Yeah. Right.
I spent five minutes last week literally crying with laughter after David Camerons speech to the conservative party conference.
More specifically, his approach to gang culture and behaviour in the UK. Which seemed to be "I'm going to stop the gangs! Just like that! All you need is love! and lots of money .." .
I work for my local Childrens Rights Service, through which I end up sitting through countless meetings and seminars where some bright young spark has come up with suggestions like "If we just pump it full of money, it'll go away" or "they have nothing to do! Build the poor lads a youth group and they'll all play happily together and not shoot each others heads off!". Or even one councellor who came up with the gem of "Send them all back to Africa where they came from". I should note, that I actually asked him to leave the meeting becuase of that.
Waltham Forest (my local authority) recently commissioned a bloke from some university or other, to compile a report on the cause of gang culture in London. Yes, he did it. Came back and presented it to the council. They, and the media lapped it all up. However, when our team analysed it, we found that most of the information was incorrect. Such as gang names, the reasons people join gangs, the number of people in each gang, the amount of gangs, where they were getting there weapons from ,etc.
We were able to do that, because we are young people. We know what happens out there better than any adult ever could. Amazing, isn't it, how a team of dedicated young people can pretty much pull a 50 page report to tatters?
And, that is the way forward. Gangs won't stop being violent simply becuase some kind soul builds a youth shelter or starts a youth group. It's down to the young people who get involved in gangs, and those who know them, to gradually slow it down. Yes, authorities would never use such tactics, because it puts young peoples lives in danger. But I can tell you now, it does work. We've tried it (off the books of course), and it worked. It's time that society in general started to wake up to the fact that young people should be listened to and valued just as much as a guy with a PhD in social science (or whatever he had), because, more often than not, young people know the things that adults won't. Such as the "grass phenominom" where, the police in their upmost naivity tell young people to come forward and divulge information about gangs and drug suppliers, under the promise that they'll be protected. 38% of these young people end up either shot or stabbed within the next two weeks, a further 9% of these will die from their injuries.
That's my rant for today, in stark contrast to whinging about mobile phone masts.
Do think about it, and take it seriously, trust me, it may safe you one day.