Comments on: History: Ramsbotham on Politics, Race, Riots

By: onionseed

onionseed — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:07:05 +0000

Three people were killed in a blaze at the Southampton Princess on the evening of December 1, 1977 — two visitors and a Bermudian hotel employee who had attempted to rescue them. An arsonist set the hotel’s sixth floor on fire after a rumour spread that the hangman brought in to execute Tacklyn and Burrows was staying there. Satisfied, “Senator” Furbert?

By: LaVerne Furbert

LaVerne Furbert — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 22:02:44 +0000

“The riots, which broke out 33 years ago today [Dec. 1], convulsed Bermuda for three days, causing three deaths along with millions of dollars in property damage.”

Bernews,
Who were the three people that died as a result of the “riots”?

LaVerne Furbert

By: bernews

bernews — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:19:31 +0000

Sorry, we actually don’t know. Its called “Birth of a Trust” and was made by Dread & Baha Productions’ in 1998 if that helps any….

By: Yung n Thuggin

Yung n Thuggin — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:19:17 +0000

I think Bda will riot soon, especially if these police shoot a Bermudian, (one without a gun). They wouldnt be able to handle the population of street gangs today..

By: jimmy

jimmy — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 03:52:40 +0000

makes me want to drink alchoholic beverages

By: History

History — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 02:35:18 +0000

Wow! very interesting I saw my granpa on here. Bermuda has some rich history. Please continue to post documents like this.

Job well done Bernews!

By: Onionseed

Onionseed — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:39:13 +0000

Sorry I can’t live up to your stereotype of me, Jake. I am a PLP supporter. I am about as far removed from the centre of power as Pluto is from the Sun. But I also don’t sit back and allow myself to be spoon-fed foolishness by anyone … I sat through most of the Pitt Commission hearings at City Hall. Did you, Jake? I listened to dozens of Bermudians speak passionately and intelligently about the socio-economic conditions prevailing in Bermuda at the time. Most of them were black. Most of them (I suspect) were PLP voters. Most of them made the best possible use of the only public forum ever made available to them until then to discuss what was ailing this little island. But some representatives of the lunatic fringe also gave presentations. I even remember Alex Scott’s eyes glazing over (he was on the commission) when some of these self-appointed “activists” took the microphone. Yes, there were some “dotty people” who appeared. And not all of them belonged to the Harry Viera wing of the UBP!

By: bernews

bernews — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:56:09 +0000

47 page PDF here: http://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/archives/collections/BDOHP/Ramsbotham.pdf

By: terry

terry — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:37:03 +0000

What document Mr. Burchall.

By: junior burchall

junior burchall — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:32:45 +0000

where can i get a copy of this doc?

By: terry

terry — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:02:47 +0000

Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of lie…………………..

By: jake

jake — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:45:11 +0000

Unemployable mouthy diddley-bops – Whoa

Knew them for what they were – Ouch!!!

We also knew / know you & your type for what you were and still are. Your entrenched belief that the only smart person in the room is of a certain persuasion remains so prevalent. It isn’t so overtly displayed any longer, however, it still remains a core part of the makeup of many that no longer wield power and influence. Which by the way is why many on this board are so clearly vexed..

The PLP have many, many problems and hopefully they will address them under this Premier. Returning to the good old days is just not on for many of us.

By: 1undread

1undread — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:18:35 +0000

As a musician and teacher I would like a copy of that documentary.
Where can I get it?

By: terry

terry — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:05:25 +0000

You have been smoking too many onion seeds. Your assinine comments are typical of the control you have on local blogs.

Truth need not be published. You of all people should know that.

Anyway..Thanks Bernews for putting this again in the public domain. You just had to have been there and have knowledge of what led up to this and why we are where we are today.

By: Taurus

Taurus — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:51:26 +0000

Great report!! I love to read about Bermuda’s history also. I experienced a lot of the things that took place in those times. I’m glad that Ramsbotham finally spoke out against the unfair system that was in place back then. I guess “better late than never!!”

By: Onionseed

Onionseed — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:31:15 +0000

Sorry, mate, wasn’t anything personal — I just find some of your more cryptic comments here as hard to decipher as ancient Sanskrit. I’m not being rude — I honestly don’t have a clue what you’re on about most of the time. But let me take a wild guess. All of our social/political/criminal problems today are the direct result of a still-unfolding Black Beret Cadre conspiracy hatched in the ’70s. And all will finally be revealed when the greatest book never published by your mate Mel finally comes off the presses in 2015 or 2020 or whenever, etc.? Am I on the right track?

By: terry

terry — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:58:23 +0000

Onionseed you know exactly what I am on about. Thats why the personal attack. Now go back to your homeland.

(this should be fun)

By: Onionseed

Onionseed — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:46:57 +0000

That’s exactly what Ramsbotham was saying — the hangings were a pretext for the rioting, not the root cause. It’s refreshing to hear a man who had been the most senior British diplomat in the world describe Bermuda for what it was back then –”a one-party dictatorship”, with the supposedly invincible UBP propped up by the expatriate/status Bermudian vote. And Ramsbotham is also right about the Pitt Commission — it provided a genuine forum for the people to participate in this public airing of Bermuda’s dirty socio-economic laundry. Everyone was allowed to have their say, even the “dotty people”. If memory serves (which it doesn’t always these days), a number of our current hired political gunslingers wasted the commission’s time with their nonsense and conspiracy theories. There were enough real grievances and problems which needed to be aired and addressed but the poor Pitt Commission had to contend with the imaginary kind as well. At least the “dotty people” weren’t on the public payroll at that time — everyone knew them for what they were: unemployable, mouthy diddley-bops. I have no idea what Terry is on about — but that’s nothing new. What are the effects today which were directly caused by the ’77 riots?

By: lastchancenobreaks95

lastchancenobreaks95 — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:30:33 +0000

thank you bernews for this report. i love hearing and reading about our history,i so enjoy finding out how things used to be…in some ways they still are in fact going on today.again thank you.

By: itwasn't me

itwasn't me — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:13:53 +0000

A history lesson that is all to often ignored. But we didn’t riot because of the hangings. Buck and Tack were guilty as sin. Hangings provided an excuse to riot against established racism. The 40 theives time was up. Sir John, Woolridge, Pearman, and other black faces that made it in business can thank us for the “changing of the guard”.

By: terry

terry — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:12:26 +0000

With all due respect too Sir Peter and what Bernews has printed there was more to it than the above as can be seen by todays events.