people of these Islands have taken pride in an absence of firearms. Recently, there have been very disturbing incidents of shooting and equally disturbing reports that guns are being imported. Guns are not the Bermudian way.

As a result of last week's armed robbery, the Public Safety Minister and the Commissioner of Police are meeting to frame ways to stop guns coming into Bermuda and to get rid of those already here. They will need the public's cooperation.

The Minister, Quinton Edness, is quoted as saying, "Bermudians who use guns unlawfully betray their families, their friends and their Country in a fundamental way.'' Mr. Edness is correct of course. There is no place in Bermuda for guns and no room for Bermudians to tolerate guns.

To his credit the Shadow Minister of Public Safety, Alex Scott, has also condemned the use of guns. He is quoted as saying: "This is not anything that anyone in Bermuda wants or will tolerate.'' Finally we have a clear statement from the Progressive Labour Party that it is anti-crime and does not give the impression that the PLP is shielding criminals.

The very fact that some of the Police who went to an armed robbery scene were themselves armed and wearing protection says quite enough about Bermuda today.

There was a time when such a thing was unheard of and unnecessary. The fact that it is necessary today is itself a condemnation of life in Bermuda.

We do not believe that the people of Bermuda want anything to do with guns and they want back the Bermuda they remember and cherish. Guns are not the Bermudian way and must not become the Bermudian way.

Anyone who knows of guns in Bermuda has a public duty to report their possessors directly to the Police or to use the anonymous Crime Stoppers telephone line.

It is too easy to assume that guns will be used against "them'' and not against "me''. If guns become a part of Bermuda we will suffer from the kind of random deaths which so often shock the United States. We cannot believe that anyone in their right mind wants that situation here.

Once again, this is a situation which cannot be left to the Police Service alone. This is a national problem and a problem for all Bermudians. It should be stopped before it grows or it will become beyond control.

Bermudians have to remember that if there had been an early will against drugs we would not have the problems we suffer today. We must not allow guns to proliferate in the way drugs have proliferated.