Phillip Trott, the president of the local chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, has made an appeal for Bermudians to affect change by rooting out fear and hatred in the wake of the murder of Prince Edness last night.

To all who call Bermuda “Home”, he wrote:

On behalf of the Men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., I would like to offer condolences to all families and loved ones who have ever been affected by gun violence in Bermuda. The Men of Alpha believe that every loss of life is tragic. We believe that every life has value. Each life lost at the barrel of a gun in this country diminishes our capacity to be great and is another lost opportunity for us to be the Bermuda we know we can be.

Each death prolongs the atmosphere of fear and tension that our communities must live through, awaiting retaliation. Each death robs a son or daughter of a proper childhood. Each death diminishes the country’s economic potential as one less potential contributor cannot be galvanised.

While we support the Bermuda Police Service and the criminal justice system, we feel that it is important for us as a community to do our part to root out this destructive element in our country. We urge members of the community to report what you know to the Bermuda Police Service. It is time that we all take a stand against violence in our country.

We are at a critical juncture in our country’s history and must not let hate and fear rule our lives. We must not allow a few misguided people to force us into the belief that we are lost and all hope is gone. The violence that has permeated our community breeds fear and hatred. We cannot defeat fear and hatred with more of the same.

As an organisation, the Men of Alpha Phi Alpha espouse the ideals of men such as Nelson Mandela, and Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, who stood for peace and love in the face of violence and hatred. These ideals are now more relevant than ever to our small but close-knit community.

The responsibility is on each and every one of us who call this Island home to reach out and take an active role in the development of our young people. To root out fear and hatred, we must lead by example. Find the time in your schedules to mentor a child in what it means to love one another. We believe that each of us can effect change if we collectively take an active role in nurturing the life of a young person.

We are a resilient and loving community. Only by working together can we make a positive change.