Vexed Bermoothes

My view (simplified à l’Obama) is that there are two types of racial tension at a personal level in Bermuda:

• Some people haven’t mixed to build personal relationships with other races. In other words, racial distrust is based on lack of community.
• Some people actually are racist.

The problem with Dr. Brown’s approach to the Big Conversation is his focus on “making some people feel uncomfortable.”

In reality, the idea behind dialogues like this to build kind of a national group therapy … where people can feel comfortable opening their hearts on a subject. Participants can only do this if they feel they’ll be treated with respect, listened to, and not preemptively judged. This is not the approach that Bermuda has taken.

Dr. Brown’s approach of confrontation may indeed be applicable to committed racists. But it excludes many of the people on both sides who’d like to build healing our community.

It also doesn’t differentiate between the circumstances of older Bermudians who experienced overt discrimination and younger Bermudians who feel deprived of opportunity through restricted education or other challenges.

Dr. Brown’s approach may have its fans – notably in the American elite circles he frequents – but it’s lousy psychotherapy.

Someone pointed out to me that the only whites on the Big Con steering committee are Dr Brown’s personal friends … people he trusts. That sums it up. Bonds grow through community, not through confrontation.

Now, go fly a kite together Bermuda. Happy Good Friday.