Cricket whites

In a letter to the editor of the Royal Gazette last week, Dr. Eva Hodgson wrote:

I am not a sports person but I do know that cricket has been in the hands of the black Bermudian clubs with the Cricket Board being made up of black Bermudians. But I have been made to understand that once they had a $100,000 to pay out they went to look for a white non-Bermudian and created a special CEO role for him despite his history.

Why, after all of the decades that they have been involved in cricket and administering clubs did they need a white non-Bermudian to administer their recently acquired $11 million?

I cannot blame white folks for that decision because it was made by all black men. I cannot even blame the Government as much as I might like to do so. They were all black men, long involved in cricket, who felt that they must have a white administrator now that they had money, even if they had to change their constitution. Most of them probably had not voted for the UBP but they still felt the need “to return, symbolically, to the Plantation”.

I have since been contacted by Marc Wetherhill, a white Bermudian who is the secretary of the Bermuda Cricket Board, who points out a number of errors in Dr. Hodgson's letter:

"Mrs. Hodgson states that on receipt of the recent government grant the Bermuda Cricket Board “went to look for a white non-Bermudian”. This is incorrect, the individual concerned has served on the Board for seven years and has been an employee of the Board for the last 3 or 4 years."

Furthermore,

"Mrs Hodgson states the Bermuda Cricket Board is “made up of black Bermudians” and “all black men”. This is incorrect, the secretary of the Bermuda Cricket Board is white (me) and I am about to start my fourth year of service. In addition and for the record there are actually three women currently on the Bermuda Cricket Board."

As for Dr. Hodgson's comments about the BCB changing its constitution, Mr. Wetherhill says:

"The BCB are working extremely hard to implement changes to bring the BCB up to a certification level for a not for profit organisation. We gave an undertaking to government that a review of the constitution and corporate governance procedures would be undertaken to ensure that Bermuda Cricket Board maintained current best practice for all not for profit organisations and if necessary a revision would be undertaken. In addition the private sector require that organisations that request funds have a minimum level of corporate governance in place, amendments will ensure that the BCB is able to continue to raise money in the private sector."

Comments

[Sleepy on 13.04.06 at 14:20]

Eva Hodgson is a pinhead. Shit. Here I go again.

Sorry.

[Denis Pitcher on 13.04.06 at 14:21]

Hmm... so Ms. Hodgson states "cricket has been in the hands of the black Bermudian clubs".

So, would this not be a perfect example of whites joining black organizations? Yet, look at what happens when it does - they are accused of getting the spot due to the blacks wanting to symbolically return to the plantation.

It would seem to me this serves as at least a small explanation of why some whites may feel uncomfortable joining black organizations.

I think I summed up the rest of my commentary on this issue with my rebuttal which was posted in the paper.

[Full Fullish on 13.04.06 at 14:22]

More like "There goes her shit again".

[Full Fullish on 13.04.06 at 14:25]

Denis, I saw your letter. Excellent, You and I appear to be on the same wave length here.

I note your points here as well. I think it's time that we as Bermudians started to call out these people. There are better ways to make a point than this, if there is a point to make in the first place. They need to be sent a clear cut message that divisiveness will not be tolerated anymore. If you want to say something, make it constructive.

[OnDeWata __/)__ on 13.04.06 at 14:36]

Eva - God love her - is yet another sh**stirrer...ooops, there I too go again!

Denis, I'm not a regular reader of the LTE (sacrilege!!), but I must say your views are spot-on mate. Keep it up!

First Calvin, then Rolfe, now Eva. Find a 4th and that would make one heck of a Golf Day out :)

[SmokingGun on 13.04.06 at 14:37]

OMG - jeepers creepers - you'd a thunk she'd have done at least a little homework.

Limey - might I suggest you forward your post to the Editor of the Royal Gazette so he can post it for Dr. Hodgson to read. Because we all know she's not going to read it first hand here.

And for the record, I am impressed to hear there are three women on the Cricket board. Maybe someday we'll see them on the field too.

[sandgrownan on 13.04.06 at 14:38]

Sleepy - i was going to say bonehead!! beat me to it!

[Full Fullish on 13.04.06 at 14:38]

OnDeWata - I got your 4th.....Burch!

[Two Cents on 13.04.06 at 14:39]

"First Calvin, then Rolfe, now Eva. Find a 4th and that would make one heck of a Golf Day out"

- A round of Golf with those three, sounds like hell on earth.

[silencedogood on 13.04.06 at 14:41]

Great letter Denis! Although I'm not sure how expats will feel about being referred to as modern day slaves. Some will probably say "at least Bermuda admits it". ;)

[amused on 13.04.06 at 14:45]

- A round of Golf with those three, sounds like hell on earth.
Posted by Two Cents on 13.04.06 at 14:39

It might be entertaining to watch them miss a shot and then listen to them talk about how the white man invented the game just to vex black bermudians or how they should never have bought those graphite clubs made by those damn devils, who no doubt exploited people of color in the process.

[Uncle Elvis on 13.04.06 at 14:54]

What ever happened to "Best person for the job, regardless of race, sex or religion"?

Or does that not apply to white folks?

As is proven by this story, the fight for equal rights would be better helped by... oh, I don't know... getting the facts straight.
I'm all for bitching when you have a bug up your ass, but at least bitch from a place of knowledge. This isn't. This is baiting.

Why is she commenting on this, anyway?
Is she a member of the Cricket board?
Is this yet another job she was qualified for and refused because she's black?

I wonder what she hopes to gain by this...

[Denis Pitcher on 13.04.06 at 15:24]

Silencedogood,

A good point. By no means do I mean to use the term 'slaves' in a derogatory manner in reference to expats and instead wish to draw conclusion to the way we treat them in comparison to the calls we make to how our people were treated in the past.

Expats have no rights when they come to work on our island.
* They are given a 3 year contract that could be ended after a year with them sent off island.
* They only need a few bad words from any Bermudian to be put into much trouble with immigration.
* Many consultants come here with no health insurance and I've:
a. been told a story of an expat who had bottles thrown at him and was cursed for being white
b. been in the situation with an expat who was out with me at a bar and was pushed around in attempts to get him to fight for doing nothing but brushing past.

We need to wake up and realise that we are COMPETEING with other jurisdictions. Read today's paper and see the articles related to changes to EU law that encourage tax discounts for underwriting done within the EU.

Guess who will be moving to Dublin to take advantage?

[Adjustah on 13.04.06 at 15:29]

U.E.

"I'm all for bitching when you have a bug up your ass, but at least bitch from a place of knowledge."

Agreed. Unfortunately it's usually the one's that know the least that make the most friggin' noise.

Denis,

Atta'boy mate, give 'em hell.

[Two Cents on 13.04.06 at 15:41]

"Best person for the job, regardless of race"

Once again it's best described by one of Orwell's quotes
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others"

The sentence is a comment on the hypocrisy of governments that proclaim the absolute equality of their citizens but give power and privileges to a small elite....The same as the UBP did before them, although in my opinion not as bad.

[SmokingGun on 13.04.06 at 15:57]

From what I hear Dublin's a happening place. Good pubs, extremely attractive women and the golf is great too. Hmmm......

[wyrdsister on 13.04.06 at 16:02]

"- A round of Golf with those three, sounds like hell on earth.
Posted by Two Cents on 13.04.06 at 14:39

It might be entertaining to watch them miss a shot and then listen to them talk about how the white man invented the game just to vex black bermudians or how they should never have bought those graphite clubs made by those damn devils, who no doubt exploited people of color in the process.

Posted by amused on 13.04.06 at 14:45 "

isn't the sand traps full of WHITE sand, that might cause problems also.

[SmokingGun on 13.04.06 at 16:06]

naah, they'll be stepping all over it....

sorry ;)

[Jake on 13.04.06 at 19:09]

Denis,

I for one thought your slave analogy with expats was well intentioned but ultimately way off the mark.

You are right that they have limited rights in this country, as we do in theirs. That is not slavery.

You are right that Bermudians have a tendency to "call immigration" and use them as a weapon, as opposed to...an immigration service. Totally wrong, but that is not slavery.

You are also right that they can have their contracts terminated unfairly, and Bermudians can be fired unfairly too. I am not sure that this is on balance unfair to them as a group specifically.

Slavery however, is far worse a condition than that of an expat in Bermuda. We could do the dialogue dance on that proposition, but I will assume you know all the moves already.

"Expat" covers too wide a group of people in any event. The accountant has more rights than the gardener. The accountant can become a "key person" easily. The gardener need not apply.

Other than that, I thought your piece raised good issues, but many were lost in your tone to Dr. Hodgson. She was in the wrong, but you were less than persuasive because you attacked her, instead of focusing on her arguments only.

[Bill Cook on 13.04.06 at 19:57]

Be interested to know how many of the guest workers whose wages were docked for pension benefits for many years left Bermuda and also lost their pension benefits.

Speaking to some they did not know that that money was legally theirs.

It seems they have taxation but no representation and to what extent Bermuda owes its guest workers pension benefits would be interesting information in my opinion.

[SmokingGun on 13.04.06 at 20:13]

Interesting indeed. With interest too I would assume.

[Bermudian on 13.04.06 at 20:34]

expats = modern day slavery?

Denis, I agree with Jake that your point missed the mark. Slavery is a very sensitive issue and you seem to have unintentionally diminished the horrendous nature of slavery by comparing it to the life of an expat worker.

Perhaps you should do some reading on modern day slavery before you make such statements. Again, jake points out that the term expat covers a broad range of occupations. Even some of the lower-level expats have a much better life than that of a slave.

So before you make such unfounded comparisons, read up on the modern day slavery that exists today in many African, Asian, Eastern European and Latin American nations. I can assure you that those slaves do not receive neither of the following:

1. a hefty salary
2. housing allowance
3. a company car
4. relocation expenses paid
5. the choice to quit

...the list goes on and on. Many of the examples you have mentioned are synonymous with discrimination, not slavery.

[SmokingGun on 13.04.06 at 20:43]

1. a hefty salary
2. housing allowance
3. a company car
4. relocation expenses paid
5. the choice to quit

And neither do all "ex-pats" get 1 through 5. Even in the ex-pat world there's the haves and the have nots. I don't think Denis was trying to compare todays immigrants with yesterday's victims and I for one certainly didn't take it that way.

Maybe he should have used the word "psuedo-slave".

[Rev. Goat on 13.04.06 at 20:45]

Did it ever occur to Dr. Hodgson that the successful applicant was the best qualified and suited for the job.

I know the individual involved, not well, but I know he has been on the island for several years and has worked for some very succesful companies on the island.

If she could take her black and white glasses off maybe she could see that the man is dedicated to the sport and willing to do the job. After all he could have stayed in the private sector and be making a whole lot more money.

[JSM on 13.04.06 at 20:45]

"Perhaps you should do some reading on modern day slavery before you make such statements."

"So before you make such unfounded comparisons, "

It's funny, this thread is in response to Hodgsons lies and poorly researched diatribe, yet it's Dennis who get's crapped on ...typical I guess.

[Two Cents on 13.04.06 at 20:47]

There are obviously many classes of ex-pats on Bermuda; the simplest breakdown is blue collar & white collar. The way that some ex-pat blue collar workers are treated by Bermudians in Bermuda would make you shudder.

A very simple case would be to visit Ice Queen between 12 midnight - closing, the abuse (mostly verbal but sometimes physical) suffered by the Filipino. Indian and Sri Lankan workers a the hands of Bermudians is incredible.

I sometimes wonder if the money that they do make working there is worth it. One night I spoke to one of the workers who wanted to quit, but was persuaded otherwise by his co-workers. They felt that if one of them quit, “the boss” would be hesitant to hire another Asian as they were ungrateful for the opportunity to work in Bermuda. No it’s not “slavery” but it sure makes you wonder.

[Red Riding Hood (.)(.) on 13.04.06 at 20:54]

See what I mean

Jake and Onion can criticise me all they like but I wont labour the issue. Hodgsons letter is another example of the relentless campaign against whites living in Bermuda by the PLP supporters.

[SmokingGun on 13.04.06 at 20:57]

"No it’s not “slavery” but it sure makes you wonder."

Yes indeed. If I slagged off someone like you descibed it would make me wonder if he gobbed in my burger when he handed it to with me with a smile. I know I'd be tempted if it happened to me.

[SmokingGun on 13.04.06 at 21:05]

"They felt that if one of them quit, “the boss” would be hesitant to hire another Asian as they were ungrateful for the opportunity to work in Bermuda."

BTW - where the heck is the boss when his people are getting abused?
It's a known fact that the dumb drunk Bermudians (and yes even some expats themselves) frequently harass the late night employees at Ice Queen. Ugly.

[Red Riding Hood (.)(.) on 13.04.06 at 21:09]

Two Cents

I have seen this same abuse and experienced it myself.

They also do it to whites, they especially like to pick on women and children as they are less likely to retaliate.

I know my remarks are considered loony tune and repulsive but I am not going to deny what is really happening.

[Rob Berry on 13.04.06 at 21:19]

I was just discussing with my spouse this thread and how unfair it was that an expat be disrespected because he was doing a particular job in cricket.

My ELEVEN year old son just spoke up and said that when he played in the primary school cricket team the only time he and other whites were allowed to play was when any of the back children didn't show up.

[Stephan on 13.04.06 at 21:28]

I had a primary school teacher tell me that when a white boy is called a "whit fool" by a black girl...she's just expressing herself, however, when the white boy retaliated with "black fool", he was sent home after being lectured about being a racist.

All i had to do was wait 25 years, and this teachers husband has been prosecuted for diddling their many adopted children.

At least they're not 'racist'.

[J Starling on 13.04.06 at 21:49]

And so we see how reaction begats reaction. Yes, there is black on white racism, black on asian, dark black on light black, PLP black on UBP black, white on black and so on. Where does it get us? Absolutely nowhere. Although I am apparently a 'PLP touting moron' that does not mean that all PLPers are racists anymore than the UBP are racisits. I remember an experiment I did in university. We got a picture of an Isreali soldier beating a Palestinian civilian. We doctored the photo so it appeared to be a Nazi beating a Jew. very interesting results...
Yes, the cancer of racism thrives still, and so does its causes, intolerance, ignorance and hate. No one race has a monopoly on this cancer and I doubt any Bermudian is free from the bitter taste of this poison. It has warped our childhoods, warps our relationships with others today, affects us and the ones we love. But does it really help to call people stupid bitches or cows and to F off an entire party because of some individuals within it? Isn't that generalising? Isn't that a step towards racism? Reaction doesn't help us one iota - reflection (on the causes) is much better.

[Martin on 13.04.06 at 22:27]

Have I got it wrong, or did anyone actually expect Eva to check her facts before having a winge. Clearly she has not done so - and I suspect had no intention of doing so.

Why should she? On this ocassion at least, she is not in the business of facts - she is in the business of preventing the world as we know it in Bermuda from going forward.

She likes living in her world. Why disturb it? I seriously question whether she could actually exist happily in a world where equity and fairness are applied in any event.

I suspect she is happy - so leave her to it.

She makes no decisons that affect us - at least none that I know of - and if any half wits in the general public choose to accept her "facts" without checking for themselves then (and how many times have we said it on this blog) one is a fool for not doing so.

We should ignore these people - and move forward because as sure as God made little apples - Eva won't be taking us forward.

[Steve Moffat on 13.04.06 at 22:28]

I've been here 4 years, before that I was Scottish....I have suffered racism at least once a year for the last 4 years, before that I read about it in the newspapers.

The last time it happened to me, I was, on my bike, in the rain, driving down the hill at Fort Scaur when the stupid driver in front, in his white Justy, no brake lights and no turn signals just decided to stop in the middle of the bottom corner (heading towards Dockyard). Needless to say it was an experience trying to stop faster than the car on that lovely road surface. I managed however, to stop albeit halway past the Justy, on the other side of the road. Before I could open my mouth to lambast the culprit though, he started on me, shouting and swearing about white English ex pats, not beeing able to drive properly etc...to my surprise, the driver of the vehicle that was behind me, a taxi, and to boot the darkest skinned man I have ever seen, got out his taxi, came down to where I was and ladeled into the driver of the Justy, who "then" proceeded to offer his abject apologies to me and drove off....That was gratifying and proves that Bermuda is getting there.

On another note, I should bring one of my ex-girlfriends and her family over here to confuse you all.

Her mother is Scottish, her father is Nigerian. Great family, 4 kids. 2 white, 2 black. Same parents..

[Rob Berry on 13.04.06 at 22:33]

"to F off an entire party because of some individuals within it? Isn't that generalising?"

J Starling, the fact that the gov of the day has allowed it's members to be racialy divisive without any effort to distance itself from them is proof positive of what they stand for.

[hadenuff on 13.04.06 at 22:39]

I am quite disappointed by the tone of some of these posts. I don't always agree with Dr. Hodgson but she (usually) writes interesting, thoughtful and often educational articles. Calling her names and comparing her to the likes the Burch seems unfair.

[Phil on 13.04.06 at 23:00]

Rob

You need a time-out. Come back when you've calmed down. There's no need for name-calling like that.

[novote on 13.04.06 at 23:38]

Limey - After yesterday's post about RC, what purpose did this one serve?

[tilti on 14.04.06 at 00:16]

NoVote, I would say that this post had a very useful purpose. The RG has been blasted over and over again for fabricating stories, telling lies and being divisive. None of these things have been proven with an actual case example. Eva's piece, was unresearched, unfair, untrue and heavy handed in its criticism. I think that the comparison is worth highlighting, nobody should be allowed to get away scor free for such errors.

[novote on 14.04.06 at 00:34]

Tilti - Swap the word Eva for Rolfe, swap the word Hodgson for Commissiong and drop the word Dr from the postings above and insert them randomly amongst the postings about RC article from yesterday...and then try to see if you can tell which is which!

[tilti on 14.04.06 at 01:05]

NoVote, I agree with you, but only to a point. To me the issue isn't racism (though I think dennis has made a good point about equality only applying to one side) but rather poor reporting and unresearched and inaccurate arguements that were published. If the only thing that comes out of this thread is that Eva's credibility in attacking the RG is brought into question, then that is a reasonbly useful thread.

[Phil on 14.04.06 at 02:06]

novote

After yesterday's post about RC, what purpose did this one serve?

I would have thought the difference was obvious. My post about Rolfe's opinion piece was suggesting an alternative explanation for the fact that the proportion of whites voting UBP is greater than the proportion of blacks voting PLP. I was also questioning his evidence for saying that Wayne Furbert was only appointed leader to pander to the black vote.

This post was a clarification of some errors Dr. Hodgson made when talking about the BCB.

These are two completely different subjects. Just because both touch on the issue of race does not make them interchangeable. That said, the inability of many commenters to stick to the specific issue raised in my post can make it seem that way.

[Bermudian on 14.04.06 at 12:23]

Smoking Gun,

I think you read what I said ("those slaves do not receive neither of the following"). I did not imply that expats receive 1-5. But they do receive some. And I was pointing out the fact that slaves do not receive ANY of them.

And he was making the comparison to yesterday's victims when he says:

"we treat them in comparison to the calls we make to how our people were treated in the past".

All I am saying is that slavery is a very sensitive issue, of which many people still live in slave conditions today. Expatriates in Bermuda do not fall into the category of modern day slaves.

[novote on 14.04.06 at 14:45]

Limey - The problem is that whilst your postings are different the ensuing discussion essentially was not....and I'm sure that you could have predicted that. Your blog strap line is 'getting Bermuda talking'. I guess I don't see the point of posting two articles that get people talking about the same thing all over again two days running. Particularly, when it's the same old same old....about racism.

[Denis Pitcher on 14.04.06 at 16:54]

My intention was not to specifically compare true slavery to the way expats are treated, but simply to suggest that there are some similarities and we need to be more considerate in working towards equality then tipping the scales to account for past injustices.

In some cases our expat workers are treated very poorly. My roommate a couple weeks ago had a bottle thrown at his feet by a drunk black woman outside his office in town and was cursed up and down for being white. Being that he doesn't have health insurance, he was very concerned of what might have happened had it hit him in the head.

I have heard of many rumors of expats in the blue color area who are indeed treated quiet poorly. They are stuffed into sharing an apartment where often times there are so many that they take shifts in sleeping on a bed. One goes to work when the other sleeps, swapping the bed when each is at work.

People have a really bad tendency to only see the top of the crop in terms of what expats get and miss those who are being abused at the bottom.

I don't deny that many get benefits that are unfair, but there should be some representation offered to expats and protection for equality.

J Starling,

I choose not to support the PLP because they do nothing to punish and discourage blatant divisive racism by their members. In any other developed nation, those members would be forced to resign. They don't even go so far as to step out and suggest that it is the personal opinion of the person and does not represent the opinion of the party.

If they sit idly by and do nothing, then I take this action as a sign that they support the opinions voiced by their members.

[J Starling on 14.04.06 at 17:02]

Yes ... that is a problem. I cannot defend against this accusation because it is indefensible. I feel that I can understand why certain members say certain things, and I do feel that the meaning does get lost in translation, but I would rather they said nothing at all than say soemthing so loaded and obviously stupid. I have criticised them in the party and in the press. I have no authority to do anything else. Half the time the party seems cursed to shoot itself in the foot.

[Denis Pitcher on 14.04.06 at 17:09]

J Starling,

My sentiments exactly. In many cases these individuals havn't even gone so far as to offer an apology yet still cry foul at the actions of the past.

I can understand if someone says something ill in a moment of haste. Nobody's perfect, we're all entitled to our opinion and I can even have some compassion in trying to understand the background and history that drives them to make such comments. But this does not obsolve them of the responsibility for recognizing that their actions are self serving and do nothing to benefit the island and help drive it forward into being more better where all people regardless of color or background are treated equal.

[Bermudian on 14.04.06 at 18:45]

Again Denis,

Many of the things you mention are a far cry from being categorized as slavery and are more along the lines of discrimination. You are making comments that sound just as extreme as 'plantation remarks' (even though you may not intend on it coming across that way).

Just because people have bottles thrown at them does not make them a slave. Just because a person doesn't have health insurance does not make them a slave. Just because someone has to share a bed with another person does not make a them a slave.

And again, these people all come to this country willingly. I think that is the point you are missing - this is the key difference between being categorized as a slave and not being one.

[Denis Pitcher on 14.04.06 at 19:27]

Bermudian,

I do agree with your points and suggest that I could have chose my words differently.

My point was not to specifically suggest that they are slaves, but instead that at times we treat them in a similar way.

I agree with you that by following clear definitions, that expats are treated more so with disrespect and discrimination.

I drew a line of similarity between the same disrespect and discrimination that slaves were given and I do recognize that the two are not one in the same. For this I do apologize should I have offended anyone as it was not my intention to do so.

In regards to 'plantation' remarks I am a bit confused. My very limited and potentially inaccurate knowledge of Bermudian history suggests that the majority of Bermudian slaves actually did not work on plantations and instead were more traditionally of the household servant fashion. This would make the very nature of all of these 'plantation' remarks also used under the wrong conditions and definition.

Not to go entirely off topic, but can anyone confirm or deny this?