Opinion: Jamahl Simmons On Working Together

December 6, 2014

Jamahl Simmons PLP candidate[Opinion column written by PLP MP Jamahl Simmons]

Often our Bermudian youth are told that they must be seen and not heard. Whether by design or by accident, many discourage our young people from being critical thinkers and confidently expressing themselves. Some even feel threatened by them and are fearful that their youth or education could supplant them from the positions they have earned through hard work and sacrifice.

Is it any wonder that so many Bermudians grow up with a sense of fear when it comes to expressing themselves our shy away from speaking out on the issues that matter to them? Is it any wonder that many of our societal institutions are struggling to recruit and retain young people?

Our youth crave to be heard, want to learn and want to be involved in helping to make change. Yet we sometimes make them feel as though their opinions don’t matter. Bermuda is too small to be silencing or throwing away any of our intellectual capital, no matter how youthful or inexperienced it might be. The time has come for us to begin engaging with our young people and creating places where they aren’t just seen, but are heard as well.

In the PLP’s Constituency 33 branch, we are building an environment where opinions and ideas are welcomed from all and especially from our youth. We have pledged to get involved with the young men and women of our community, encourage them to form opinions and work with them on how they may respectfully and effectively share those opinions with others.

We are looking to engage the wisdom, knowledge and experience of our veteran community members with the energy, information and valuable perspective of our youth. Together, I believe we can do wonderful things.

When I think of one constituent, a senior who has mastered online marketing and his eagerness to teach anyone who is willing to learn, I get excited about the possibilities.

When I think of a young constituent who has a bold business idea that along with capital, just needs encouragement and the refining of his concept to a successful business model, I get excited about the possibilities.

Every Bermudian has something to offer and something within them that can help a friend or neighbour to progress. We hope that in Sandys South we can act as a facilitator for a new movement where Bermudians of all ages respect each other, value each other and work together for the betterment of all.

- Jamahl Simmons

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Comments (19)

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  1. aceboy says:

    “When I think of a young constituent who has a bold business idea that along with capital, just needs encouragement and the refining of his concept to a successful business model, I get excited about the possibilities.”

    Sure you get excited. The PLP has no ideas that are worth anything. Bold sea mining of…something…has been the sum of all of the bright ideas thus far. Excluding online gambling of course. Hardly a bold idea. It was tossed out as a possibility when Bermuda was going to be the next E-Commerce powerhouse due to the money laundering issues.

    So yea, I can see how you’d be excited should a young man or woman come up with a great idea.

    • sideliner says:

      Aceboy, you do know that OBA is also exploring seabed mining, right?

      You do know that most of PLP’s initiatives that were in play under their leadership have been embraced by the OBA and are still in play, right?

      • Creamy says:

        Really? I haven’t heard the PLPs “third leg of the economy”, the satellite business, discussed much. The space ship business is still a possibility, is it?

      • sebring says:

        if Memory serves me right it was Dr. Saul who first spoke about the mining around Bermuda and he was not a PLP.

  2. Brotherhood says:

    Excuse me –
    Where does he get this guff:

    “Often our Bermudian youth are told that they must be seen and not heard. ”

    Dunnow who says that!

    So many press releases from these guys St George.

  3. aceboy says:

    Mining what?

    If someone could answer that question I might give the matter some credence.

    • Jack straw says:

      Lol. Aceboy is just a hater. Lmao.

      • aceboy says:

        I see you haven’t answered a very very simple question and resort to calling me a hater. A hater in what way? For asking exactly what is to be mined from the sea? You can’t answer the question. Neither can the people you put faith in and want to see running the country again. They have no idea what is down at the bottom of the sea to be mined and neither do you. Talk about blind faith.

        I am a hater of lies and deception, that much is true. So in that respect I accept your moniker.

  4. umjusayin says:

    OMG! You OBA bloggers must work 24 hours a day. Go get a life. Thank you Jamahl for taking the time to listen to the youth.

    The OBA have no solutions and don’t care about Bermudians. That became evident very soon after becoming the government! Broken promises and more rhetoric.

    And yes I do have buyer’s remorse!

    • Kangoocar says:

      Broken promises?? Let’s see, for starters we have the the Americas Cup now under our belt, we now have the Ritz Carlton coming along with a new airport!!! The Ritz ( ‘Morgan’s Point ) and the Airport alone will create approx 500 jobs that were lost under your plp, and note either project comes at little cost to the government!!!! Now onto the AC, now that is going to inject at a minimum, a net $150 million to our economy along with many more Bermudians benefiting!!! So let’s compare, we had YOUR plp, who brought us BeyoncĂ© at a cost of $3 million with ZERO benifit to bermuda!!! ( yes a few of you were dancing for TWO hours and having a blast, but again ZERO benifit to the rest of us!!) then we had the platinum period??? We saw the Club Med hotel get demolished with great fan fare, ( Dreb with a big smile on his face ??? ) then a month or so later your plp closes and destroys the St George Golf Course with more EMPTY promises??? ( and unbelievabley we now have that former leader of the UBP ( Kim swan ) who was a huge defender of the very same golf course welcomed by your plp??? Maybe now after pointing out a few of the many disasters your plp did, even you can see how silly you look with your stupid statement of the OBA and their broken promises??? Ok, I know you are a plp sheeple and you don’t??? But anyway, the last thing I can tell you is, the OBA are creating opportunities for everyone here, even those that are to blind to take advantage of them ( plp sheeple!!!) If you are to blind and or to lazy to take advantage of those opportunities, I say you deserve everything you have coming your way!!!!

    • sebring says:

      the plp,s great idea’s forced many to leave Bermuda, others to return as they could not rent their homes!. many unemployed ! sold Bermuda off with the disguisement of Benefial ownership to foreign lenders! why not change the name of Bermuda to The company that actually owns us may that be ????? This Guy here knows his people skills he knows how to move a crowd with a smile and a hand shake he had a good teacher ! maybe he is a ubp surrogate infiltreted in the plp to control the opposition this guy shines within vile of Green that the once promising plp was!

  5. Alvin Williams says:

    Exploring the idea of under sea mining; good move; but only one thing wrong. if something is found; this OBA government can not be trusted to keep it in Bermudian hands. they have already set a course of giving away Bermuda’s one and only national airport.

    • Kangoocar says:

      Alvin, why do you continuesly forget to mention that your plp gave away our biggest bank, you know the BANK OF BERMUDA?????? Can you please explain????

    • aceboy says:

      And the PLP are? Don’t make me laugh.

      Interesting to note you admit you have no idea if anything will be found under the sea. You simply assume it will be there and you are already accusing others of stealing it.

      Hilarious.

    • Creamy says:

      It’s the PLP who sold Bermuda to foreign bankers. It will take us generations to pay back our PLP debts.

  6. bold foolishness…

  7. watching you says:

    O my gosh, OBA bloggers go get a life. The man is trying to make a difference with our youth, why don’t we lift up and not pull down. Keep up the good work!

    • sebring says:

      yes a difference with youth ! good or bad! a difference none the less!