Speeches by Christopher Famous, JP, MP

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

159 words

That means the Crown gave you a licence to be a pirate. They killed, they stole, they enslaved. Let me continue: “ They were among hu ndreds ” (Hundreds!) “of Englishmen of that day who became involved in the privateering/pirate business because of its promise of adventure, glory and quick, substantial profit. ” Anything sound familiar? “Quick, substantial profits.” And …

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

9 words

Oh, that is correct now? An. Hon. Member: Yes.

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

50 words

Okay. POINT OF ORDER [Misleading] Hon. Trevor G. Moniz: Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member is trying very hard to mislead the House. I read all of the stuff that he has read. None of it ever indicates that Sir George was a slave owner, just that he was a privateer.

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

14 words

Look, it said he captured slaves. What does “captured slaves” mean? [Inaudible inter jection]

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

143 words

Okay. “The raiders managed to capture a few Spa niards and their slaves at Coche then headed across to Cumana, a town on the Venezuelan coast. In the morning, they burnt ” (B-U-R-N-T, that means set afire, arson) “ Caracas an d some surrounding settlements to the ground” (They burnt it to the ground!) “ as they had threatened. Taking …

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

31 words

No, he is not. He actually used to write for the UBP. 2996 14 February 2020 Official Hansard Report Bermuda House of Assembly An. Hon. Member: He wrote for you, too.

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

48 words

No, he did not. No, he did not. No, he did not. So, my point is this historical account was written by someone who is not a PLP supporter, who is an OBA/UBP supporter and it was never . . . never challenged until now. [Inaudible interjectio n]

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

245 words

Nobody challenged it. Mr. Speaker, Columbus never discovered America and Somers never discovered Bermuda, okay? Somers was on his way to Virginia to do what? Colonise land owned by Native Americans and he got shipwrecked here. He did not find Bermuda. He got shipwrecked here. And after he built another ship he went on to Virginia and came back here …

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

145 words

Mr. Speaker, I asked two years ago for Somers to be removed from Cup Match. And, as Ministers know, the wheels of bureaucracy move slowly. I wanted it re moved at that Cup Match. It was not going to happen. I wanted it removed the next Cup Match; it was not going to happen. But the wheels were in motion. …

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

36 words

Tell you what, tell you what, move George Somers to Fe bruary 29 th, how about we do that? George Somers is not worth talking about because he was a rapist, a murderer and a pirate.

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

5 words

Yes, I changed my mind.

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

8 words

Now, let us talk about a true hero.

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

504 words

Let us talk about a true hero, Mary Prince. That is a name you are going to keep hearing. Mr. Speaker, Psalms 118:22 says that t he stone that the builders refused shall become the head cornerstone. Mr. Speaker, some 200 years ago people that looked like me were put on ships by people looking like somebody else. And that …

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

157 words

And over the course of time, again, through the help of the Ministry, the D epartment of Community and Cultural Affairs, who put on various events to educate people about Mary Prince, it has become now the fact that people know this is one of our people. This woman is an interna-tional heroine. So, Mr. Speaker , I thank my …

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

129 words

I thank Titan Bus Tours because they have been taking people around to ed ucate people about, not just Mary Prince, but Sally Bassett, and others. I thank Dame Jennifer Smith who spoke out. And I thank the Honourable Mr. John Barritt who said he had no problem with it being [r enamed]. So, Mr. Speaker, I am going to …

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

6 words

Mr. Speaker, point of i nformation.

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

5 words

Somers Day was from 1947.

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

38 words

I do not want to be pedantic, but the point is the name Somers Day was put in way before anybody i n this room . . . well, maybe not cousin Derrick. [Laughter and inaudible interjections ]

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

63 words

Way before many people here were born. Honourable Renee Webb made a motion to call the entire Cup Match Holiday “Emanc ipation Day.” The UBP objected vigorously. And a compromise was struck to call the first day Emancipa-tion Day and allow the second day to remain as Somers Day, in 1999. So, no, it was not the PLP who brought …

14 Feb 2020 House of Assembly

Official Hansard Report - House Of Assembly

994 words

Yes, good evening, Mr. Speaker — The Speake r: Good evening. Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Christopher Famous: —colleagues, and the li stening audience. I will not be long, Mr. Speaker . I appreciate the previous speakers who cited all the statistics about the College, or what they are doing. So, there is no need for me to repeat that. …