgment of one's character as opposed to judgment by skin color, would be one of humanity's finest achievements if we can ever get to that point.

[Eructus]

I took Diversity Skills Training at Bermuda College in the 90's. I experienced 400 lab hours. I saw what made a good facilitator. Rolfe is not one. He is a slave to his biases.

To begin a process by predetermining how people should feel, what they should take away from the experience, and to denigrate people's take on the process is anathema to facilitating race relations. Facilitators by definition are not teachers or preachers. They provide an experience for a group and the group owns it, not the facilitator.

Bermudians should demand their money back.

Where is the Human Rights Commission in all this? Are its members not trained either?

[SmokingGun]

Totally agree Eructus.

The BPSU should respond to Role's letter denouncing his attempt to try and turn their march up the hill into a white racist attack. The BPSU is certainly not Anglo anything in it's general make up and apparently it was largely because
of them showing up that Zane was called a coward for refusing to talk to them. White people demanding a white politician show black people some respect gets labelled white people racist?

Indeed, where is the HRC on this? In fact how about the Attorney General seeing as Rolfe's pulling $$$$$ for this public presentation. 

[Limerick]

Where is the Human Rights Commission in all this?

The one with Laverne Furbert sitting on the board?

 

[SmokingGun]

Yup that's the one.... Baptism with fire...

[Eructus]

I imagine that if someone launched a formal complaint, the HRC would have to investigate. The response would be telling in determining if there were equal rights based on race in Bermuda or if racism can only be perpetrated by whites and non PLP supporters of any hue.

There could also be a claim regarding the oppression of political freedom and right of association. The Constitution is an empty document if political appointees on the HRC are incapable or chose not to understand its intent - to protect the rights and freedoms of all Bermudians. The Constitution needs to be read as it applies to 2010, a living document, not through the lens of what happened in the past.

When we do look at history, in many countries in the West, human rights have never been so championed and guaranteed, and in such a short period of time. Why do some in Bermuda have such rage, in these relatively good times. They are the ones who have forgotten the past, and how the struggle was won, even while accusing others of covering it up.

[Rufus T. (Uncle Elvis) Firefly III]

...or if racism can only be perpetrated by... non PLP supporters of any hue.

Even though it's common knowledge, it does need to be pointed out that it's against the law to discriminate based on political affiliation.

Think the HRC, as it stands now, would rule fairly on a case of discrimination against a UBP supporter, BECAUSE they are a UBP supporter?