Opinion: Chris Famous “People Unite People”

January 6, 2015

[Opinion column written by Chris Famous]

Over the last few years many persons have sent me numerous emails regarding my columns expressing exactly how they felt about any given topic I may have written about.

Needless to say it has been a kaliedescope of opinions raging from one end of the spectrum to the other. Often persons invite me to met with them and have coffee or a bite to eat. Ninety nine percent of the time our ‘Face to Face’ conversations and relationships tend to go far beyond that initial meeting .

One such person is Mr. John Barritt, former MP and the first leader of the OBA.

Over the last two years he and I speak weekly via email discussing local happenings and cracking jokes about family or sport. We often get together every couple of months usually at The Spot Restaurant to speak as Bermudians do best, in person.

Suffice it to say, over the years Mr. Barritt or as he likes to be reered as JB has become one of my mentors in the fine art of column writing, fellow long suffering St. George’s Cup Match fan and dare I say friend.

Recently my friend ‘JB’ let me see his prized Peter Woolcock collection displayed on his office wall.

I will take the liberty of sharing this with you today.

John Barritt on Peter Woolcock’s cartoons

The point that I am attempting to make is that as humans we are bound to have differences of :-

  • Backgrounds
  • Upbringing
  • Economic status
  • Religious beliefs
  • Sexual orientation
  • Political Views

And yes the big one …..Race

Despite, or maybe due to these differences, we each have an opportunity to take a moment and reach out to someone who on paper would be your polar opposite.

Send them an email or inbox. Heck, walk on the wild side and actually call them up.

I am confident enough that our society has matured along to allow complete strangers with differences of opinions to sit down as fellow Bermudians and shoot the breeze.

What do we have to lose?

Email and Facebook are free

Let’s be real; Race, Religion and Politics has never united people on any national scale.

People unite people

- Chris Famous can be contacted via email at Carib_pro@yahoo.com or Twitter at @ryderz777

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Comments (20)

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  1. stunned... says:

    Nice opinion piece to start the new year off right.

    • BETTTYTRUMP says:

      Hope that you also continue to address the tough issuses as well over the next year. Not all the articles you write will be agreed upon by all, as they hit at the cure of some real touchy issues. Some folks do mot like to discuss thoae difficult issuses as they feel uncomfirtable. Well done Sir.

      Love much, live much

  2. BTCHECKER says:

    Betty, this is a much better column. Glad you are growing up and realising that your tactics were backfiring, I havent seen you on the message boards for a while.

    Lets see if you yourself can adhere to it.

    If you can – maybe BTCHECKER can resign…

  3. hmmm says:

    Appreciate this positive message. No politics, and a message to bring Bermuda closer together as ONE.

  4. Sky Pilot says:

    stick to your job at belco

    • Kunta says:

      And when your lights go out he’ll be the one to your rescue, you’ve missed the whole message and instead of complimenting on something that’s positive from someone who is ALWAYS being scorned for his conviction, your hatred for him and what he supports is evident.

  5. agatha christie says:

    PLease preach this message to your PLP mentors – that party’s reaction over the PRC issue was purely and deliberately divisive IMO and did nothing to unite anything or anybody.

  6. Cow Polly says:

    I wish all your opinion pieces were this engaging Chris, think of what you could do for Bermuda if you continued to preach the ‘unite’ principle. Many of us Bermudians have been practicing this principle for years and are much better for it. No entitlement expectations, no handouts expected and no us vs them attitude. I not only engage people of different religions, races, political views and backgrounds but also generations. Its amazing what ignorance we discover when we sit down and talk about the perceptions of the older/younger generation…. quite hilarious actually.
    May this be your New Year’s resolution Chris……….. thank you.

    • Kunta says:

      Before we can have the discussion of UNITY, how about EQUAL RIGHTS and JUSTICE, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, NON-BIASED HIRING PRACTICES etc.
      It reminds me of Mandela, when he was fighting for equal rights and justice, he was a Communist and a Terrorist, but when they broke him after 27 years of humility he was widely received.
      BS

  7. Mr Ed. says:

    Just what you said’ – they must Unite but its never going to happen — you made the original list above – I just
    extended it — reality:somthing thats that exist for real.
    Its never going to happen – because of the following

    [1] Race – Black vs White vs Philippine vs Indian vs Mixed Raced —
    [2] Background – Mozart vs Reggea vs Country vs the Gombeys
    [3] Ecconomic Status – the Rich vs the Poor vs the BIU vs the OBA base
    [4] Political beliefs and views – the followers of the PLP agenda vs OBA’s agenda
    [5] Sports Clubs – Royal Bermuda Yacht Club vs EEMYC vs SDC vs NVCC — on and on ‘
    [6] Religious beliefs – non believers vs Christian vs Rasta v Muslim
    [7] Living area – Tuckers Point type of People vs Dock Hill’ Folk’
    [8] non Bermudian or Bermudian – big issue here – there never going unite ‘never!

  8. Unbelievable says:

    “Let’s be real; Race, Religion and Politics has never united people on any national scale.”

    I would agree with you but why do you always use race and politics to get your divisive messages across, TCF?

    • Kunta says:

      How do you think Bermuda was founded and functioning?
      Same principle different era.

  9. Sickofantz says:

    This is a much more positive piece of journalism from you. I certainly support you in agreeing that people are naturally going to have differences. I slightly disagree because I don’t think the Big one HAS to be race. We all look different and we all have different back grounds to constantly group and segregate by such ephemeral distinctions is RIDICULOUS. The real focus of our attention has to be getting jobs for Bermudians by attracting more foreign business owners and raising the level of standards in the public schools,

    Happy United Integrated New Year Bermuda

    • Kunta says:

      Race will always be the Big one wherever Africans and Europeans co-exist, Historically and presently.

  10. sorry sir says:

    Irony.

  11. chipp says:

    The marakalay I hearing?

  12. Mutual Respect says:

    Christopher spends his whole time crying wolf then writes an article on how people shouldn’t cry wolf. Maybe the wolf himself is finally seeing the light. One can only hope.