Franklin Delano Roosevelt tried to tap into the soul of America, when during the darkest hours of the Second World War he said: “The only thing to fear, is fear itself.”

Powerful words that are still meaningful today, no more so than right here in Bermuda.

The recent spate of gun violence has been something of a wake up and Somerset Cricket Club, scene of one of the incidents, deserve our full support in their decision to ban anyone with gang ties, or who exhibits antisocial behaviour.

It is a bold and tough call and they should be commended for having the courage to do so.

Too often there has been talk but little action, and more often there has been a deafening silence in response to shootings, namely out of fear.

It is that fear that makes it almost impossible to solve problems that often involve friends or relatives of those involved in unlawful acts.

Gun crimes hold the potential of severely damaging our future as a top class tourist resort, and an international business centre.

Sports clubs could and should be playing a key role in helping to raise standards of behaviour on, and off, the field.

There is a belief, and in some cases it is a reality, that clubs have allowed players known to be affiliated with gangs to remain a part of the team, on the basis of their value on the field.

That sends the wrong message to those who are trying to set proper standards of behaviour on, and off the pitch.

Clubs are deciding whether winning is more important than how players behave off and I have heard many people say they would rather stay at home these days, rather than risk being caught in some outburst of violence.

Those of us who remember the days of the Box on St John’s Road in Pembroke, witnessed some hard fought football matches with such stars as Cal “Bummy” Symonds, Earl “Townsey” Russell, Austin “Cheesey” Hughes, and a host of other big names of that time.

Then, there was no fear of unruly crowd behaviour, even though fans were bubbling with support for their teams.

In fact, when the game was over, people filed out, many still in their Sunday attire and headed home.

Who would have thought decades down the road things would change drastically, with more concern now paid to getting to a match and back home safely, instead of who won or lost.

It is a sad time for Bermuda.

Some tough decisions will have to be made, and every sporting club on the Island should be involved in taking action to eliminate the threat that some of their members pose to the well-being of the community.

The clubs must set higher standards of conduct for qualifications to represent various teams, as should the likes of the Bermuda Football Association, Bermuda Cricket Board and other national governing bodies.

They should all work very closely with the police and other community groups with the single objective of improving the safety and security of players and fans. However, gang related incidents will not be easily resolved.

Young people who are willing to commit crimes using firearms have to live somewhere. This means there are those who know the perpetrators, but are reluctant to act out of fear of reprisal.

The police know this, and most Bermudians are mindful that until more people are willing to provide information to the authorities our communities will be on edge.

Unless this disturbing trend can be reversed, Bermuda itself will be held hostage by criminals with firearms.

It will only be a matter of time before our annual Cup Match becomes a victim of this violence. That would be totally unacceptable.

Our legislators need to review current gun laws, and join hands in a non-partisan approach to eradicate behaviour that increases fear among our citizens.

It is that fear that could threaten our future.