This yob-rule must end
I once read somewhere that when children start killing children it is the end of the world. In Liverpool last week an 11-year-old-boy was gunned down as he played in a park, apparently by a 13-year-old youth.
When I was in England last week it seemed that every day someone was murdered for standing up to yobs. One day it was a talented student who reprimanded some yob for throwing litter. Another day it was a man trying to protect his car. A columnist in the Daily Mail described how his whole street is scared to go out after 9pm because of the yobs who hang out in the park opposite their house. Daily Mail hacks are not easily scared, it must be bad.
How has this happened? Perhaps our armed forces should be brought back from Iraq and Afghanistan to restore order and civility to our streets? It seems the police are powerless. When my father-in-law was the victim of yob-like behaviour recently the only thing they were interested in was how old he is. They simply couldn’t have cared less about the crime itself.
On a lighter note I am pleased to report that my children are showing true feminist instincts. Last night we were watching Mean Girls with Lindsay Lohan. She is in love with what she calls a “hot boy” and pretends to be bad at maths so he can help her. In truth she is better at maths than him.
“I wouldn’t pretend to be stupid for some hot boy,” said Olivia. “I would just find another one.”
“So would I,” said Bea.
“Me too,” said Leonardo. Bless him.
Copyright: Helena Frith Powell 2007
26 Aug 2007 helena
Don’t think yob rule will end until the public end it themselves - rather the way Moseley’s blackshirts were confronted in the 30s.
The Police will always go for the easy option, I know, and they are only partially on side.
However, it is highly dangerous to take on yobs unless one has what the police call “backup”. The problem here is that modern Briton, especially men, lack morale fibre, and will not wish to get involved. The exception to this will be those who are servicemen or firemen etc.
The problem must be confronted by a coldly indignant public. How to do this is the difficult bit. Happy days.
In 1993 Robert Thompson and Jon Venables murdered two year old baby Jamie Bulger. They now live amongst us and our children hidden, protected, housed, clothed and fed by our elected officials and the unwitting tax payer. They are evil and deranged. But they are now at liberty to repeat their savage crimes, even at the age of 25.
History shows that in such a case, as well as those of infanticide, paedophilia, child abuse and abduction there is no such thing as recidivism.
Last week an 11 year old was shot in a child’s version of a drive-by killing reminiscent of a gangland murder. What makes it different to the Bulger case? Was it a bet, a dare or a premeditated cold blooded killing of a definite target?
Was the person who committed this terrible crime deranged or calculating?
Who is to blame – society, parents, peer pressure or total lack of interest from educators and enforcers?
I must admit that I’m puzzled. I have no answer, only a lot of pain and questioning. I grew up in a very rough part of London in the late 50’s and early 60’s and saw more than my fair share of punch-ups, glassing and street brawls. But they were all good, honest rough-house stuff. Not like today. I lived just a short mile from the spot where Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death – also in 1993. And as
yet nobody has been charged even though everybody, including the courts, juries and law enforcement officials know who did it. Just another administrative cock-up I suppose.
G.
P.S. Although I think a hard-line should be taken, I don’t believe the military should be involved. Their failure to secure Basra from a rag-tag bunch of under-equipped and un-trained fanatics shows that they have no idea about policing – even though they are good and brave young soldiers.
I find it very hard to accept that there are children who are actually evil, since if I do, I have given up hope. I rather think that children are the result of their upbringing and their surroundings. As long as states such as UK pursue acts of aggression and indiscriminately kill innocent people, how can we tell our children that it is wrong? Children copy the actions and behaviours of their elders. We all have the responsibility and must ensure that job rule does not win, by not allowing it to happen. Fear has become the tool by which we are being manipulated into agreeing to just about anything and I agree it’s about time we showed the politicians how to manage things.