GANG warfare – when will it end? [click for tonight's show - 4/5/2010]
April 5, 2010Prominent lawyer Llewellyn Peniston, artist Ras Mykkal and comedic talents Jah Simmons and Nadanja Bailey, join Gary on-set tonight to weigh in on the ongoing gang murder crisis tormenting the island. Four people shot during the Easter weekend — one victim, Kimwandae Walker, 35, murdered in front of his children as he flew kites on Good Friday at Victor Scott in Pembroke.
What length must authorities go, to restore order?
Take part in our national conversation by posting your thoughts and seeing what others are saying. Some comments will be read on-air.
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I think Ras Mykkal is right. The Government has been a poor leader in terms of sound morals and values being reinforced from the top.
well said opening statements mr peniston n ras
its so unfortunate we have a social and civic responsable society that does not force accountability on all levels
Nadanja Bailey hit the nail squarely on the head. BET, violent computer games and poor parenting are responsible for the awful behavior and criminal instincts that is prevalent today in Bermuda.
I am very concerned that I called Crimestoppers hotline and I have some imformation and because I dont know the persons address I CANNOT submit my imformation and my imformation can be the very answer to solving someof these henious crimes. Please explain how that works.
Simply call the hotline and tell them what you know and hang up. You are not expected to be a detective. Every bit of information can help.
Please consider placing this show on the radio also as there are some that are working and don’t have access to a TV, but may have something to offer.
When those that live in their Ivory Towers start to feel the pain that the man in the street endures, then you will see swift action upon this land.
Does anyone on the panel support a gun court where persons caught with guns are tried before a panel of judges instead of a jury. This will avoid jury intimidation and manipulation. A recent court case involved a guy caught by the police with a gun who was charged and went to court only to have the jury decide that the gun was planted in his bag while in the club.
***sorry for unfinished first post***
well said opening statements mr peniston n ras
its so unfortunate we have an irresponsable community tht does not take its social and civic responsability seriously and does not force accountability on all levels.
politicians have historically but their party interests over the countries interests.
to the populations detriment
What about the core values in the Family? Are they not the foundation for the ails of our society? Where are your children tonight? Mothers, are you turning a blind eye to the behavior of your children? Why should Government be blamed for these areas of obvious default.
The question posed on the website is “What length must authorities go, to restore order?” My thoughts are: 1. the Police must be more aggressive in suppressing crime. More cameras, stop and search and harassment of known trouble makers. 2. More education and social support for the raising of young people and 3. Clear and transparent messages from Government and community leaders on good values and proper behavior.
If u now have the gang act legislation which I believe allows to to search on demand why can bda police become nuisances. An example would be to select one of these gangsters and park the paty wagon or a marked car outside their home for a few days. I believe that this would cause the parents to be aware, the gangsta to lay low, or stop. If my son caused a police vehicle to be parked outside my home he will feel the consequences. I as a parent would be ashamed, neighbors gossipn, it will get back to my peers at work and hopefully the neighbors will be irrated. Hopefully this embarrasment will open this gangsters eyes to being an outcast. Also PLEASE ban full face tinted visors.
The family structures have been destroyed hence our issues
What can we can do to move forward? ie.( Helping our young people)showing them a positive way.
Bermuda should use the UK relationship for the benefit of bermuda. If these guys had to do hard labour in an real jail (in a cold country), they might think twice. Also consider making them do military service in the british army as an alternative to jail … it might straighten them out and give them training for a future.
Gary, tell my good friend Llew that actually it was hope is immediate – change is gradual – by inaugural PLP Govt. Leader Dame Jennifer Smith. Think also it’s fair to say 12 years! Change NOT HAPPENING! Good show Gary – Ceola/Cheers
ps “AIN’T NUFFIN WRONG WITH A POND DOG EITHER!!!!!!!!!
Bermuda needs more positive role models like Jah and Nadanja ,they can reach people with their talents.
Although I feel that there is no one person to blame, I do however believe that the Police need to take some accountability for the recent holiday gun play. There should have been at least 1 Police car at each event on Good Friday which would have possibly deterred these hooligans from carrying out such a ruthless heinous act. Particularly at Devonshire Rec and Victor Scott field as these are the 2 places that the Parkside and 42nd “gangs” frequent.
Also, being present at the Western Stars sports club from 7:30pm, it was a bit disturbing to observe a police car being there all the while and leaving a little after 11pm which I think they should’ve have made it a point to be around from then until closing. Until the policing is stepped up, it is only going to get worse as these hooligans are given way too many opportunities to carry out these senseless shootings
Great show tonight! Two the lawyer, good words. Finally a lawyer that tells the truth! To the two young man, proud of you. We need more young man so stand and be a leader. We need guys like that to mentor the youth. Proud of you guys. Great show!
I agree with the Mr. Simmons’ statement that it starts at home. Your first role model will be the adult you are living with it, be it your parent or grandparent. However, if that role model is always displaying a negative aura, over time that will permeate as the right way to go in that person’s eyes until someone positive may come into their life to turn that perception around. There are no morals in some of the younger generation’s parents. I feel some of the parents around 30 years and younger fall into that category. Another problem is when UBP got rid of the 9 or 10 secondary schools to 2 mega-schools.
It appears as if your panelist, Lou and Ras, are placing the blame for today’s current issues on the Government. While the PLP became the government in 1998, and people felt a great sense of hope, our people forgot, one of the most important things: “The responsiblity to ensure that their children become productive citizens”. I believe that Bermudian parent’s do not take this role serious enough. Instead of being a friend to their children, they must learn how to be a parent. We must all work towards a solution, and stop playing the blame game. What are the real solutions that your panelist can suggest? Not just placing blame on the Government, but we all as a people??
Penniston is on point. The educational system is failing our young people and has been for years. We are reaping what has been sown.
Good evening,
I totally agree with Jah and Nadanja. It starts at home.. I was bought up by my mother and I didn’t have the latest clothes, I didn’t get a bike when I turned 16 (I bought my first bike when I was 19), I couldn’t use the house phone as my personal phone. I am raising a 14 year old male. For his 14th birthday I purchased him a Blackberry phone, within a week it was stolen. He now has a job packing groceries, he has to pay me back for the phone and IF he wants another phone HE has to purchase it him self & pay the bill. He has to learn to be responsible.
Good for you, stay the course and he will learn much from your example.
extend tonights show
I agree with Nadanja, these young kids think their living in a music video. How can we fight over a parish? Shoot and kill our family members? We give so may excuses for why but no answers are given.
I don’t agree with the term “Gang” members, I beleive we should call them cowards.
I want to first thank Nadanja and Jah for doing this tonight. I believe the reason why we have these problems is because most of the grandparents are dying and there is no more old school backrounds. Please dont blame govenment. When i was sixteen years old, i had a pager, and when it went off, it was time to come home….
I totally agree with what Mr Penniston just said – he is exactly right. Lets get back to basics and have a trade school to give our youth their education and skills needed to have a decent life. We need to take OUR island back!
Well I hear a lot of ppl pointing fingers to the government and police saying they are not doing a well enough job. In my opionion I feel that there are people out there that know what going on before it happens. I believe its the girl friends of these hoodlums. They are the glue holding the entire operations together. How are these victims being watched so closely that they are in the wrong place at the right time. Until these females be and act as Women NOT chicken heads, the madness will continue. And like Jah said, it starts at home from young, not when your child is 16. ‘Big Mama’ is missing from our youths lives. Thanks for your time.
Good evening,
I agree with Mr. Peniston ever since the Tech school was taken away i believe that’s when our young men took to the walls it gave them no hope to further their skills.
I remember when I attended the Tech School doing Secretarial what the Tech had to offer those young men who were not acedemically inclined but did so well with their hands.
Government needs to seriously rethink and rebuild a facility where these young men can do something with their skills. We have plenty of empty land space where a facility can be developed. Look at the base land….
Motor mechanics
plumbing
electrical
air condition
boats and more……..
The biggest issue that Bermuda has is they blame the government for SOCIAL ISSUES!! Jah hit the nail on the head!! Mothers are making it fashionable for kids to have kids. This starts a vicious cycle and only NOW are we seeing the repercussions!! The education system is part to blame along with this.
Where the government does play a vital role is that you are NOT providing the youth of this island the tools and support that they need to be successful. There are many that go off to school, get a degree, come back and cant find a job. Why?? Outsourcing or just simply “not knowing the right people”. I am 22 yrs old and have seen the descend of this country into the ground…so imagine what the older generations see???
STOP PACIFYING AND BABYING THE CHILDREN OF THIS ISLAND BERMUDA…YOU CAN ONLY BLAME YOURSELVES. STOP WAITING FOR THE VILLAGE TO RAISE YOUR CHILDREN.
On the one hand you suggest Government is not responsible and then you allege Government is not providing for the youth. My view is somewhere in between. I saw the CBS news tonight and Mr. Obama was reading to children and playing with them at the White House. Have you seen anything like this from our political leaders? The Government must set the standard – every day!
When you have Government leaders- who physically abuse people, and whose son gets in trouble…then is a suspected in a major crime and skips the island. the john joe thug in the street is saying, now, they can get away with serving so can we. Leaders must lead by example and not be bullies. The premier said when he became premier he was going to free up things and he has done just that. and whilst we are facing these terrible shootings – he’s on the golf course.
listen we have ALL dropped the ball where it comes to our young black boys
the schools/cousellors who see first hand the red flags associated with troubled children
homes- parents failing to guide,encourage,discipline, supervise, and love them the right way
churches-ministers only lining their pockets
MP’s only lining their pockets and not working for the public
police -who failed to protect us – only interested giving speeding tickets
Govt has failed us- no real leadership-or caring
these boys are only following our lead- if they are materialistic then who have they been watching and emulating?? us
Gary we are way to soft on crime in Bermuda. There are no reprocussions for these horrible offences that are taking place !! . The young lady that was shot four times was my cousin. She was an inocent bystander. What next !!! I am glad to hear young Black men publicly condeming some of these music channels that are polluting our young peoples minds.
We need dicipline in the home, schools and workplace.
Bermuda is in CRISIS
Jeff Sousa Chairman United Bermuda Party
Jeff, sorry to hear about your cousin. What was she doing out that time of night? I do feel that the new Pepsi Party aka BDA will fail at the polls because they have no experience, only opportunists from Fahy to Crockwell and Like Dunkley stance on crime. so continue to work together and the change you see will be your own
Yes that was the first thing my daughter & wife said regarding the time. You are spot on with other comment.
Bless you my Brother. Jeff
Its a lot of parents that know FULL well that there child has guns in there house!!!!!!!! And as long as there child is giving them 17 hundred n more every week or what ever they turn a blind eye!!!!!!!!!!! Stop blaming the government n start blaming some of the parents
You may be right.
Tari Trott
(Web Editor)
Everyone cannot achieve higher education for whatever reason.
Many cannot live a dignified existence in BDA without drug money. All people want is affordable living standards. Without that, nothing will work to thwart crime!
One question I would like answered is why was a 17 year old hanging out in a Western Stars Club at that time of night? I deplore the incident but how can we pass new laws to control this violence when we don’t enforce the ones we do have. When these sports clubs lose their liquor licenses then maybe they will think twice about encouraging anti-social behavior on their premises.
Sir John Swan foresaw the current situation comming over 25 years ago. People got angry at the term ‘worthless parents are the problem’ back then but it holds true. parents sold out their children when they chose to chase dollars or party like the expats and tourists instead of raising their kids. On the other hand, ‘imports’ like Ms Cooper helped outlaw parental rights to physically correct their children. So much for the expert advice of consultants, overpaid and usually wrong in their assesment. If we’re CARICOM why not spend my tax dollars shipping the trouble makers off to real prisons in Jamaica. We send our Regiment boys there, why not send the prisoners
We are livin in ah society where the emotional instability of the youth r not being looked at!!!! The youth r growing up angry, afraid and confused. They dont have outlets that allow them to learn to express their emotional heartache.i say this cuz i was one of them in the past.They have parents that r neglecting them and not being role models to them. They grow up being sexually abused, abandoned by their fathers, and all sorts of other abuses. We live in ah society where it is weak for a man to show emotion its considered unmanly for them to express hurt and pain. So we grow up suppressing feelings that need to be expressed and out of frustration those feelings that r bottled up for so long come out negatively. We as ah society need to create an environment were it is safe to express their hurt and pain. The youth need their own sense of identity!!!!
one has to question the commitment of our leaders here we are that within 72 hours 4 shot 1 murdered and our leader is playing golf when he should be reconveining government and discussing steps on how to confront this. Unfortunately “RESPECT” has been lost many young people have no respect for their own family.Should we now reconsider the death penalty for Murder 1
Thank you
Kevin, we are still a dependent territory – the death penalty is off the books.
I think the megaschool public school system is to blame because the people that are getting shot are from the first students that came to the school. When they took away the other secondary schools the clicks started and that divided our youths drastically. The desruction of the family is the main reason for the violence, devide and conquer.
I’m so into Let’s Talk! The lawyer, Llewellyn Peniston, hit it right on the head! Education is EVERYTHING and we’ve failed these young people with that! Right on! These young people are on the HONOR ROLL in high school and then they go to college or university and are in remedial classes? They graduate for high school yet they can’t write a paper? Can’t do simple math? But they were eligible for graduation! Are they being set up to fail because that’s how it appears? SO, they feel that no one cares about them but they were not given a fair chance, right?
Here’s another thought…many of these young people have parents who are uneducated, lack basic skills (employable, life, etc). Bermudians judge each other and assume that these older people have the tools to survive and make positive choices but many do not. These parents don’t have the know how or ambition to encourage more from their children.
What are “good choices” when many of these people do what they do to survive? The rent, bills, simple necessities required to live is so expensive. It’s like a single parent choosing to feed her child or pay a bill. Would it be considered the greater of two evils?
We have families pulled apart – the adults in the family don’t speak, talk about each other in front of the children, teach their young ones to mind their own business, etc. These young people have learned how to disconnect their emotions from everyone outside of their families so yes, they can kill another and feel no way. You are right! It starts at home but it’s like Maslow’s theory of hierarchy – these parents have to take care of the basics so they have neglected the higher levels of responsibility. As a community, we should have stepped in! It still takes a VILLAGE to raise a child!s
* Was writing with immense emotion. I apologize for the typos. Thanks.
bermuda has to be reformed from top to bottom its people are an unused resource
What is our human development system? Education plus recreation, music and character building programmes. School is in from 8:30 and 3:30pm. We need to put afterschool ptogrammes in communities around Middle schools that will also cater to the surrounding primary schools, to fill the time from 3:30 onwards with meaningful programmes for now and to prepare them for the future.
Peniston is on POINT!!! There is a lot of private interest in our island and we have to ask who is really running the country…. and neither of them end with a P or an A!!!
We are well beyond the point where we should be placing blame. We need solutions. No point…a waste of an hour. All Mr. Peniston did was blame Government.
Question saw was on “What extent authorities should go for order”? You’ve seen how criminals break into peoples homes/buisnesses, jump on a solo person on the street, ROB A TAXI DRIVER all without invitation. THEN WHY CAN’T THE POLICE & REGIMENT MAKE UNINVITED AGGRESSIVE POUNCING ON PEOPLE SUSPECTED OF DOING ILLEGAL ACTS. Pace Laws?? They need to constantly upset these peoples EASY LIVING.
Also recently a youth said the young drug dealing thugs are pouncing on the older drug dealers so they can get more business.
Why is it when there is a serious topic that is finally addressing issues that our Island is facing are they told they can not have extra time on air. This is what Bermuda needs candid talks from members of our community who are making sense.
There is alot of violance and gun play and where is our leaders. Where is the strong voice. Where is the determionation. I feel that there is nothing to drive things to be better. We have failed the people. Dont give money for locale works and bring people from overseas to pay them less. Then you get made when people sell drugs? Work with the people to make things better. Please!!
This is the second time Ive heard Mr Peniston and he has all the information RIGHT! There is more going on than all the rhetoric being displayed. Bermudians ARE being displaced left and right and there are many legal ways to do it. People cannot earn a living to even pay rent. He is absolutely correct about the hotels also.
The host of the show asked for an additional 30 minutes to continue the dialogue concerning what is important to our people and our country. He was turned down. The next program that followed was a bunch of IGNORANCE. In my opinion whomever made that decision is clearly out of touch with the real issues of what is going on and shame on you.
What are you talking about?
Tari Trott
(Web Editor)
what vickers is talkin about is we..the public… wanted the show to be extended. Gary made a statement that he asked for an extension of the show and he said management said no.
I agree the sitcoms that aired were crap compared to the progressive discussion the community was starting to engage in…an hr is too short to delve into these deep topics
bbc needs to get its priorities and phone system straight
Watch this. I went to this and it was also powerful.
Dear CURB members, supporters and friends,
If you missed the public meeting held at the Cathedral Hall on March 12th entitled “Violence, Anger & the Legacy of Racism” with speakers Charles Richardson, Dennis Burgess and Colonel Eddie Lamb, we can advise that it was filmed and edited and to our delight CITV has accepted the film and it will be shown for the next few weeks at the following times:
Saturday 3am, 11am and 7pm
Sunday 10:30am, 6:30pm and 2:30am
Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 12:30 p.m. and 1 am
Tuesday/Thursday at 2 pm and 3 am
This is a powerful presentation and speaks urgently to the increasing violence being experienced within our community.
Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda
This is unfourtunate what is going on with this spat of violence.I feel our children are feeling displaced in their own country.Not all our young man want to be on the wall, I have a son who has been out of school since June 09 and can’t get a job in his own country. Luckily he lives at home, he has been doing volunteer work every since he finished high school. Everyone learns different and unfortunately our country is not designed for them so therefore the basic jobs they cant even get.With our foreign spouse rights they do not seem to get back ground checks and they are working in jobs that used to be fully Bermudianised such as hospital and govt. jobs such as working in housekeeping laundry and janitorial jobs and other level entry jobs. Some off our hands on and our children should be given a chance.