---

Dear Sir,

It seems our foreign ­national residents are ­becoming just as testy about every little thing as Bermudians.

What is ­disturbing is that collectively, they have never had it so good.

Regards Minister Burch's recent initiative directed at stemming the tide of morally corrupt expatriates, clearly it is only a case of if the shoe fits, wear it.

If I were living in another country and other Bermudians there were acting in a way that is not good for our national image, I'd 100 per cent support any Government action designed to get rid of them.

Such an initiative will only serve to ensure they continue to enjoy the perks of living here. Bermuda seems to be "the place to go" in the minds of some living in countries with ­depressed economies.

To seek a better life is the right of every one and we, by and large, welcome law-abiding persons who will be an asset to Bermuda - but there seems to be a "head in the sand" mentality when it comes to remembering our small size.

Any species subject to overcrowding degenerates into total chaos and Bermuda is not immune.

Guns here are nothing new but using them is. Something has changed or, more accurately, something has gotten worse.

The police are doing the best they can and urgently need assistance from the public - the public they have, over past generations, marginalised, negatively profiled and railroaded into a criminal record. I know because I am one of them.

It must be frustrating not being able to prove a ­suspect's guilt but that is no reason to ignore the possibility they may be innocent.

The first thing that ­happens when someone ­volunteers information is that the police try to turn him or her into a suspect.

The driving ambition is to get a conviction, seemingly at any cost, and to hell with justice, so now it has come back to haunt them.

Moving on, most call jury duty a civic duty. Sorry, but I disagree. The only civic duty is ­being law-abiding - anything else is work. In a court, the ­defense attorney, judge and prosecution ­attorney is well paid. The jury is paid a pittance.

I was stuck in a three-week trial trying to disseminate the evidence and budget my pay at the same time - not an easy task.

If civic duty is in ­demand, let's volunteer two days' jury duty free, with any time thereafter paid.

Such paltry pay is hardly any incentive to do a good job, especially if it's a high profile case.

Since we now have a problem picking juries, it is not much of a stretch to ­understand why people are reluctant to serve - they simply can't afford to.

C.K. Simons[[In-content Ad]]

---