Hashtag: #JonathanStarlingColumns

Opinion: Starling On Scotland Referendum

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 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?

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

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

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

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: 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: 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

Opinion: Starling On Fixed-Term Elections

Opinion: Starling On Fixed-Term Elections

[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] Among the political reforms proposed by the OBA during the 2012 general election – and political reforms that I supported and included in my own election platform – was the call for fixed-term elections. Specifically, the OBA called for fixed-term elections on a five-year cycle. Despite almost a year... Read more of this article

Opinion: Jonathan Starling On Right Of Recall

Opinion: Jonathan Starling On Right Of Recall

[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] Time for the ‘Right of Recall’ Vote… In the 2012 General Election the OBA promised a series of sweeping political reforms, including fixed-term elections, absentee voting and the right-of-recall. Despite some mention last summer of a committee, headed by Minister Fahy, developing these proposals we’ve... Read more of this article

Opinion: Starling On Remembering Tiananmen

Opinion: Starling On Remembering Tiananmen

[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] I was almost exactly ten years old when the events of Tiananmen reached their tragic end, twenty-five years ago. I have vague recollections of CBS reporting’s from that time, of the iconic ‘tank man’ blocking a column of tanks from advancing on the demonstrators, of the anguished look on the faces... Read more of this article

Opinion: We Need Action, Not Empty Rhetoric

Opinion: We Need Action, Not Empty Rhetoric

[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] Late last night we witnessed a sad and unprecedented moment in Bermuda’s history, where a Premier was forced to resign as a result of a scandal of his own making. This is sad for Bermuda because many had such high hopes for this now disgraced Premier and the rhetoric of ‘change’, of ‘transparency... Read more of this article

Opinion: Public Health Approach To Drug Use

Opinion: Public Health Approach To Drug Use

[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] Recently the media reported that a video was circulating on social media about an individual licking and kissing a dead cat. While the media [quite rightly] didn’t show the video, it basically shows a male carrying a dead cat, by the tail, placing it on the ground, just off a major road, and, to the goading... Read more of this article

Opinion: Starling On International Worker’s Day

Opinion: Starling On International Worker’s Day

[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] May Day, also known as International Worker’s Day, is a public holiday in over 80 countries, and has been celebrated as such since 1891. May Day, as International Worker’s Day, originated from the brutal police repression of workers striking for labour reforms in the late 19th Century, specifically for... Read more of this article

Opinion: Ethical Question Of Dolphins & Captivity

Opinion: Ethical Question Of Dolphins & Captivity

[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] Recently there’s been a lot of discussion in Bermuda on the issue of keeping dolphins in captivity; this appears to have been the unintended result of Dolphin Quest announcing the births of two baby dolphins amongst their captive population. A Role for Aquariums & Zoos To be upfront, I was formerly... Read more of this article

Opinion Column: “Think Global, Act Local”

Opinion Column: “Think Global, Act Local”

[Opinion column written by Jonathan Starling] The announcement that Gibbons Company will be carrying GAP products has been welcomed by many in the community that follow fashion trends. However, it is important that we recall the saying ‘think global, act local’ when we look at this announcement. Far too often it is too easy to think only in terms... Read more of this article