Videos: ‘Mothers Against Senseless Killings’
The “Mothers Against Senseless Killings” event was held yesterday [May 28] at the Smith’s Parish Community Field in Devil’s Hole. The event featured musical performances by a visiting Texan Christian group, prayer, a fun castle for children, an impromptu football game, refreshments as well as speeches critical of homosexuality.
The event was spearheaded by Movita Martin, whose son Dekimo “Purple” Martin was shot dead a year ago to the day. On May 28, 2010, Mr Martin, 24, was shot multiple times in Sandys Parish.
His friend Kevin Warner turned himself in shortly after the murder, was subsequently arrested, and was convicted of murder earlier this month. Mr. Warner, 21, is presently awaiting sentencing.
Keyboard performance by the Christ For Nations group:
The “Bermuda Sun” reported last week that “Movita Martin said her son’s ‘enemies’ had offered $10,000 for someone to take his life. Mr Martin had just been released from jail where he was serving a two-year sentence for assaulting a woman when he was killed.”
“When he was 18 he was charged with the 2004 attempted murder of Dennis Kent Simmons in Pembroke but the trial was never pursued. Mrs Martin said her son was playing a “waiting game” at the time of his death as he was a wanted man. She said: ‘We have all known for five years that he was on Bermuda’s hit list.”
Christ For Nations sing:
Mrs. Martin said she is interested in hosting further events and is looking into holding community days in memory of other victims of gun crime. She also said she hopes Bermuda’s various anti-violence groups consider amalgamating and working together.
During the afternoon there were musical performances by the Christian group Christ For The Nations who are visiting Bermuda from Texas.
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Those in attendance during the day include National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief, Progressive Labour Party MP Lovitta Foggo, Cleveland ‘Outtasight’ Simmons from the Young Progressives and more.
One attendee wore a button saying ‘Brothers don’t kill brothers’:
Starting at 8:30pm there was a candlelight vigil held in Mr. Martin’s memory. Approximately 25 people gathered on the field and lit candles while music played.
The event was organised by the group “Colford’s Family Against Violence“, which was formed after 29-year-old Colford Ferguson was murdered earlier this year while working in Somerset. The group has been holding vigils across the island in memory of murder victims, and seeks to work against gun violence in a community-based manner.
The evening event started with a moment of silence, and then Mr, Smith read his poem “Another Candle is Lit”. One passage of the poem says, “This was the song our forefathers had chanted, We shall overcome some day, and we did, but now we’ve lost our way. We blamed the white man for our dilemma. Tell me, what color was the man who pulled the trigga.”
Vigil attendees light candles as Bob Marley plays:
Although not previously billed as an event which would touch on the issue of sexual orientation, the day included a number of speeches on the matter.
During the afternoon, there were speeches made by persons saying they used to be gay but the Lord delivered them, with at least two men and one female taking the podium to express these sentiments.
Chad Owens from the Christ For The Nations group said, ”If you are dealing with that spirit of homosexuality, with that lust, it could even be sexual sin such as pornography, you can be free from it, Jesus set me free and I know what it is to be free.”
During the evening vigil community activist Scott Smith strongly condemned homosexuality, saying to those in attendance that the protesters who gathered at City Hall earlier this week “had no right to do that”. He called organiser Krystl Assan’s name, saying “Look at her last name Assan, Ass-an, Ass-an, Ass, what does that tell you?”
Mr. Smith referenced anti-gay campaigner Dennis Bean, saying he will be also speak out like Mr Bean, “as it it needs to be spoken to, we Christians are too quiet on the matter.”
How sad that these desperate people chose a memorial service to tout their un-Christian rhetoric. Not once has it been suggested that any of those who were killed or their murderers or the reasons they were killed had anything whatsoever to do with their sexuality. Mrs. Martin must have been upset to have her service hijacked with such an irrelevant and disrespectful agenda.
This is vile stuff to the extreme ,hard to believe there are people out there breeding hatred under the guise of Christianity.
Did Mr. Scott Smith actually say what is written about Ms. Assan. I am horrified what is Mr. Smith real agenda in all of this? Does he really speak for the families or is this his OWN agenda? Victim families, I would watch out for him if I were you, doesn’t seem like he has your interest at heart.
+ 1
Scott Smith is an embarrasment to humanity.
Chad Owens and Scott Smith are simpleminded bigots. This was not the forum for their hate and the people who attended should be ashamed for giving them a forum to spew this garbage.
While Mr. Scott Smith may be against homosexuality to attack Ms. Assans name in such a childish and immature manner, going as far as to call her an “Ass” only further acts to hurt whatever cause he attaches his name too. I’m sorry i cannot take this event or this organisation seriously if they are allowing such immature people to speak and attack a lady who isn’t there to defend herself. It shows a total lack of respect for this lady and its my opinion that a general lack of respect for the women in our society is part of the reason that we are where we are. You want to have an event against homosexuality and share such stories (although calling her an ass would still be unacceptable) then OK, but at an event billed as one trying to stop the violence to bring in such an irrelevant topic is not needed.
I am the pastor of the church Mr Scott Smith attends, and I need to clarify that he does not speak on behalf of me or our church. While we promote marriage between a man and a woman as God’s model for human sexuality, we also promote the right of every human being to express themselves, to demonstrate and congregate, including those we may disagree with at City Hall last week. I certainly do not welcome or condone name-calling and disrespect. So on behalf of my church, I offer my sincere apologies to Ms Krystl Assan, and anyone else who has been offended by those remarks.
It is unfortunate that an event that commemorated victims of gun violence was used to this end. My prayers for comfort and support are with the families and friends of those victims.
Best Regards
Stefan Burton-Schnüll
Are you sure? Cause another member of YOUR church (St. George’s SDA) sent a hate filled letter to a friend of mine…actually had the nerve to take it to my friend’s place of employment. Sorry, but you cant pull the wool over my eyes. Plus I used to be a seven day, so I know how much hatred is spewed out in this religion…
@ QB the correct term ‘seventh day adventist’ which leads me to question if you were once associated with that group. But I do find their intolerance of others lifestyles and even other religions to be very low, boardering bigotry. I have to give credit to the Pastor dude for being more open rather than extremely opinionated (wish there were more like him)
Right wing Christian bigots is what these people are. Home is where the hate is.
Scott Smith. This event has now lost all its staying power for what it might have been meant for. You and your ilk have used this event to subvert and subjugate what what really needs to be said. You have put both homosexuality and violence in the same lane. Well we know which lane you travel in mate. For all your positive messages you have done in the past you have just undid them all. Don’t expect anyone to take you seriously from here on in. As a matter of fact don’t be surprised if you start to see more people pull away from you and your ilk.
If there is one thing I definitely think you need to do is apologize to the lady you called an ‘Ass-an’ not only did you call he a ‘name’ but you also insulted her heritage as the name ‘Assan’ comes from ‘Russia, Pakistani, Muslim’ well you sure know how to pick them don’t you Mr. Scott. You will get what ever come to you. Stay in your lane mate. I just hope there is no one in it with you when you approach that blind corner…..
The new Andre Curtis.
Right and look where he is…big hypocrites…
He should look and see that the Gay community in Bermuda is NOT going around shooting each other. Maybe the rest of have something to learn. (Actually allot to learn)
I am absolutely disgusted.
I came to this article hoping to read about a positive movement in Bermuda towards violence, crime, etc. But no.
First of all, why do so many Bermudians feel the need to inject Christian-based religion into so many things! Secondly, why does (the criticism of, no less) homosexuality surface in a setting that is supposed to be remembering those who have died in senseless killings, and supposed to be a positive movement towards stopping them??!! If you have an opinion, that’s great. But bring it up in the correct setting, don’t criticize people’s right to assembly and (relative) free speech, and DON’T chastise people you don’t know, especially using comments that are completely underhanded, immature, and have no basis. In fact, I take that back. Maybe you should keep talking like this so that people can see you for your ignorance and be sure to shy away from you (God, yes God, help those who heard what you have to say and follow you). With that said, I am disappointed and all that I can do is be a positive force for change within myself, and hope I make a difference.
TELLEM ARUNA
most of those killed were gangsters
why does everyone act like totally innocent people were killed?
i do not advocate any killing, duh, because i am not a cockaroach like these gangster wannabe’s.
the problem is rap music, gangster reggaem, BET, and so forth.
i was at horshoe beach on the weekend washing my feet off at the showers, and like 5 black kids about 12 years old were listening to this rap song about “killing and shooting open their head”
you grow up with this crap and love it like they do, and its no surprise they commit these crimes. they love it.
one day soon, innocent children or adults will be killed and then it will truly be tragic.
its like when the mafia mourn their family deaths, when one mob “offs” a member of their family. would you cry with the mafia? NO!
get real people.
most of these people are creeps , but i wont say all of them were.
it is disgusting that man was shot in front of hs child. that was tragic.
play with snakes, you will get bit. dont cry to mommy cuz it hurts.
we also need to legalize guns, so that the next time some moe comes up in our yard with a machete or gun, or when we are walking or jogging and some moe wants to rape us, or when we are on our bike and some moe tries to beat and rob us, or so when we walk home and some moe wants to assault us ……. so that we can blow their worthless brains out with a nice fat bullet.
like in most civilized countries, where people have the RIGHT to defend themselves.
here, thanks to moes, we are not allowed to carry small knives, even for fishing or proper functional use. while these moes drive around carrying guns, machetes, and so forth.
its soooo fair, huh?
in canada, my friends keep a loaded 12 gauage shotgun on the mantle. when someone comes in their house to assault or rob them, they use it. That is sweet justice.
here, when a moe attacks you, their momma takes you to court. it happened to someone i know, they got jumped on front street by a group of black kids, and when he defended himself by bare fists and they got hurt, their wimpy ass momma took him to police and court!!!!!!!
gimme a break!
I don’t believe that I have ever read too many posts that I believe are more offensive than this one!
Duh, what a coward you are spewing your racist rhetoric while hiding behind a pen name.
You, whoever you are, are a BIG PART OF THE PROBLEM that we have in Bermuda today.
The use of the word “moe” is offensive and I pray that God will forgive you for your hatred.
i am not part of the problem
“moe” is not a word describing any specific race
it is people like you who accuse everyone of racism when there is NONE
who is the problem are these gangsters chopping, stabbing, raping, and killing people. its not my fault if 75% or more of them are BLACK
its not a crime to state facts last time i checked
These so-called “christians” are narrow minded, ignorant bigots. Mr. Smith’s comment that “christians are too quiet on the matter” is laughable. For lack of anything better to do, they inject their judgemental and hateful attitudes on anyone who will listen. This was the wrong venue to vent their idiotic opinions. The apology was not enough – hopefully they’ll beg their god for forgiveness.
Scott,
I have lost all respect for you. How can you justified your actions by saying in the RG;
“I didn’t want to attack her. I was emotionally upset. I was upset the gays had more support in their rally than people supporting the rally against violence and murder.”
So you are telling me that it’s alright to just verbally attack someone? What do you really represent?
Well contrary to your belief, actually there were some homosexuals present at your event. An event that was to focus on the support of non violence and senseless murders in our community, but ended up being another excuse for gay bashing!
Apology not accepted!
Well said Terry.
scott, i don’t doubt that you meant well – inasmuch as bigots of ANY hue ‘mean well’ when they choose to wield their words like swords to viciously attack the vulnerable and defenseless – but i humbly suggest that you redirect all of that energy toward addressing a much more pressing concern…namely, WHY IS IT THAT AFRIKAN-DESCENDED MALES ARE CHOOSING TO ‘TURN GUNMAN’ AND SHOOT DOWN THEIR BLACK MALE REFLECTIONS?
you see, brother, if you don’t understand the savage symbiosis of white supremacy and patriarchy, you’ll NEVER be able to make sense of what is happening, with disturbing regularity, in the island that you claim to love…and you’ll NEVER be able to generate meaningful solutions.
leave the hate-filled attacks to those who have no visceral recollection of what it was like to struggle for full human rights in a country where the colour of one’s skin was sufficient justification for the imposition of all manner of state-sanctioned, soul-destroying discriminatory practices.
you are a BLACK man. she is a BLACK woman. based on your common blood-soaked history as the descendants of those who survived so much maltreatment, you should really know better, brother.
furthermore, rest assured that there are men and women in our community who self-identify as gay/ lesbian AND are mourning the loss of their loved ones due to the explosion of gun violence that has overtaken the island since Wheels was shot down in May of 2009. as such, when you attack ‘THEM’, you are attacking ‘US’ as well. and, for my money, we most certainly do NOT need another Black male taking potshots (pun intended) at Black folks…..
here are some questions to ponder:
why is it that all of the murder victims are BLACK males?
why is it that all of the shooters are BLACK males?
young WHITE males aren’t shooting each other down in the streets…only young BLACK males.
if we are all in agreement that
1) the past has little to no bearing on the present;
2) they (Black males) have equal access to quality – albeit criminally eurocentric – education (if only they’d focus themselves on academics); and
3) whining about race and racism (the ‘whitey made me do it!’ defence), in an island that has been led for over a decade by a BLACK government, is nothing more than sour grapes on the part of the chronically lazy and intellectually underprivileged, then might it not follow that
4) something is (genetically) wrong with young Black males…and by extension, Black people (after all, these shooters weren’t born in a vacuum)?
…and if my conclusion is faulty, how, then, do we explain why bermuda is beginning to resemble – in terms of homicidal, gun-related violence – other places where Black people are present in significant numbers (toronto, jamaica, bahamas, ‘anyghetto’ u.s.a., brixton, etc.)?
i challenge you (and anyone else who cares about exploring ways to stop the flow of young, Black, male blood from staining our streets) to attempt to explore the ‘why’ behind the questions that i posed. i hope to hear from you soon…and i trust that – this time around – you will have something intelligent to say.
75% of black marriages are broken
over 50% of blacks drop out of highschool or fail
like 90% of the gangs here are black
like 90% of the murders, rapes, stabbings, assaults, etc, are committed by blacks.
what do these facts have to do with whites or slavery? NOTHING! you morons will always blame whites for everything because its easy for you to do that. losers.
See this is why I left the Seven Day church and I am not looking back. They hate gays, they hate Sunday worshipers, they hate catholics…who do they love? No one.
This man even said at the event that Japan had that earthquake because they are not Christians and worship false gods…he is an effing lunatic…
Mr. Smith is showing how ignorant people can be. The Bible states LOVE the sinner HATE the sin. How is Mr. Smith doing that by attacking Ms. Assan’s last name? He is attacking her personally. By calling her an ass. Why is she an ass? Because she is standing up for herself and something she believes in? Mr.Smith would not have called her an ass if she was standing up for the black community now would he.
I was born and raised Seventh Day Adventist and am ashamed to be associated with Mr.Smith.
You are NOT JESUS CHRIST Mr.Smith I would advise you to ask the Lord from deep in your heart next time to put the right words in your mouth so you are not the ASS!
As I’ve posted elsewhere, I hope that we don’t negate all of the critical work that Scott has done for the community based on a few moments of poor judgement. I can’t support his comments/feelings/projections on what he feels homosexuality is or represents, but I respect integrity and humility in his character that his apology for the name-calling represents. I haven’t been offended.