Audio: Minister On Watlington House Demolition
Noting he has “been lectured, criticized, and condemned” for “ordering the demolishing of a slave master’s house,” Minister of Public Works Lt/Col David Burch said that of all the entities that said it should be saved, “not one of them offer up 2 cents to restore the building.”
Speaking during the Motion to Adjourn last night, Minister Burch said, “I find it peculiar, Mr. Speaker, at the very least, as a Black man, I have been lectured, criticized, and condemned by a whole host of white organizations and white people in this country about not honouring our national hero, Mary Prince, all for ordering the demolishing of a slave master’s house, Watlington House. It’s not named Mary Prince House.
A quick look at Watlington House being demolished
“I cannot even begin to express how confused and incensed I am by the suggestion that, and the media reported this, and this is the reason for justifying the criticism, that a 12-year-old girl was sent to this house to be prepared to be sold by her own mother. [Note: you can read the BNT’s report on the house’s history here]
“I can’t even get past the fact that I find that completely abhorrent. I don’t understand why the house is historic. It should have been knocked down years ago, in my humble opinion. It should. And the fact that the place is dilapidated, and some say we’ve done that deliberately, and had to be knocked down means nothing to no one.
“Because all of the entities that have trotted it out to say it should be saved, and they do that at every building we try and knock down, and say that it’s historic, not one of them offer up 2 cents to restore the building. They want the Bermudian taxpayer to do it.”
For full context please listen to Minister Burch’s full remarks
Just think how much 1.2 million and 800k would’ve done for that?!?!
Well done by all
Minister Burch said, “I find it peculiar, Mr. Speaker, at the very least, as a Black man, I have been lectured, criticized, and condemned by a whole host of white organizations and white people in this country about not honouring our national hero, Mary Prince, ”
Uh, huh
“not one of them offer up 2 cents to restore the building. They want the Bermudian taxpayer to do it.”
It was a historically significant house on Government land. Yes, we want our tax dollars to be used to maintain buildings on Government land. That is especially so where the building is of historical significance.
What I find very hard to understand is, why is it that this situation, the demolition of this building, was reported on after it happened and there was no outcry by those same organizations before that. I agree with most of what our Minister said!
There was an outcry in 2021, see https://bernews.com/2023/03/curb-bnt-on-watlington-house-demolition/
It seems that the PLP Government waited patiently and then did what it wanted to do originally after others were lulled into a false sense of security.
And I see you have ignored my bit about the Minister saying that charities or individuals should fund the maintenance or restoration of Government owned buildings on Government land. That, of course, assumes that the Minister would let people onto Government land to carry out the restoration of Government owned buildings on Government land
If buildings have significant meaning then the people who
Feel they should be saved and preserved should get together and raise funds
We don’t seem to have a problem spending $500 and up on a carnival costume or take that cruise.
Lots just make noise to follow the crowd.
Tbis generation don’t care much about their history
I get what he is saying but why, in the first place, wasn’t this building maintained so that there was no need to knock it down and build new – that seems to be the more pertinent question.
Agreed. As I have said, it used to be a Government owned buildings on Government land
For God’s sake, it was the house of a slave master! Should have been knocked down years ago and a plaque placed there: “Slave Master’s House Demolished Here.”
Should we also knock down every church in Bermuda and every fort by the same logic? That would leave the Bermuda Historical Society with very little to preserve
It would be good start
Maintained? You mean like Tynes Bay, or the roads, or the bridges, or ………… Maintained is not a word familiar to the PLP.
A inept government in serious debt that has to pull down Bermuda’s history.
So white people are not allowed to have an opinion about what the government does.
Another Mugabe fan.
Rhetorical question I presume.
The fact is, old sand in the hoohah Burch cannot stand being called out on his incompetence. He’s so laughably predictable.
Correct. And if you live east of White Hill your opinion does not matter either.
So what’s the sense of paying tax dollars if we still have to come out of pocket for every project we want the government to support. You realize the government is supposed to be by the people for the people not by the people to benefit the powers that be. They constantly want 1st class and private jets but yet can’t provide decent roads, maintenance of property and the list goes on the government is neglecting our people it’s only a matter of time before the people react
“government is supposed to be by the people for the people”
In America, maybe. In Bermuda forming the government means control of the piggy bank.