Southlands: Senators Complain of Rude Emails
Today in the Bermuda Senate, Senators David Burch and Kim Wilson complained of the tone of emails they have received over the Southlands land swap situation.
The Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce [BEST] are actively seeking to preserve the Southlands Estate.
BEST have asked supporters to write their MPs telling them to complete the Southlands-Morgan’s Point land swap deal. BEST provided an email list for the MPs and Senators on their website.
Senator Burch pulled no punches stating outright that he had received rude emails. The no nonsense former Regiment Commanding Officer alluded that the emails go straight in the garbage as soon as he sees the heading.
He spoke of the importance for people to ascertain all of the facts, and went on to say that “when they see what will happen at Morgans Point they will flog us worse.”
Senator and Attorney General Kim Wilson spoke on the issue as well. She clearly stated that she had no issue at all with protests and exercising freedom of speech, and even went on to say that she can handle the “tone” of the emails.
What the Attorney General took umbrage with, was the suggestion she is not interested nor cares about the island. Senator Wilson, who was voluntarily “locked up” last week for a drug awareness fundraiser, called out an email sender by name, stating “she cares no less then Sarah Cook” about Bermuda.
Southlands Estate - from which the conflict stems
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Re: “Senators Complain of Rude Emails”
We expect that people writing to the leaders of the country will be duly respectful. However, we can appreciate that for some people, their frustration is so close to the surface it may bubble up inappropriately — indeed some of our leaders have had this affliction. Still, there is no excuse for being disrespectful and we urge members of the public to treat the targets of their emails and letters with the same respect they would wish for themselves.
To Senator Burch’s allusion that he throws them straight into the garbage, that would seem to be an over-reaction. In the same way, one wouldn’t shun all apples because of a bad one or two. Senator Burch may not like to have his government’s policies/actions questioned or challenged, but he shouldn’t stick his fingers in his ears, figuratively of course, because one or two people shouted. Others who may not be shouting are still entitled to be heard.
Finally, Senator Burch references “what will happen at Morgan’s Point”. Obviously he is privy to the plans for Morgan’s Point. The public has not seen those plans, nor does the public have any inkling of the terms of the agreement. The government has chosen to keep these matters secret. They cannot, in all honesty, complain about the public’s choosing not to speculate on a development where the details are not known.
In any case, the development proposed for Morgan’s Point should go through the same Planning process as any other development. Through that process, the people AND the government will have every opportunity to comment on and approve or disapprove of the plans. It is thus difficult to understand the government’s insistence on approving the plans BEFORE a land swap is consummated.