Kettle, Pot

While Calvin Smith has made some sensible contributions to the debates on race and immigration in Bermuda, unfortunately there are also times when he lets his temper get the better of him.

His recent outburst at the BIU forum on independence was one such occurrence, when he harangued a white member of the audience who challenged him (impolitely, it must be admitted) about some comments he'd made in that day's Royal Gazette. That incident led to a complaint being filed against him at the Human Rights Commission (HRC) by another audience member.

Now he's at it again. In the letters page of today's Gazette, Mr. Smith responds to a letter from a Mr. T. Trott, published on July 27, which criticised the former PLP senator's belief that the Caribbean offers Bermuda a good role model for independence. I can't find Mr. Trott's original letter online, but the passage Mr. Smith quotes in his letter seems perfectly reasonable to me.

"Former PLP Senator Calvin Smith is an excellent example of a good man with all the wrong ideas. His obsession with Independence is both peculiar and dangerous. With all the examples of negativity, widespread corruption, money laundering, and self-destruction we see from Caribbean nations how could any sane, logical person turn around and tell Bermuda that the Caribbean is a role model for Independence?...Please Mr. Calvin Smith, let's work together to end the lunacy"

Mr. Smith's response, however, was to go nuclear.

"Mr. T. M. Trott has written a threatening, abusive and insulting letter which fully qualifies for an investigation under the Human Rights Act 1981, Section 8a which forbids the publication of statements that are threatening, abusive or insulting to any group, based on colour, ethnic origin, religion or Nationality... please don't insult me by asking me to join you in anything as long as you are so steeped in bigotry and race hate." (italics mine)

For Mr. Smith to respond in such a heavy-handed manner, threatening Mr. Trott with an investigation by the HRC then vilifying him as "steeped in bigotry and race hate" doesn't just suggest a failure to appreciate the irony in his own words. It demonstrates the depressing tendency of someone who should be leading a respectful debate on an important subject to resort to intimidation and abuse instead of just communicating his point of view.

Comments

[Tiger Bay on 02.08.04 at 18:10]

Folks in the outside world must wondering what is going on here. From this month's Inside Bermuda newsletter from KYC News:

"The sense is abroad that corruption is loose in the land. The PLP promised a New Bermuda, in which the excesses and injustices of the past would stop. Many have since come to believe that what they meant was that the old practices would survive, but the names on the cheques would be different."

The PLP is hooked on "racial outrage" ... without it, they have no armour behind which to hide their inadequacies, failures, and frauds.

[Insert "alleged" wherever it makes you feel good.]

[Xando on 02.08.04 at 18:22]

Calvin the Red forgets that the Human Rights Act also protects political opinion. He seems to think that the Act was created to protect him alone!

[RedwolfBluewolf on 02.08.04 at 20:08]

I thought the weapons of mass destruction were some place in Iraq. Does this mean we are going to be invaded by a multi National force from Caricom without a UN vote? I think the USA took all their nuclear depth charges with them when they pulled out the Navy. How did Calvin get a hold of one ?...does this make us here in Bermuda,the smallest Super Power? Maybe its just the Blue moon effect or the post cup match hang overs kicking in...I want my rights back to stop all these cricket draws!!!^..^ hmmm Ban the Bomb!!

[loki on 02.08.04 at 20:32]

I must say, when I read Calvin Smith's letter this morning, I almost couldn't believe it: the vitriol and, yes, hate with which he chose to express himself was bizarre, to say the least. I read Mr. Trott's letter, then I reread it twice to see how it was even remotely possible for someone to accuse Mr. Trott of being a bigot full of 'race-hate'. Am I missing something here, or has Mr. Smith gone well and truly off the deep end?

[Jean Cygnette on 02.08.04 at 21:02]

Don't worry friends, with independence you shall be more virile, racism shall cease, Alex Scott shall grow beyond dwarf size (he's still the man though), and someone will actually win Cup Match.

[jake on 02.08.04 at 21:19]

We need a coach who can see that the old players are not up to it anymore - all he is doing is using the same ridiculous tactic on another writer that was used on him. Perhaps he sees it as insightful - I call it ridiculous. That particular legislation does not apply to every piece of correspondence critical of a point of view. That quoted section does not even meet the test of being - on its face - a case requiring investigation. It should be dismissed as swiftly as Mr. Smith's letter should.

[David C on 02.08.04 at 22:25]

I've only just read today's paper and I was shocked at what Mr. Smith said in his letter.

I do recall Mr Trott's letter and I do not recall any mention of race.

What I do recall though is that most of Mr. Smith's articles are always about race.

There should be calls for his Royal Gazette column to be dropped.

I wonder if the Royal Gazette will allow Mr. Trott to respond in print?

[Fornicator on 03.08.04 at 08:45]

Yeah I think that this was a poor attempt by Smith to make a mockery of the case that was lodged against him. He wrote about it on Saturday, and I shudder to think that I actually read his entire opinion. Must have been the hangover from Friday that led me to read it.

I don't know why the Gazette brought in Smith and Dunleavy. Presenting "mirror columnists" does not make their views any less partisan, dogmatic or obnoxious.

[Tiger Bay on 03.08.04 at 09:01]

I want some of whatever Redwolfbluewolf is having... ^oo^

[Lickinalong on 03.08.04 at 10:35]

Calvin Smith seems very unstable. At times he can be resonable but at other times he can seem positively "off the wall". I have noticed on several occasions that he has gone into attack mode when individuals challenge his beliefs. Earlier in the year he took great offence in a letter to the editor to someone who comprehensively destroyed his position on deciding independence via a general election. My sense is that many of his thoughts and ideas have not been well thought through and when they get challenged he finds that the best defence is is a strong offence. In some ways it is unfortunate since he does open up some interesting discussions. On the other hand when the discussion goes against his position he seems to just want to close it down. If he continues in this way he will begin to lose all credibility as this weblog is showing.

[Fornicator on 03.08.04 at 11:42]

"My sense is that many of his thoughts and ideas have not been well thought through and when they get challenged he finds that the best defence is is a strong offence."

Hey Lick,

Calvin's not alone on that one. The above pretty much describes the vast majority of politicians, but Smith lacks the care, wisdom and sophistication to let his attack go down smoothly.

Maybe he and Max Burgess should start a support group :-)