Government Minister Glenn Blakeney is urging the Island to stop the vigilante justice that is plaguing Bermuda.

Four people were shot dead within a month and there have been two shootings in the last two weeks.

But Mr. Blakeney, Minister of Environment, Youth and Sport, knows first hand how the violence can affect families.

His son, 28-year-old Jahmel Blakeney, was questioned last year in connection with a double shooting outside the cinema in Southside, St. David's.

"I have been very close to situations that have been very challenging for my family as the community would know, but I have never run away from it," said Mr. Blakeney.

"I have never been uncooperative with law enforcement agencies. When you become an adult you have the responsibility of suffering the consequences of your actions.

"When we are a small community commonsense should prevail. What gives anyone the right to sacrifice a life for any reason?

"Now with the social problems, with the violent behaviour with the gun shootings, why does it make you feel like a man? Because then by the end of the day everyone is found to be culpable.

"It's both families that are victims. Now it's retaliation; like vigilante justice. In a small community it cannot be sustained and innocent people are being targeted.

"There's no thought of consequence or fear, (they think) I am going to get you because you got me. So all reason is going out the door. Families are hurt. How do you heal?

"That's the $60,000 question. My family is not just the Blakeney it's the Dill family it's the Bermuda family through other relations. And it's all in the black community. And this is black on black."

But rather than just single-out the violence issue, Mr. Blakeney believes there is a more holistic explanation for Bermuda's problems.

The Minister believes part of it is the overwhelming success and wealth that has arrived on the Island's shores. While it has provided many with incomes and steady jobs it has not been without its downside. Parents begin feeling like they need to provide more for their children.

This, Mr. Blakeney says, leads to a situation where parents then struggle to buy the latest and greatest thing so the children start taking.

He said: "You give them more, they expect more. You cannot give them and then they take. As a result of that it spirals out of control. We cannot be with our kids 24 hours but we have a responsibility. If a kid is not getting adequate direction they are subject to being influenced by all sorts of things.

"There are single parents who do an amazing job and you have two parent homes and those children struggle.

"I can speak from personal experience. It doesn't mean we give up. It doesn't mean we come to a place (where we say) Government do something about it, Police do something about it. What about personal responsibility?"

Mr. Blakeney does recognise, however, that there may be times when parents have tried and have taken responsibility and still need further help.

So while his position as Minister gets him out of bed every morning, what keeps him up at night is tackling all of these challenges.

He added: "I have always been this way. That is why I entered politics. And as a parent who has had challenges and a grandparent with six beautiful grandchildren you cannot help but be concerned about future considerations.

"The health of the body to the health of the community to the health of the mind it all relates. It all has a link, again, in my humble opinion (if we do not take care of all of these) we implode on ourselves."