the social problems that have led to recent gang violence.

"I'm about rolling up my sleeves and doing something,'' Sen. Kim Swan told colleagues during yesterday's motion to adjourn.

He was speaking in the wake of anti-gang sweeps that have seen more than 100 young men arrested. Last week there were reports of gang violence and rumours of continued hostilities.

"We need to stop this cycle and start attacking this problem right now,'' he continued. "It's going to take some serious sociological work right through to the end to turn this violence around.'' Sen. Swan warned that if nothing is done now and that with young parents behaving this way, the problem would get worse in ten years time when "their children start to come home to roost''.

He likened the social problem with young Bermudians to documentaries he has watched recently in which migratory birds and elephants struggle without imprinting from older generations and the presence of males.

"Young elephants because of the absence of male role models were acting out in their domain,'' Sen. Swan added. "It wasn't until the scientists figured out the problem and put in some older males were they able to get on the right path.'' "We have the problem in Bermuda where young people are raising children.

They're ill equipped and not socially prepared to raise children.'' "We need to put in focus what it is going to take to turn this generation around,'' he explained. "We live in a very closed society and Bermuda is not getting any bigger. We've got to recognise we have got to work to turn this around.''