Just when I thought we'd seen it all with Kellon Hill's murder, we get gunmen shooting up one another. I've heard many versions of what happened this past Tuesday night which prompted the Police to lock down Princess Street and all of its access points. This is very sad and speaks to the problems we have in this country.

More after the Top 20.

Holding at number one is Heaven Sent by Keyshia Cole.

At number two is Chris Brown's new single, Take You Down.

In the number three spot is I Luv Your Girl by The-Dream.

Improving to number four it's A Milli by L'il Wayne and up to number five is Trey Songz' new hit, entitled Last Time.

Slipping to number six is a former essential new tune, Alicia Keys' Teenage Love Affair.

Falling to numer seven is Bust It Baby Part 2 by Plies featuring Ne-Yo.

Improving to number eight is Love Is Wicked (Soca Remix) by Brick and Lace featuring Kess.

Advancing to number nine is another soca anthem, Defence (the anthem) by Machel Montano featuring L'il Jon and Pitbull.

Slipping to number ten is a former essential new banger, No Air, the hit by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown.

Up to number 11 is Take A Bow by one of the hottest pop divas around, Rihanna.

Falling to number 12 is a former essential new track, Lollipop by L'il Wayne featuring Static Major.

Climbing to number 13 is Put On by Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West.

Up a touch to number 14 is Fall by Kimberley Locke.

Up to number 15 is When I Grow Up by The Pussycat Dolls.

Tumbling to number 16 is The Way That I Love You by Ashanti.

Now the new music section. Last week's essential new tune, improving to number 17 is Give It To Me by Madonna. This track is hot and a monster dance track.

This week's essential new dance track is Spotlight, by American Idol diva Jennifer Hudson, which enters at number 18. This sister can sang! Some people sing, but Jennifer Hudson sangs! This track is a standard up-tempo, club mix of her pop release which is good but not as banging as this dance mix.

New at number 19 is Road Jam, a soca kicker by recent visitor Shurwayne Winchester.

Tumbling to the number 20 spot this week is 4 Minutes by Madonna and Justin Timberlake.

Now back to this week's words. What the hell is going on in Bermuda? Every week it seems to get worse! First Kellon Hill is murdered then Prince Edness is shot in the leg/foot in yet another drive-by shooting! Bermuda, we have lost our way.

It's not just the boys anymore. It's affecting the young ladies as well. I can honestly say that I never thought I would see the day where a young Bermudian teenage female would so actively participate in a murder or attempted murder. I could see a woman considering causing serious grievous bodily harm to someone who harmed her child but never in my wildest dreams and imagination did I ever think that teenage females would be as thuggish, aggressive, disrespectful and self-centred as some of the males.

There's something else I'd like to share. I have a problem with people who see another person with something that they would like to have and then deciding to take it from that person disregarding the fact that this person may have worked their butt off to obtain that possession.

Take Kellon Hill's chain for instance. He may have worked his butt off to earn it. Or, his parents may have worked their butts off to buy it for him. So, what gives those kids the right to assume that they can just take what belongs to somebody else and a possession that someone other than themselves worked hard to acquire?

This is the problem. People have complete disregard for the fact that other people may actually go to school, study, graduate from college, work hard, work two or three jobs and be in a position to provide a higher quality of life for their family as opposed to others who do not work hard, pay attention in school, go to university, etc. or for whatever other reasons find themselves in an underprivileged position. The solution to being underprivileged is to work hard within the confines of the law and human rights to make your situation better. Don't blame society, your parents or anybody else. Every person has the power, talent and ability to improve their lot in life but many of us choose not to do so.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that university is the be all, end all for achieving success in life. However, what I am saying is that, in this day and age your chances of having a high and satisfactory quality of life are greater if you do attend university.

I was talking to three teenage females earlier this week and was disappointed to learn that they had no intention, interest or inclination to go to university or college. They were not even concerned or interested in whether they would attend the Bermuda College in September. Hopefully they were just not telling me their business, but my sense was that they were clueless, rudderless and heading nowhere fast. These are often the kinds of young ladies who will end up pregnant soon by a dude that they will most likely not be in a relationship within 12 months. What drove home my disappointment the most was the fact that the three young ladies were all Berkeley graduates, just like me. I tried to tell them that the new school campus was beautiful and that all the physical requirements for learning were present. However, it appears that there is little desire to learn. Their response to me was essentially, "whatever". They were not disrespectful, they just appeared to be unmotivated and uninterested in achieving. Also, they defended the young males (and, we now know, females) in this country who are engaging in crime, violence and gang activity by saying that, "there is nobody to show them the way".

What kind of nonsense is that? All these boys have to do is open their eyes and see the men that go to work to provide for their families every day - look at teachers, preachers, bus drivers, street sweepers, taxi drivers, hotel workers, retail staff. Anybody that gets up and goes to work every day to survive and provide for themselves and their families within the confines of the law is showing them the way. The problem is that these young people want success without the hard work. It doesn't work that way.

To the Government's credit, it has created facilities and conditions for kids to learn, but if the kids don't want to learn, it doesn't matter what type of school or system you implement, they simply will not learn. The Government cannot force people to learn. This is something that is instilled by parents, family, extended family, the village and by the individual's own desire to achieve.

I'm freestyling this week and hitting a number of subjects and problems in our society but the last one I wish to address is the contribution of international business to Bermuda and the fact that some companies are leaving.

Many of the captains of international business feel that the Government does not appreciate its business, its value, its contribution to this economy. Although I don't think the Government wants these people to leave, it appears that this is the message that is being received. You cannot discount a group or individuals' perceptions simply because they may be at odds with the truth. I submit that it is not the intent of the Government to put fear in the minds of international business or make them feel as if international business is not valued.

The Government recognises the value of international business to the economy of Bermuda. However, the Government also recognises that most of the wealth that has been created by international business has not fallen into the hands of the people of Bermuda!

The Government wishes to encourage international business to hire, train and promote suitably qualified Bermudians, as well as to create a level playing field.

One of the reasons that some international businesses are struggling now is because for many years they have overpaid people and given excessively high housing subsidies and other benefits to certain executives and/or other employees. I'm told that for the most part, Bermudians have not shared in the receipt of these levels of benefits. Perhaps that was necessary to compete for the best talent in the global market/economy, but I submit that if international business had been making a serious effort to hire, train and promote more Bermudians for the past 20 years, their crisis might not be as dire as it is today.

However, at the end of the day, what must now happen is that Government should take steps to be at peace with the majority of the captains of international business. I'm not suggesting that Government should kowtow to them, because that should never happen. But we have to get to a place where these people understand what the Government is doing and why. The Government should also be careful and keep an eye on the ongoing departure of many companies.

It isn't happening in large, noticeable numbers but on an individual basis. And realiable sources have advised me that many data centres have left and/or are leaving, senior executives and CEO's of companies are resigning or being asked to resign, people are being relocated to offices in other countries, business is not as good as it once was and many of the companies' principals do not trust or have faith in our Government or the direction in which Bermuda appears to be headed.

Insurance companies and other organisations that do business with these international companies are starting to notice significant declines in the number of staff that are on the books - compaines that for years had a larger staff. Its not enough to throw the business away but it is impacting revenues, sales, taxes, etc and over the next five years, although the company may still have a small office in Bermuda (or it may not), it will be a shadow of its former self and will impose a significant reduction in the Bermuda economy, our GNP and GDP, ultimately pushing us into a recession.

On the other side of this relationship, international business cannot expect a government in any country to not look after its people.

The Government has a duty to safeguard the interests of its constituents and it must work with international business to create job opportunities for Bermudians. However, international business must be serious about this, not just pay lip service to it and really work with the Government and other local agencies to hire, train, develop and promote Bermudians. Its called partnership and if both parties fail to do it effectively, we will all lose in the end.

The captains of international business also should not expect a government not to consider or work towards self determination. Most of the leaders of international companies come from countries that are already Independent, so why would they discourage Bermudians from desiring the rights and privileges that they already have? Let's start with Canada, the US and the UK. These countries are all Independent, so why shouldn't we at the very least consider this and at the most work towards it? It can't be good for some and not for others! Colonialism has traditionally done more for those doing the colonialising than those who were being colonised.

When we all accept and admit this, only then can we really move forward with the independence debate and solving many of our other social ills.

Let's get there, NOW!

Peace¿