I attended the meeting last night at Vasco, which lasted until about 10:30 I'd say, and was pretty well attended by a good cross-section. [Note: The Royal Gazette's online story is only a small portion of the full write-up]
As I get 700 words a week in the Gazette and unlimited amounts here, I decided to spend the evening listening as I have plenty of opportunity to talk myself.
Overall I'd characterise the event as mostly a chance for some venting, some finger-wagging at the politicians in attendance and just a general outpouring of disillusionment and dismay at the path our community seems to be going down.
There were some great speeches, and some not-so great ones. The politicians were relatively subdued, mostly in listening mode as well, although the PLP contingent were extremely prickly towards Robert Pires.
Mr. Pires handled the moderation ok, although it started to wander a little towards the end of the evening, but moderating an open forum on such an emotional issue like that is not an easy task.
I would agree with Walton Brown's comments, reported in today's paper, that Mr. Pires went too far in paralleling the attack on Mr. Medeiros with Nazi Germany. I understand the point he was making but it was far too extreme an example.
For me there were some interesting takeaways:
- the most memorable comment for me was towards the end when a gentleman very sternly and directly at the politicians drew a very effective analogy. There's no way I'll do it justice, but with respects to PLP Minister Wayne Perinchief's attempt to discount the attack as indicative of any broader anti-Portuguese sentiment he said that it's like the weather; intermittent showers are when it is raining everywhere else, but an isolated shower is when it's raining over you.
He told the politicians that it's raining whether they like it or not and that what they've offered is an umbrella when what he really needs is clear skies.
It was the most concise and effective summation of the problem I could have imagined.
- one of the things which really stuck with me, both from comments during the meeting and afterwards, was that the Portuguese community seems to be deciding that now is the time to step forward. Historically they have kept a low profile and just got on with their lives, which has been misrepresented as being insular. Several friends from my school days who I haven't seen in years made this point to me afterwards, that the elders have discouraged individuals from being outspoken and it has become a part of the culture of Bermudians of Portuguese heritage.
- the PLP politicians tried to downplay the incident as an example of racism (maybe more appropriately described as an attack on someone presumed to be non-Bermudian because of his race/ethnicity - Bermudian=black, expat=white), but most of the audience wouldn't have it.
- There was a clear consensus that the current government has fostered an environment that permits racial/ethnic hostility both in Parliament, during their campaign and the president of Vasco ended the evening telling the PLP to give the Portuguese community some respect and the UBP to stop taking their votes for granted.
- a myriad of examples were provided on black on white racism in the public schools, which people said is pervasive, as well as other anecdotal incidents, highlighting that racism is not just white on black.
- one former public school teacher, who left the system over a decade ago and now runs her own school, gave an incredible and passionate speech about the problems in the schools, politics and families that are contributing to the division on the island.
- another young woman pointed out that she feels less proud to say she is Bermudian today than a few years ago, because she feels she has to justify it due to her race. She pointed out that she is not considered a 'real Bermudian' by many and that the current government must accept a share of the responsibilty for the rising racial tensions in the community due to their actions and rhetoric. She also accused Hott 107.5FM (whose operator PLP MP Glenn Blakeney was present) of running racially divisive programming.
Overall I'd say the evening was a success. Not so much in that solutions were offered, few were in fact, but because I got the feeling that people's patience has worn out. How that plays out is unclear but the Government is going to have to tread very carefully when they engage in their perpetual campaigns of inciting racial and anti-foreigner hatred.
A large section of the community, historically quiet, is starting to rumble.
Posted by Christian S. Dunleavy