Hashtag: #JonathanStarlingColumns
Opinion Column: Day of Persons With Disabilities
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] Today, December 3rd, is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which has been observed annually since being proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1992. The purpose of this observance is to help promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity,... Read more of this article
Opinion Column: Starling On After The Storms
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] With the recent announcement by BELCO that they have restored power to all households that went dark in Fay and Gonzalo, Bermuda is finally approaching full normality again. Of course there are still signs of these storms, primarily in our vegetation, with our city parks remaining closed, along with two... Read more of this article
Opinion: Starling On Negative Campaigning
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] So, we’re in election season. Well, a by-election at least. Disappointingly, all the signs are that this by-election campaign will be an overwhelmingly negative one – one in which the OBA seems to be taking the lead on, in terms of negative campaigning that is. This is all the more disappointing as the... Read more of this article
Opinion: Time To Lower The Voting Age?
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] The recent Scottish independence referendum has been inspiring on many levels, not the least for the 86% turn out, or the national conversation [and resulting UK wide discussion now on constitutional change] related to the referendum itself. One of the key lessons that one can draw from the independence... Read more of this article
Opinion: Starling On Scotland Referendum
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] Friday was a long and, at times, a surreal day here in Scotland. One of the most common sights in the streets, cafes and offices in Scotland on Friday was frequent yawning – with an 86% voter turnout it seems that an equally large number of the population also spent most of the night nervously watching... Read more of this article
Opinion Part #2: Making A “Panopticon Prison”
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] In a previous OpEd I introduced the idea of the Panopticon, and how Bermuda’s fancy new CCTV system is making our island into a large panopticon [all-seeing] prison. In this prison all of us are prisoners and may be watched at any time by the guard tower, in the form of CCTV. We don’t know if/when we’re... Read more of this article
Making Bermuda Into A Panopticon Prison?
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] Not too long ago the Premier was featured in a news story touring the CCTV monitoring centre up in Prospect. Included in the story were pictures of a wall of monitors, displaying the clarity and scale of the images. These images were clearly impressive – well detailed and clear. The Premier is quoted... Read more of this article
Starling: We Need To Measure Quality Of Life
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] It was with some degree with amazement that I read the press release from MP Susan Jackson, acting Chair of the OBA. In this press release the OBA dismisses the proposal from Opposition MP Wayne Furbert to conduct a Quality of Life survey to establish how the island is suffering economically. Essentially,... Read more of this article
Starling: New Waste Disposal Laws Needed
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] While I am currently off-island, I understand from media reports and discussion on social media that recently there have been some issues regarding trash collection. This was a bit of a hot topic in the run up to the 2012 election, being held up by many opposed to the then PLP government as evidence as mismanagement.... Read more of this article
Starling: Ewing Trees Provide Many Benefits
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] It was heartening to see that some residents of Ewing Street, along with the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce [BEST], took the initiative to defend the street’s trees yesterday [Aug 5]. While it’s true the City of Hamilton did advertise their imminent removal, this advertisement ran in... Read more of this article
Opinion: Starling On Solidarity with Palestine
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] While Bermuda continues to have its own political intrigue, it has been to ignore the extremely concerning developments in Palestine. I unreservedly condemn the continuing Israeli aggression against the people of Palestine and I hope that the military strikes are halted immediately. While Bermuda does not... Read more of this article
Opinion: Implementation Of Cannabis Reform
[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] I’m sure many Bermudians who have been following the ongoing parliamentary debate about cannabis reform are extremely disappointed with the low calibre of this important discussion by our ‘Honourable’ MPs. While credit must be given to the OBA for initiating the Cannabis Reform Collaborative and its... Read more of this article
