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Friday, May 22, 2009

Bermuda's Day 2009



Bermuda's national holiday is rapidly approaching, as a matter of fact, the Island premier holiday is just a few days away; and thousands of Bermudians are winding up their preparation for the premier festival.

Although officially the big day is: Sunday May 24th 2009, the government and people are looking forward to Monday the 25th day of May 2009, to indulge in the pageantry that is a welcome relief from the routine of daily living.

The band masters and musicians of the various bands (the Bermuda Regiment band, the various majorette drum lines, the Gombey bands etc) are busy fine tuning their techniques, skills and instruments to ensure the ears of their audience are blessed and their musical arrangement and performances out class that of their silent opponent.

The dancers are working on their dance steps, the majorettes are ensuring that their twirling routines are perfected, the other artisans are busy putting the final touches on their works of art and the die hard Bermuda's day fan are waiting for the right away to go out and stake their claim to their annual family plot along the parade rout, thus ensure their families are afforded the best spot to enjoy the pageantry that is the Bermuda day celebration.

The Bermuda day festival is beautiful in its simplicity (do not have the chaos that is associated with carnival) and creative in its artistry (a display of the nation's artistic and other culture and talents).

Bermuda's day 2008 was my last Bermuda's day as a member of the Bermuda Police Service; I will like to put Bermuda on notice that I will be participating in many more Bermuda day in the near future. Although Bermuda's day 2008 went well, it was soiled by an incident of violence that could have easily been prevented; this incident could have been prevented if the management of the Bermuda Police Service had the foresight to ensure there was a visible police presence, patrolling the grounds of Bernard's Park. I hope my good friend George Jackson will ensure that there is adequate police presence and the designated areas will be properly patrol and not the congregation of pockets of officers in secluded areas.

It is troubling, for just days before the islands premier festival, two individuals were shoot; one of whom later succumbed to his injuries, while the other is nursing his bullet wounds at the King Edward Memorial Hospital; under armed police protection. This new development is troubling because I have the presence of mind to recognize the spirit of revenge that nurtures the egos of the residence of this twenty two square miles island. There are other unfortunately qualities that are also common among the youths and members of the gang culture of Bermuda; a culture of which the two victims are a part, a culture out of which this barefaced daylight shooting germinated. Another of the sad qualities of which I speak is the lack restraint among the groups in question. This lack of restraint is the main factor that prevent them from choosing a time and place appropriate (if there is such) to indulge in their uncivilized violent attack on each other. The Bermuda Police Service has their work cut out for them this weekend.

It is after laying aside the unfortunate incident that threatens the spirit of Bermuda’s Day 2009; that I wish all Bermudian a happy and incident free Bermuda day celebration. Let the love move you Bermuda.