I MUST start this week by giving thanks to God, from whom all blessings flow and without whom nothing is possible. Speaking of the Almighty, what in Heaven's name is going on in my beloved Bermuda? I was looking for an excuse to stop writing about cricket but I wasn't expecting (and didn't want) the topic for this week's commentary to be MURDER!

I'm in South Florida for three weeks; facilitating three weeks of therapy for my six- year-old son who has Autism. Being a couple thousand miles away, one can become somewhat detached from the world back home.

However, certain events cause you to go out of your way to find out what's been happening. The brutal, execution-style murder of Shakai Crockwell is one of those events. More on this, what it means, what might have been done and what could/should be done, after the Top 20.

Although I'm away, I'm still hearing that Bermudian music is running things back home, with your boy Collie Budz still reigning supreme atop the chart and with his songs being played any and everywhere. Island music rules the top of the Top 20 this week.

Leaping to number one is Blind to You by Collie Budz. This one was popular and a hit in its own right, before the Premier donned a T-Shirt with those words printed on it, to introduce Collie at his recent concert. The added publicity generated by this not entirely successful gesture on the Premier's part, plus the fact that its words are so appropriate and offer good advice for anyone trying to achieve anything, have only made the track more popular.

Climbing to number two is Tomorrow is Another Day, also by Collie Buddz. I don't agree with all of this man's lyrics, such as the celebration of smoking marijuana, but there is merit in much of his material and its lyrical content.

Tumbling to number three is Mamacita, Collie Buddz's monster soca anthem. This track is so hot that although I haven't heard it in Florida, just singing it in my head is making me bop my head and helping to put me in a good mood, since the terrible news back home upset me for the past few days.

Shifting gears to music from islands to the south, falling to number four is I Dare You, another soca joint that has banged this summer. Up to number five is Good Morning Neighbour by Three Canal. Slipping to number six is Sugar Boy by Patrice.

Way up to number seven is Beautiful Girls, by Sean Kingston, a track that everyone likes. Improving to number eight is When I See You by Fantasia. Also on the way up at number nine is Make Me Better by Fabolous featuring Ne-yo.

Tumbling to number 10 is Umbrella, by Jay Z and Rihanna. Taking the elevator down to number 11 is Party Like A Rockstar by the Shop Boyz.

Tumbling to the number 12 spot is Teach Me by Musiq. A word to the wise; pick up Musiq's CD; it is awesome. Dropping to number 13 is Like This, the monster hip hop joint from Kelly Rowland featuring Eve.

Now, the new music section. Climbing to number 14 is Shawty by Plies featuring T-Pain, last week's essential new banger.

This week's essential new tune, which improves to number 15, is Let It Go by Keishia Cole featuring L'il Kim and the original queen of hip hop, Missy (Misdemeanor) Elliott. It's great to have Missy back in the thick of things.

Moving on up to number 16 is Do You by Ne-yo. Another collector's item is the Ne-yo CD. What Ne-Yo ought to do is put out a Compact Disc (the original name of CD's - lest anyone forget) of songs he has written for other artists, and call it The Lyrical Master because Ne-Yo is a genius when it comes to lyrics. He has written many hit songs for several artists over the years,but only recently has he been getting love from the general public, as the focus has always been on the performer, not the writer of songs.

Up to number 17 is Crank That (Soulja Boy) by Soulja Boy. Falling to number 18 is Pop, Lock and Drop it by Huey. Navigating down to number 19 is Beautiful Liar by Beyonce and Shakira. You've got to hear the dance mixes to this track, which have extended the song's shelf life. And rounding things out at number 20 is Please Don't Go by Tank. Look out for some hot new tunes in next week's submission.

Now back to this week's word - MURDER and the perilous state of my home and native land.

I have so many views on this subject that it might take me two or three weeks to convey all of them to the country (or at least those in said country who read this weekly literary work).

I almost don't know where to begin. The newspapers have done, as is their custom, enough on what has happened. But here is where you will find why this newspaper, in the Style section, on this day, is infinitely better than the others. Other papers only report on what happened, the immediate problem. DJ LT will offer solutions and will focus on what should be done in the future about this, for what's done is done and cannot be undone.

I don't know what Shakai Crockwell did, but I cannot imagine that he did anything that deserved being shot. There are so many rumours, some of which reached me in Florida!

No, I'm not surprised. I've heard that he was wearing a bullet proof vest! If so, why was he wearing a bullet proof vest? I haven't done anything to anyone that I think will cause them to shoot me; so I don't wear one. However, this is still an unconfirmed rumour.

Another rumour in wide circulation says he was shot twice in the head and that he was dismembered after death. Is this true?

Why would someone make up such a rumour? If this story is true why would someone do such a brutal thing to another human being? If it is true, we have some really sick, warped people living in Bermuda who are obviously watching too many "junkyard culture" TV shows and movies.

My mind goes back to about four years ago, when Jonathan Smith, then Commissioner of Police, quipped that there were no gangs in Bermuda. Well, I have to believe that he was either living with his head in the sand or he was under orders from above not to give the thugs the publicity they craved by admitting how bad things really were. Jonathan Smith is a highly intelligent man so I shall assume that the latter is more likely to be the truth.

Anyway, given the three yet unsolved recent murders, nobody with a quarter of a brain can deny that gangs exist in Bermuda. And, the situation is getting worse each day and as long as the Police remain unable to solve murders. If killers are not being brought to justice they will continue to kill whoever they feel like killing, because there is no threat of punishment. And in any event, the punishment they are likely to be given if they are brought before the courts isn't considered difficult, unbearable or too high a penalty to pay for the crimes they are committing. So, on one hand we need stiffer penalties.

Last week I signed off with the phrase, "Peace on Earth". I should have specified Bermuda. So, this week, I shall pray for eternal peace in Bermuda. My Dad always said and still says that, "Charity begins at home."

So, let's sort out the problems in Bermuda before we start helping out everybody else. Please young brothers, let the killing stop now, with Shakai Crockwell. Let's not have his boys out for revenge and kill somebody else. This is absolute nonsense.

I am convinced that these young men see no viable future for themselves in Bermuda and I tend to agree with comments made by Charles Richardson in The Royal Gazette, our sister paper, earlier this week, wherein he basically said that our society must stop discounting the fact that a large and growing number of young black males feel disenfranchised.

We have to work to create business and career opportunities for these young people so that they see the possibility of becoming successful and financially independent by doing honest work, rather than illicit activity. A lot of the "haves" in Bermuda don't see it that way. They think that these are just bad boys who should be put away.

That is a shallow and Band Aid-type response. This thinking is why we are in the predicament we find ourselves in today. What the "haves" think about this situation doesn't matter as much as what the young people think, because what the young people think is driving their behaviour. If we do it the way the "haves" think, soon, people in the "haves'" families will start being gunned down and it will be way too late

Another point that I would be remiss if I didn't make is that Bermudians need to be aware that a large percentage of the "haves" who live in Bermuda are not Bermudian and have no ties to this island other than that it is a place where they have investments or some type of interests that do not bind them to stay here the way Bermudians are tied to Bermuda. Many of these folks are here only to make money and they care less how many young black people kill each other or what mistakes leaders of this country might make. They only care that they can be here and make money. Take away their ability to make money and they'll be gone. As much as I and others love Bermuda, let's be real, there are a few other places where the weather is nice and where people can live very comfortably (if they have a lot of money). Although I haven't been there, St. Barts and St. Maarten are, I'm told, two other such places. I cannot confirm this until I go there for myself, but that's the word on the international streets.

My sense is that too many people in Bermuda are not that concerned about the situation because they feel that it doesn't affect them. Well, people, Newsflash! If something effects one of us it effects all of us! This place is too small. When one of us sneezes, our neighbour catches a cold. If we all wait until someone in our family, extended family or circle of friends is brutally murdered by one of these gangsters, it will truly be too late to do anything about it. So, WE ALL have to play a part in eradicating this problem, otherwise, one day it WILL hit the homes of all of us. If we don't intervene now, it is not a question of if, but a question of when someone we know has been murdered.

I don't know Shakai Crockwell or his family. However, I can only imagine the pain they are feeling and what they are suffering.

Nobody deserves to go out like that. Jason Lightbourne and Shaundae Jones didn't deserve their similar fates either. However, the Police will continue to have a difficult time solving murders if people who have information about the shootings do not come forward and provide information to the authorities. That said, the Police cannot continue to blame their inability to solve murders on the fact that people will not come forward with information. I will admit to being one who has seen a lot of stuff on TV and movies, but there is a way to solve murders and other mysteries in the absence of information from the public. So, Bermuda Police Service, be like Nike and just do it.

I recently saw the movie The Bourne Ultimatum (I like that kind of stuff) and one message that I took from it is that if a person or persons know of others that are doing wrong, the best solution is to report it to the authorities and allow justice to run its course. We must have hope for and trust in our judicial system; this is the reason it was created in the first place.

Let us have informants come clean, demand an amnesty and some kind of plea bargain from the authorities for handing in all of their illegal weapons, giving up lives of crime and providing the names of everyone affiliated with and/or involved in Bermuda's rapidly worsening underworld. And let us then have everyone involved, I mean everyone who is in any way a part of this unlawful activity, brought before the courts with properly and professionally presented cases. May there then be juries that are not so stupid as to let these people off, but will find people guilty where it is obvious that wrong has been done. Then let us have stern judges who administer punishment that is appropriate for the crimes committed.

Then let's really support these young men through their prison sentences and implement a more effective rehabilitation programme that causes them to return to society as contributors in lawful careers and businesses, as opposed to the current system that simply perpetuates or increases the rate of recidivism. The only way to solve the problem is to give these men other legal alternatives to the lifestyles that they are currently living.

Otherwise, they'll go into jail, do some easy time, then come out and pick up where they left off. God, please save Bermuda from itself.