Drug dealers are the modern day equivalent of Africans who sold their friends into slavery, according to Government MP Ashfield DeVent.

The politician wants a Big Conversation-style series of debates on the culture increasingly blighting Bermuda, particularly the constituency he grew up in and now represents, Pembroke South East

And he spoke out against those Bermudians who willingly ruin people's lives by pushing hard drugs and have created an environment where gun crime is worryingly becoming a norm.

Mr. DeVent was speaking to The Royal Gazette about problems in the Middletown area, where wanted man Omari Gordon is suspected to have shot at Police officers who chased him across the back of town nine days ago.

He said: "I would straight to the point tell young people, particularly young black men, that in selling crack and heroin to their own people, they should look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves how different they might be to those people in Africa who sold their friends into slavery."

Describing dealers as the enemy, he added: "They are equal to the guy that snatched my ancestors off the beaches of West Africa. Drugs enslave people."

Mr. DeVent is a self-confessed former marijuana user and has pointed to potential advantages of relaxing laws on the drug, suggesting those caught possessing small amounts could be sent on drug awareness courses instead of prison.

That is one of the key ideas he would like the country to debate as it tries to get a grip on its drugs problem and associated crime.

"We have a Big Conversation on race. Maybe it's time for us to discuss drugs," he said.

"The society is suffering. We have a sickness in a sense. The first road to recovery is admission; is to get up and say: 'We are Bermuda. We have a problem. We have a drugs problem. We have a gun problem.'

"It exists in all sectors of society. We see young white kids defending themselves on drugs charges.

"For a small nation we have lost far too many productive, intelligent people to this scourge, from those in the medical profession, lawyers, the guy on the street. We can't afford to continue to lose people.

"We are coming up soon to a time of reflection. Next year this country will be 400 years old. We recently celebrated ten years of a change in government. We now must have a real introspective look at ourselves and see how we can change our behaviour."

n Police are still appealing for anyone who may know the whereabouts of Mr. Gordon to call Inspector Steven Lightbourne on 299-4315 or the confidential CrimeStoppers hotline on 1-800-623-8477

See Big interview, Page 4