We are not anti-foreigner: we are pro-Bermudian

I see the bad moon arising.

I see trouble on the way.

I see earthquakes and lightnin’

I see bad times today.

— Credence Clearwater Revival

Ah — term limits. Months ago I wrote a few columns on this topic, which I foresaw as a piviotal issue in the then pending election.

Pivotal, in the sense that anytime there is a topic the OBA did not wish to openly discuss in any detail, it meant that issue was one they were afraid of the public knowing their true intent [see my November 30, 2012 article at www.bermudasun.bm].

It was clear to me at that time that the OBA had no intention of suspending term limits but instead to abolish them altogether. Yet we were  accused of fear mongering and lying. Well, they can also accuse us of knowing how they truly operate. Because sure as day, Minister Fahy abolished term limits within  two months of being in office.

As for consultation with stakeholders, Minister Fahy sent out an e-mail to the unions of Bermuda three working days before his declaration.

So kindly tell us, how is that consultation? In his press conference, it became glowingly apparent which master he serves. It is without doubt that it is the whims and wishes of international business that minister Fahy answers to.

He unleashed a rant about xenophobic remarks against guest workers and how there is insufficient methodologies to “police” the blogs.

Pity his and his party’s concern has never been the anti-Bermudian sentiment that has been prevalent on the blogs for near two years. Standing up for Bermudians seem to be secondary against the backdrop of standing up for non-Bermudians.

A few days later, to compound the issue further, OBA Deputy Chairman Michael Branco released what is obviously the manifest destiny of some segments of the OBA: “The Progressive Labour Party has known this since they put the term limit policy in place. The only effect the policy has is to make non-Bermudians feel uncomfortable.

“We believe the reason they went ahead with putting the policy in place was to pander to the xenophobic views of those Bermudians who would like Bermuda to be foreigner-free.”

As my teenagers would say “Ya serz?( are you serious?)” In one fell swoop, Mr Branco has thrown away that “Kumbaya moment”. The mere fact that this comes from the deputy chairman, as an official OBA document, indicates this is the viewpoint of the OBA itself.

In times like this we all need to  seek peace over pieces.

Let me assure Mr Branco he need not worry himself about Bermudians wishing Bermuda to be foreigner-free. Most of us are descendants of West Indians.

The OBA really never ‘won’ any election: A significant number of PLP supporters chose not to vote. They fell for the ‘Okie doke ‘that the OBA and some of the media expounded for over a year.

Forum

When we pointed out the OBA were going to abolish term limits, we were called liars. Well, history has shown who lied. The Bermudian voters now see the truth.

This evening at 5:30pm there will be a forum on Term Limits/Work Permits held at St Paul’s AME Centennial Hall. The panelists are as follows;

• Senator Michael Fahy, Minister of Home Affairs;

• Walter Roban, Shadow Minister of Home Affairs;

• Ronnie Viera, President, Bermuda Chamber of Commerce;

• Michael Ross, Bermudian Businessman;

• Keith Jensen, President, Bermuda Employers Council;

• Chris Furbert, President, Bermuda Industrial Union.

We strongly suggest all concerned Bermudians attend this forum.

No, Mr Branco, we don’t wish Bermuda to be foreigner-free. We simply refuse to be second class citizens in our own country.

Indignity

We refuse to train guest workers only to later have them promoted to supervise us.

We refuse to have to suffer the indignity of never being able to afford to purchase a home in our own country, whilst guest workers are given carte blanche rights to buy any property they wish to.

We refuse to be told we have to wait for a job, while companies are given the red carpet to import cheap labour.

We refuse to stand idly by and listen to persons wax poetically about the need for the importation of 10,000 guest workers , whilst 3,000 Bermudians are unemployed.

No, we are not anti-foreigner — we are Pro-Bermudian

Bermudians of every gender, race and creed — don’t get it twisted: It is we who built Bermuda, alongside guest workers. Frankly, we refuse to listen to any more anti Bermudian insults. 

We refuse to be,

What you wanted us to be;

We are what we are:

That’s the way (way) it’s going to be.

— Bob Marley

E-mail: [email protected]