Breezeblog

In Tehran, death toll jumps to 19 – Los Angeles Times.

Just a sobering reminder that while we face our own defence of democracy here in Bermuda, it could be so much worse. Perhaps those of us in Bermuda who will no doubt face increased racial and personal attacks because of our opposition to Dr. Ewart Brown can take heart from the brave people of Iran who are courageously standing up for what they believe.

A petition has been posted on the UK Prime Minister’s web site calling for the resignation of Dr. Ewart Brown.

The petition has been created by Richard Bruton and states:

The leadership of this country seems to be on a course heading toward dictatorship that the majority of Bermudians are no longer willing to tolerate.

This latest action is the final straw. We are fed up, disgusted, disrespected and angry.

UPDATE: Organisers of the recent local protests are urging people not to sign this petition. In an e-mail circulated June 20, they state:

RE: Advise that you do NOT sign the UK petition calling for Ewart Brown’s resignation

Advise that you do NOT sign the UK petition calling for Ewart Brown’s resignation

Avoid “knee jerk” reactions. We should not throw a petition out to the public in haste.  As we know, wording is critical.  We have to get it right and take the time to get it right.

Please do NOT sign the current petition calling for Ewart Brown to resign that is circulating using a UK petition site.  We do not endorse this petition and are trying to reach the individual who created it.

The dangers in rushing into a petition are:

The wording has to be correct

The petition must be specific about the following:

• what is  demanded
• who is meant to carry out the  action
• by what  means
• by what  deadline

The petition must be verifiable (to verify the people who sign it), so the petition site must be a reputable one with controls and verification tools in place.

The petition site must be accessible to all Bermudians, including those who are NOT British citizens but ARE Bermudians by status.

At the moment, we DO NOT endorse this petition or any other petitions that individuals create.  Please allow us time to ‘do our homework’ on getting this right.  There is no need to rush this over the weekend.

We will get in touch by media and social media when we have posted the petition for you all to review and sign.  Until that time, please remain positive.

While you wait – celebrate the successes:  the new awareness of the public, the new sense of civic responsibility to hold our Government accountable.  Applaud Dale Butler’s actions and the words of Wayne Perinchief and others who spoke with great conviction during the debate.  This is the start and a good start it is.

Signed on behalf of the group calling themselves BERMUDIAN who co-organized the Rallies.
Janice Battersby, Erica Rance-Cariah, Gilbert Pitcher, Anne Hyde, and Pat Ferguson

So what will an emboldened and empowered Dr. Brown do next?

Independence is the big fear for many people but maybe there’s another option up his sleeve. I’m not normally in the business of publishing rumours but I have now heard this one from  credible non-UBP sources so I’ll put it up here and see who salutes. I’m genuinely interested to hear what people think, not stir up anything.

I understand that the PLP has been exploring the option of Bermuda becoming a US territory like Puerto Rico as an alternative to independence from Britain. I don’t know if this is something that is on the agenda now or something that has been looked at and discarded.

But if – and I stress “if” – it is true, it might explain many of the unashamedly pro-American Dr. Brown’s recent actions and with his special relationship with President Obama, it might be something he feels he could push forward. It might also explain the increasing number of references I see in recent published pieces by PLP supporters like Alvin Williams and Walton Brown about how Bermuda has a closer and more dependent relationship with the US than Britain.

There’s no denying that – Bermuda looks to the US for business, and much of its education and healthcare, for example – but what would be the pros and cons of being a US territory? We might lose the offshore tax haven stigma and benefit from more investment from the US government than Britain provides. But Bermudians would lose their British passports and the EU benefits they bring.

I’m interested to know if this is a serious consideration of the Brown Government and what people think about it.

So if there was a referendum where the question was posed: do you want Bermuda to be, a) independent, or b) a US territory, what would you choose?