Gun crime in the UK.

September 3, 2007 · Filed Under UK · Comment

While not yet at US levels, gun crime in the UK appears to be on the increase. The recent shooting of an 11 year old in the UK, on top of a number of other killings of youngsters in the UK, have caught my attention. Knife related crimes are up too. Apparently it is quite easy to get hold of a gun in the UK now, although press reports state that, luckily, ammunition is hard to come by. Italy, despite having armed police and the Mafia, does not have high levels of youth gun crime - which is probably down to the fact that the family is still a much closer-knit unit than in the UK. Let’s hope it stays this way.

The question is: What can be done to wean kids away from these dangerous items? Education is one answer, only the kids who are using these guns probably do not go to school and have zero respect for authority, which means that while education may keep some away from guns, it will really only have an effect on those who would probably never think about getting hold of a gun anyway. One thing that may make a difference would be to get more police on the beat again - at least their presence may deter the use of guns, but even the police cannot be everywhere all the time.

Time does seem to be something of a key though. It appears that more kids are spending their free time in gangs and that these gangs are adopting a gun culture. You often hear residents of down-beat housing estates complaining that the kids have nothing to do and so they just hang around getting bored and ending up doing stupid things. Then it seems as though the kinds of kids that end up in gangs often come from broken, socially dysfunctional and/or low income families. Which means that gang membership offers them a replacement ‘family’ type relationship. This is something many of these kids have never really had, and, often, they feel that there is the possibility of making a quick buck, so they can get an iPod, flashy trainers and some bling-bling jewellery. Mix the chance of making a some cash through selling drugs with a sense of ‘belonging’ ,and gang membership starts to become even more attractive, especially when you do not really have any future to look forward to. Current pop-culture which glorifies gangs and plenty of gun toting film stars probably do not help matters either.

What is needed are ways of giving these kids real aspirations and ways of keeping them occupied so that they do not end up being drawn into a gang type culture. The only trouble is these things cost money, but running a few cost benefit analyses should reveal that investment now will reduce costs in the future - especially the cost of keeping unwanted members of society in prisons, not to mention social security payments, policing costs and all the rest.

I had a hunt around the www for information about the Croxteth area of Liverpool in the UK and discovered that it has been something of a social minefield from the very beginning, in that this huge housing area was not provided with many shops or other community facilities when it was built. I even took a look at the Liverpool city council website and its youth section - which is as dull as ditch water, incidentally. Look at this for an example of what I mean. It’s not exactly appealing to kids, now is it? If this is an example of how the council is going about rejuvenating places like Croxteth, then it is not much of a surprise that becoming part of a gang seems like a fun thing to do. There are some other initiatives on the Liverpool Council site, but, to me, they just look dull - half-efforts, with nothing really original and appealing to kids, and the presentation is such that it might appeal to a thirty-five year old train-spotter. Asking the kids what they want might help start moving things in the right direction, as would jazzing up the website a bit. Looks as though there is a pitch here for a good web design company.

Aside from making the website more stimulating, here are a few other things that perhaps could be done to keep kids occupied: Offer free or low cost public transport. Reduce the prices of tickets to sporting events, cinemas and concerts. Cut sports centre and swimming pool admission prices. Set up more facilities that will draw youngsters into the only real alternative to gangs - clubs. More after-school activities, which could also teach skills which can then be applied to later life. In other words, try to give these kids some alternatives to illicit activities, and keep them occupied and interested, and give them some hope for the future. Activities which give kids with some idea of where to go in their lives would be best, plus activities which allow them to let off steam, like banger-racing, pillow fighting and similar activities. Let us get those child psychologists onto the job, and plenty down to earth practical types - members of these difficult communities - ex-footballers and locals who have had runs in with the law and learnt from it. And showing the kids American History X - might convince a few that prison is not a nice place to be. Lots of talks, not sermons, from ex-soldiers who know what it is like to get shot, plus a few graphic images, may start to get the ‘guns are bad news’ messages across, too. If there is not one now, how about a kids’ committee, run by kids, that can decide and develop activities and initiatives? Local businesses could even be offered tax breaks to encourage them to provide funding for community facilities. Anything and everything to offer alternatives to a life which may end up with youngsters ending up in prison, or worse - like shooting a beloved child.

While it may be difficult to break up current gangs, it should be possible, through the introduction of the right facilities, to reduce the number of kids who want to become members, so, in time, the gangs would simply fade away. One thing that could be done and done now, as a result of the Rhys tragedy, would be to use the incident to discredit gangs and guns - so that kids do not want to become members. After all, would you want to be part of an organisation that kills a little kid? Each child killed in this way represents a failure of society in general to care for its members.

By starting to solve problems now, at least there may be a chance to improve the future. And save other young lives.

I’m no social scientist, so I’m sure others could come up with other and better ways to improve the situation in Croxteth and similar areas. How about forming management teams from those doing terms in open-prisons for white collar crimes? Benchmark their progress and reduce their sentences as a reward for positive progress? And instead of the boys in blue moving on a group of rowdy teens, why not have them say, ‘Hey, kids, have you heard about the X things on down at the youth centre this evening? Instead of hanging around here getting piss-bored, check it out.

Gets down off soap box.

Tags: Italy

Simple acts

July 13, 2005 · Filed Under Italy, Me, Milan, UK · Comment

Whilst returning from work today I was stopped by a lady in her car who asked for a light. I obliged and, having noticed my strange accent or dress(!?), I suppose, she asked if I was Italian. I replied that I wasn’t and she asked if I was German. No I replied. ‘Where are you from?’ she asked. ‘I’m English’, I said. ‘Oh. Sorry to hear about all the bombs in London.’, she added before driving off.

He final comment both touched me and made me think. I reflected on how the dreadful incidents in London had obviously touched the hearts of many, not just those in the UK. The lady in the car displayed a simple humanity and it was a wonderful thing and made me think that, when all is said and done, these terrorists have already lost, it’s just that they are too pig headed to admit it. Shame.

I also noticed from the BBC’s website that the head of Muslims in the UK had also condemned the henious acts of these misguided souls. This too was heartening and I hope we all try not to tar everyone with the same brush as is often the case in such situations. However, I cannot say that I ever really heard an Irish Roman Catholic priest condemn outright the actions of the IRA, but then maybe I’m wrong, although I seem to remember at the time noting how the ‘thou shalt not kill’ brigade did not really make a clear stand on the various terrorist acts undertaken by the IRA. The IRA, or so it would seem, have finally woken up to the fact that bombing does not change anything really and I do hope that Osama and his crew come to the same conclusion. Sooner rather than later. The suicide bombers in London appear to have been rather young men. What a terrible waste of their own and others’ lives.

Tags: Italian

Worrying times for parents

June 3, 2005 · Filed Under England, My son, UK · Comment

I read this article on the web today. Makes you wonder in just which direction the world is going. If you read the item you will see that it is about a group of kids, 11 and 12 year olds, who tried to hang, or so it would seem, a five year old. What I want to know is just what caused the kids to even try a thing like this. It’s mad and it makes you worry about your own little one.
This shocking event took place in the UK, not in Italy. However, there has been another disturbing story here. A young mother, married and all that, claimed that she had been tied up by burglars and that as a result her baby son had drowned in the bath. I had my doubts when I first heard this and then the truth came out. The mother had drowned her own baby son and then tried to make it look as though someone else had been responsible. Frightening, although being a parent, I can just about understand how someone could end up actually killing their own child. The arrival of a baby rocks your world, especially if you weren’t expecting it. Then, if things are not going well in a relationship, or there are money worries, and or sleepless nights, it can become a real nightmare situation which could drive and in this case seems to have driven someone to the limits of their endurance and beyond. It was an act of pure madness and by all accounts the mother in this case has woken up to what she has done and will have to live with this for the rest of her life. Things must have been going really badly for her to have actually reached such a state of desperation. But I find it difficult to accept that the blame lies entirely with her, poor woman. She will now pass the rest of her life thinking about what her poor little one could have done. Poor little chap. It makes you sad when you hear about things like this, it really does.

Bringing up kids is not too easy at the best of times, but there is painfully little help or guidance available. Maybe we should be taught about this at school in some form or another. I do know of someone who is bringing up her kid literally ‘by the book’. You know, one of these manuals which sets down lots of little rules for you to follow - only you are not too sure just how qualified the person who wrote the book is and, more to the point, whether this person has kids of their own and has used the method on them. It’s a bit like the divorced marriage guidance councilors or the Roman Catholic church with its virtually all male priesthood dictating how men and women should behave. The person I know will not let you say ‘no’ to her child (this is bad according to the book…), which seems daft to me. We use the word ‘no’ regularly with our little one, while trying to explain why he should not do something. Although explaining something to a two year old is not that easy and, in general, you are ignored anyway. I don’t feel as though the word ‘no’ is damaging him in any way - he’s a happy little chappy and full of life and energy. Seems pretty well balanced for his age - not that I know much about two year old kids really. (Don’t know a thing to be honest.)

Isn’t it about time we took the subject of bringing up children more seriously. I mean, they are our future, the world’s future. Do I know what I am doing? Not really and being in a culture which has a different attitude to my own complicates matters even further. I suppose I am a reactive parent, not really pro-active - which I don’t think is that good. Hell, we’ve turned running businesses into a fine art come science. Why the blazes can’t we do the same with regard to bringing up kids. They are important. (Climbs down off soap box)

Tags: Italy