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Governor joins community in call for unity after recent shooting

A variety of community groups organised a community gathering yesterday evening at the First Church of God on North Shore, as a response to the murder at Jason’s Barbershop last week. The event was given the theme ‘RENEWAL’, which provides an opportunity to allow reflection on the tragedy and to consider ways by which our community can build its capacity for transformation. Left- Glenn Fubler, Governor George Fergusson and St George’s Mayor Kenneth Bascome during the opening prayer.(Photo by Akil Simmons) July 2,2012

Community members met this week calling for unity after last week’s fatal shooting.Around 100 people came together at the First Church of God Monday evening, only a short distance from where Joshua Robinson was murdered.Hosting the meeting, Glenn Fubler of Imagine Bermuda said: “That it happened across the street pointed out to us that we need to do some renewal to maintain a sense of community.“We should reach out in prayer to not only the victim and the family of the victim but also the perpetrator.”Governor George Fergusson said that he hoped the recent shooting would inspire people to renew their connections with each other and with loved ones.“If something can come out of this tragedy, that would be a good thing and it’s never to early for that to start.”Families Minister Glenn Blakeney meanwhile touched on his own challenges, noting that he has one son who suffers from cerebral palsy and another who is imprisoned for a firearms incident.“I have a son who was judged by his peers and was convicted of masterminding the attempted murder of two people,” he said. “That has impacted my family in ways I cannot describe.”Despite the challenges, he said that we must focus our efforts and continue to work to make a difference in the community.“Without hope, we are pretty much spinning circles, even in our own reality,” he said. At the end of the day, we are all here together and I think we are all here because we are genuinely concerned and we want to find solutions.”OBA Candidate Jeff Baron said: “Going to the funerals of these young men and watching the children walking down towards the casket is an education in itself.“Nothing motivated me more than seeing this, and seeing it yesterday. The Government cannot do it alone. We shouldn’t expect then to do it alone.”Reverend Musa Daba of St Augustine’s Church said that since he has come to Bermuda, he has seen the St Monica’s Road area change.“All of the children that have died in the years I have been here, I know them personally,” he said.“I spoke to them, I sat down and had fish and chips with them, I had ginger beer with them. I know them and I know their families, and man, it hurts.”Having read the details of the most recent shooting, he noted the fear the others in Jason’s Barber Shop must have felt, and said that Bermuda as a whole is going through that same experience.“Someone has walked in, pulled out a gun and said stand back,” he said. “We cannot stand back. Someone has invaded our house, our place of peace and safety. We cannot stand back.”Rev Daba also told the audience: “I’m going to rename St Monica’s Road. Back to St Monica’s Road, and I would like people to join me.“The name of that road is St Monica’s Road. It’s not Forty Second Street. We must remember that.”St George’s Mayor Kenneth Bascome also addressed the audience, noting that more needs to be done to keep the Island’s youth on the right path than simply sending them to prison.“If you’re taking all of these young people and pitting them in an environment and we are expecting them to come back in another mindset, I believe it’s like banging your head into pavement,” Mr Bascome said.He also said that young people need to understand that with hard work, they can do more with themselves, noting that while he started as a concessioneer at Tobacco Bay and is now a Mayor.Bishop Vernon Lambe noted that in the recent years, he has eulogised at the funerals of many of the Island’s young people.“We raise them, we have dreams for them, and then this. No parent prepares themselves to funeralise their children,” he said.“Those young men that are in that place called prison yet have promise, yet have potential. Let’s not act too quickly in pointing fingers at others because you never know what will land on your doorstep.”Even with the challenge presented by the rise in antisocial behaviour, he said the community can make a difference.“I believe that we can make a change but the time has come to do something that has never been done,” he said. “We just need to come together and go beyond just talking.“I’m Bermudian. If there is a time to show what Bermuda can do, it’s time to take a stand.”