Dear Sir,

A few days ago, I posted the following statement on my personal Facebook page:

Gun violence is a direct cause and consequence of the systematic, structural disadvantaging of a targeted population.

In Bermuda we live with the emotional, psychological, physiological, intergenerational trauma and economic inequities of 218 years of enslavement, 137 years of segregation till 1971 when the last law was passed in an attempt to desegregate primary schools.

Post-1971 economic violence and threats continued to be used to control Black people to keep them in line, and deny access to loans, mortgages, jobs and opportunities.

Today, the legacies of that oppression play out in our society. Lack of job opportunities, despair, hopelessness, poverty, access to medical care — all are reflected in our homeless figures, violent crime and disconnected community.

Addressing the root causes of underlying inequity must drive action to repair the harm and heal a society. We can no longer sit on the sidelines and point fingers, blame and complain. Individually and collectively, we are accountable for the healing of our community.

Over the years, we have had the Wooding Report, the Pitt Report, the Clarke Report, the Ramsbotham Report, the Newman Report and the Mincy Report — all of which point to the root cause of social unrest. This is without mentioning the numerous other submissions by charities across the island speaking to the continued inequity and gang violence in our community.

Each and every one of our political leaders should review these documents and reflect on how many actions/recommendations from these reports have been addressed over the years.

Perhaps if our political leaders back then had paid attention and acted in good faith, we would be seeing a far more equitable society today.

LYNNE WINFIELD

Sandys