Premier Calls For “Respectful Commentary”

July 22, 2014

Today the Premier and Minister of National Security Michael Dunkley called for “respectful commentary regarding recent emotive dialogue which is dominating various mediums and forums of late,” saying that “our differences should not get to such a place where it divides us as a people and a Country.”

And The Premier’s comments come on the heels of the recent Human Rights Commission advisory.

Premier Dunkley said today, “As leaders we have a responsibility to encourage responsible and reasonable dialogue, and I am calling on all residents to engage in tolerant and respectful commentary towards one another.

“One of the things which makes our Country unique is the fact that we live in a thriving democracy, where people have the freedom to express their views on any given topic.

“And although we may have varying and diverse ideologies we live in a society where we can agree to disagree. Our commentary doesn’t need to get to a point of the denigration of anyone – whether we are Bermudian or non-Bermudians we are all residents who call our Island home.

“We should all value one another and have appreciation for each other’s viewpoints without attacking each other or being disparaging.”

The Premier concluded, “Our differences should not get to such a place where it divides us as a people and a Country.”

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Comments (58)

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  1. Smart Gal says:

    I’ll just this people, don’t go to sites that post racial drivel. No one makes you read this sort of junk. So at some level people who do visit these types of sites must have an interest in this sort of hate-mongering. These sites are not for the people at large they exist for their like mindedness.

    • Kunta says:

      Bull S— only after you were forced to comment, you de Human Rights Commission and Fahy all defended de ex-pats but aint said F@#!s about de S— that’s been said about Bermudians and its took you all this time to say something after someone calls you out, shows you don’t give a F— about Bermudians!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      Ya all full off S— !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • Smart Gal says:

        I can assume that you are in reply to my comments and therefore I take much offence by your what can only best be described as belligerent to my gentle words of advice to all the caring and loving people of Bermuda.
        And I very much hope that this publication will scrutinize your language no matter how you try to abbreviate it along with all the screaming !!!!

      • truth be told says:

        just to clarify,is that the correct way to spell your name,pretty sure there one extra letter.

      • David says:

        Ah! Yes another great mind expressing itself forcefully!

      • Build a Better Bermuda says:

        And thus we find our first candidate for the HRC to investigate

    • PBanks says:

      The sites under scrutiny aren’t independent forums, they’re the major local sites that disseminate news and opinion pieces. They’re likely the most read Bermuda sites on the Web.

      You can’t claim “these sites are not for the people” in this situation.

      • Smart Gal says:

        Ok so what sites do you refer to that are read by the average person of Bermuda. Please I am very interested to know as I suspect many other interested Bermudians are also curious. By the way I am a Bermudian educated adult and I really don’t waste my time reading drivel and very rarely comment. Thank you
        PS and please don’t tell me any rhetoric like RG or Bernews

  2. Liars/Truth says:

    i believe you Mr. Dunkley. Much of the same coming from the PLP. I see the island picking up, l see more people confident. Yet l see the PLP kicking and stomping around like kids at recess break, especially their leader.

    They need to change too and it looks like, with mark at the helm, they will be spewing more of the same for the next few years when they get their Government back (which l predict will be another landslide win for the PLP) but not to worry Mr. Dunkley, just keep drumming your beat and we will be fine.

    • LOLOLOLOLOLOL says:

      Come on man……………..both sides are guilty plain and simple. Stop trying to make one side sound better than the other. CHEESH!!!!!

      • Build a Better Bermuda says:

        There is one slight difference, with the OBA it is bloggers on the extreme that are responsible for the derogatory remarks, with the PLP it comes from their MP’s and party executive as well as their extreme bloggers.

      • wayadumb says:

        you have to be blind to believe this. There is no way the OBA could get away with saying the things the PLP do about non Bermudians and Permanent Residents… The PLP have no respect, they speak before they think, especially their followers.

      • Smart Gal says:

        Please advise us all of any posting by any OBA Member of Parliament or Senator that has made public racial comments, and I stress racial comments. I remind you that the issue here is racial slurs.

        • LOLOLOLOLOLOL says:

          The article is speaking of the supporters, that much is obvious here. And as we all know, posters from both sides shoot from the hip!!!!

    • Toodle-oo says:

      No party has ever really had a ‘landslide win/victory’ in terms of the popular vote .

      • Triangle Drifter says:

        This is something people fail to see. A victory by something like 5% of the popular vote is not a landslide victory by any stretch of the imagination.

        The PLP never got it & neither did the OBA.

  3. Build a Better Bermuda says:

    What a difference between how parties handle this issue, the OBA calls on all people to be respectful of our diversity, the PLP use it to attack their critics, directing it only at their critics and opponents, but making no mention of their own supporters violations.

  4. Starting point says:

    To be honest, perhaps politicians on both sides should spend less time posting opinions on media sites and more time talking and working with each other to get this country moving again….the majority of nasty responses are almost always related to an opinion piece, you would think the OBA and PLP politicians are trolling us online.

    • LOLOLOLOLOLOL says:

      I think the article is in reference to the posters, ie you, I and the others on this page.

  5. Impressive says:

    “We should all value one another and have appreciation for each other’s viewpoints without attacking each other or being disparaging.”

    I agree with this comment 100%,, well said Premier

  6. Joonya says:

    I agree, we should all avoid being “demonic”

  7. John E. Thorne says:

    I hate to say it but we are learning from the great example our MP’s are setting in the House of Assembly each week, however their was an improvement in the last two sessions of the house.

    • Hurricane says:

      @John E Thorne of course it would be an improvement, it takes two to argue

  8. Concerned Citizen says:

    Start with being honest Mr. Dunkley. You have been silent and hard to find this week while your Jetgate fiasco continues. For some reason, no media, not even the excellent Bernews, seems to be able to get a comment from you. Your Chairman, Mr. Hollis has stated that his hands were tied during and after your so called internal investigation. Did you tie his hands to protect yourself, Mr. Crockwell, Mr. Fahy, and Mr. Pettingill? Before you ask people to be nice to each other, regardless of their political leanings, try being honest with all of us. The PLP support base doesn’t like you, that’s obvious, but your OBA support base cannot trust you and your leadership! We will be nice to each other, when you come clean with us!

    • Anon says:

      Concerned Citizen.. you’ve got the wrong article dude. This ones about playing nice with other Bermudians that have different opinions

      • Kunta says:

        Ya, but what Concerned Citizen said is TRUE.

        • Anon says:

          Interesting that Kunta would pop his head up on a conversation about respectfulness

    • Build a Better Bermuda says:

      I actually trust him, that is to say as much as I can trust any politician, he has no interest in messing up this country, it would be bad for his business too. He has as much a vested interest in turning things around for Bermuda as anybody else. It is strange that the PLP don’t share this sentiment and only seem to be interested in winning the next election, and trying to get that election as soon as possible it now seems too, irregardless of the damage they are doing to this country.

    • Heavens says:

      Just out of curiosity, why does the PLP “support base” not “like” Mr Dunkley?

    • Allspice says:

      “We will be nice to each other, when you come clean with us!”

      Actually we set the standards for the politicians just as they do for us. If we stop bickering then we can tell them to stop bickering. In fact the first thing to do is to stop bickering because it is the bickering itself that holds us back.

      So maybe coming up with reasons to continue bickering is not an ideal plan.

  9. Crab Mentality says:

    Let’s hope “they” listen…good call Mr. Premier!

  10. GOD1ST says:

    “What a waist of F**** Film”. Michael you are in denial .

  11. Steve Davis says:

    I think if we did not have 2 party system, then things might be more harmonious in Bermuda.

    The system in place is based on division and every decision is born out of conflict.

    • Build a Better Bermuda says:

      Actually, if you look at the systems that have more than 2 parties representing in government, they can be even worse. In any political system, there will be division, there is simply no way around it… save for maybe totalitarian, where one person/party decides everything and locks up/tortures/kills anybody trying to voice a differing view.

    • Kunta says:

      So do you think things were more harmonious before 2 party systems, you can have a 4 party system, as long as one race feels that they are Superior and undermine, marginalize and undervalue another you would always have conflict !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      • James Rego says:

        as long as one race feels that they are Inferior and feel they are undermine, marginalize and undervalue another you would always have conflict !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        There I fixed it for you!

    • James Rego says:

      Steve I have said it before and I will repeat it again. We need 9 honest souls, one each elected from the parish’s, who will then elect a Chairman from amongst themselves. Each elected member will get one or two assistants depending on the work load. We should be able to fire the lazy and useless. We are a business and should be run like a business nothing more or less!

      • Heavens says:

        I think we need more than 9. Maybe 2 people out of each parish?

        • James Rego says:

          We have the entire Civil Service to assist as they have done all along. We need to be rid of this decisiveness. If they don’t work, we fire them!

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      Agree. How about some sort of proportional representation system. Do away with MPs for particular areas.

  12. ….Surely you jest. says:

    …Michael Dunkley,

    What is this, the contents of a leaked OBA internal memo? It must be because no group has cast more aspersions on people and their character than OBA supporters. Since 1998, they have called PLP supporters stupid, repeated unproven and unsubstantiated allegations of corruption and theft as fact, and have at every turn denigrated the PLP and their supporters. If any group should heed this advice its his own Party, the OBA.

    The pent up emotions are better out than suppressed. Your objective here is quite simple; learn from the past and learn from your people. We are a direct reflection of each other. Listen more, speak less.

  13. I C U says:

    I just find it funny the racist and disgusting comments spewed on social media especially when these are comments from the same people that are your coworkers and neighbors, that smile and greet you every day! SCARY!!!!! I say allow people to say what they want on social media and under a pen name because they would NEVER do it in public!!!
    Wolves in sheep clothing

  14. I C U says:

    Cowards!

  15. drunken ursula says:

    Ya right ….I wonder what you REALLY say when you sitting in your leather chair at MID OCEAN CLUB….

  16. Dreary says:

    The PLP will always play the race card. They certainly cannot go on their record!

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      Their record is the last thing that they want the voters to look at. The race card is the only card they have. Well…maybe not quite. They do have more jokers than a standard pack.

      • I C U says:

        HAHAHA The nerve of you to even bring up PLP especially with this immoral, unethical, OBA Government!!! HAHAHA PLP may have more jokers than a standard pack BUT altleast their deck of cards are not marked!!

  17. big g says:

    Mr. Dunkley you need to be honest with yourself, everybody knows you wanted the premiership from the get go and you know you knew what was going on, and you also knew Mr. Cannonier was telling the truth in what he was telling you as to what really happened, but the bunch of you where so greedy and power hungry and you Mr. Dunkley could not win the premiership any other way then to steal it from Mr. Cannonier, but you know what it will all be revealed and your party will fall because of greed and to think i supported you in the election

  18. Alvin Williams says:

    One thing is for sure the OBA emperor will have as much success in reigning in his renegade political supporters who love to indulge in insults and name calling as the Russians have in reigning in the separates in the Eastern Ukraine; who are suspected to have shot down that Malaysian airliner.

    • truth be told says:

      we learnt well,the plp taught us!

    • Sickofantz says:

      Erm I don’t think the Russians have tried to reign them in Alvin!

    • Build a Better Bermuda says:

      Alvin, you are quite correct, the OBA will have a difficult time reigning in their rogue bloggers, where as the PLP are usually the ones leading the charge of racist and derogatory remarks for their supporters to follow.

  19. truth be told says:

    all this started with the plp during their 14 years of family n friends policies,now you are calling for people to be respectful…it’s never going to happen!

  20. furby logic says:

    interesting that Dunkley says “emotive dialogue which is dominating various mediums” and all the comments are on blogs, none on the worst offender, talk radio

  21. What BS says:

    His dam party started the bs , and now your say that . It’s like you started a fight , but your get hit . Now you want to say it wrong for fighting . Get the Hell Out

    • Build a Better Bermuda says:

      Actually, Col Burch would have been one of the first, or maybe it was Rolf in his pre ’98 election rants

  22. Y-Gurl says:

    I think it’s the expectation of freedom of speech