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Dear Sir,

Getting dressed this morning my mother and I joked about the blue shirt she almost put on.

She ended up giving it to me, so that I could show support for my team this week leading up to the 105th Annual Somerset -St. Georges's Cup Match.

This historic, friendly rivalry on the island is the source of many jokes in my household, as my mother, a life-long Somerset fan now lives in St. George's and my brothers and I were raised on the Eastern end of the island.

This is not unique. Given the 22-square-miles we live within, most folks find themselves living on one end of the island, in support of another, or having different allegiances within one family.

This cross-pollination, demonstrates the intimacy of the Bermudian community and permeability of these boundaries drawn once a year.

Given the growing concern about the proliferation of 'gangs', our wardrobe conversation this morning started me thinking of Ice T's infamous song Colors, an anti-gang anthem produced during the height of gang warfare in Los Angeles, California. I also couldn't shake the story my uncle told me over codfish and potatoes this Sunday, about the young man not able to go into a certain neighbourhood on the island to visit his granny due to a purported beef with rival crews.

Stories such as these are disheartening to say the very least.

I have been on and off the island for the past decade and was saddened to be here to see the death of yet another son of Bermuda last week.

Flashback

I immediately had flashbacks of 1994 when, while away at university I received news of a near fatal shooting on Court Street.

In 2001 I witnessed the entrance of the 'Bloods' and 'Crips' into New York and remember having conversations with West Coast M.C.'s, Snoop Dogg and Kurupt about this new phenomenon in New York, and Kurupt laughing at us East Coasters: "Y'all are crazy, starting gangs up here, when we're getting rid of that mess in L.A."

I find myself wanting to express this same sentiment to the young people of Bermuda in an attempt to express how senseless these killings are.

While I have some thoughts, I don't know what the answer is to this violence. That will only come from the young people.

You are your own answer. But know there are people who love you dearly and want to help. Please share how you are feeling. The anti-violence rally seems a great start. Let your voices be heard.

The rest of us will need to make sure we're tuned-in to listen.

It is ironic that this murder and subsequent rally comes on the eve of our biggest holiday which began as a unifying game to celebrate the emancipation of slaves in Bermuda.

I have decided to wear neither red nor blue to the game when I go, but instead white or black - as I am in mourning, yet go in peace and remembrance so that we have learned something from the death of our brother Jason Lightbourne.

Let's begin to heal ourselves, pledge to love each other, and 'Stop the Violence' now.

Peace be unto you.

Zuhirah A. Khaldun

St. George's

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