Dehooding the hoodies

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Politicians turn their attention to mending social problems. What works?

 

 

“WE WERE loud, definitely. But not that loud,” says Dawayne Gordon, comparing his bumpy time growing up in south London with the experiences of today's teenagers. Now 34, Mr Gordon works for the same youth charity that put him on the right path after spells in custody as a teenager. The youngsters he helps now may have an even rougher ride. More are under lock and key and those being arrested are getting younger: the number of under-14s convicted or reprimanded for serious offences rose by a quarter between 2003 and 2006. “They're more quick-tempered than we used to be,” Mr Gordon reckons. “People are joining gangs to find belonging and protection. The family model's got mucked up.”

 

Deep in the Royal Courts of Justice, Nicholas Phillips has reached similar conclusions. The Lord Chief Justice told The Economist: “The fundamental point is that children who are brought up by loving parents who are themselves responsible don't very often commit criminal offences...If you analyse those who end up in young-offender institutions and look at their backgrounds, you'll find that they aren't coming from solid family backgrounds and some of them haven't effective parents at all.”

 

Families, once considered beyond the reach of state meddling, are now the focus of much attention. On April 10th David Cameron, the Tory leader, repeated his party's idea that bolstering families can mend what he calls “broken Britain”. The government, too, has become more willing to get stuck in. Delinquent youths used to be tackled by a Home Office plan called the “respect agenda”, which focused on hammering antisocial behaviour and petty crime. Last July that was superseded by a broader and cosier “youth strategy”, run by the Department for Children and more focused on prevention. One minister puts the shift down to the exit from the cabinet of some “1960s liberals” who felt nervous about intervening in families. The Conservatives' inroads in this area probably have something to do with it too.

 

The question is what, if anything, can make a difference. Many well-meaning initiatives get nowhere: the UK Drugs Policy Commission has pronounced drugs education fruitless, for example, and more sex education has coincided with an increase in sexually transmitted infections. Schools already groan under a curriculum that covers everything from anti-racism to maintaining a positive body-image.

 

Many youth programmes fail because they are simply repeating the same information, reckons Neil Wragg, director of Youth At Risk, a charity that runs mentoring programmes for teenagers. “There is far too much sheep-dipping—pushing thousands of young people through the same programmes that give them information that is already available,” he says. Youth at Risk's regime involves an introductory session of several days, followed by weekly check-ups from volunteer mentors for a year. The programme is modelled on the “life coaching” more commonly given to pampered company executives. If that sounds nightmarish, look at the results: two-thirds of the 319 London students who were given the programme last year outperformed their predicted school grades. In Northern Ireland, the same scheme was used to rehabilitate young victims of sectarian violence.

 

Most governments feel more comfortable spending taxpayers' money on punishing louts rather than counselling them. This may be a mistake given that a year's mentoring costs as little as £500 thanks to the use of volunteers. “There's a belief that there is something missing in communities—not enough people, or resources,” Mr Wragg says. “But it is all there if you look.”

 

Even so, money is always hard fought over and, in its budgeting, government “tends to respond to the most urgent pressures,” says Lord Phillips. That crowds out the funding needed for the preventative work. “If you're spending almost all your available money on meeting the urgent demand, you say, ‘Terribly sorry, we simply haven't got the resources to deal with this.’ You can, as it were, get away with it. You are dealing with the utmost urgent problems—but at the expense of what's going to happen later.”

 

 

Wolfs comment:

Yet just another sad aspect of modern societies attitudes.

 

Sourced from The Economist

[Seth]

I'm 39 years old and fondly remember my childhood at Cedar St, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.

 

Us kids from all the surrounding blocks would play outside until dark and often beyond so.

 

At that time, no parent worried about their child being abducted by some sick pedophile.

 

What has changed to instill such paranoia?

 

I know the "change". Do you?

[Guest Wolfeymole]

To my mind it's the media that has a lot to blame, a society built on "Get it now, Pay later"

"Do you want a loan Sir? No problem.

You can't pay? Your soul is ours"

 

Parents don't give a toss, the kids want £90 trainers when that's all a single parent might have to actually live on for the week.

But the kids will have them so either they or the parents will go out and rob.

Violence on TV is at an all time high, video games get nastier.

The list goes on.

[Seth]

Exactly brother.

 

Keeping criminals on the street is a vested interest of the so called justice system.

 

Let the pedophiles and criminals do their thing. I'll let them go as it assures me my job and posh mansion.

 

Please wait as the judge is being paid off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

[Seth]

Music, media, and TV?

 

Now prone to cliches, canned laughter, and violence.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

The courts won't bang a villain up because the jails are already full and it costs too much to keep them if they were not.

So it's an "on the spot" fine which never gets paid and so the wheel keeps turning.

 

The cops are snowed under with enough paperwork to choke a mule and recruitment rates, much like New York, are at an all time low.

 

Local government overspends deliberately so as to ensure the same amount or more from central government in the next financial year.

Meanwhile council tax rates go through the roof and I still only get one plastic bin liner when the refuse collector comes.

 

It makes me sick to the stomach.

[AdvancedSetup]

1. Lack of Religious up bringing

2. Media RATINGS HYPE

3. Vicious economic wheel of over inflated values

4. Too many personal freedoms

5. Youth constantly coached/trained/taught that THEY are #1 and not having to "fit" into society as a member (it's all about them). I don't ever recall shooting anyone because they "didn't give me respect".

6. Item 3 forcing most homes to have double incomes to survive beyond poverty level.

 

The vast majority of these items lead to most of the other fallout in my opinion.

 

You can not have 6+ Billion people on Earth and everyone wanting all their own individualization and rights. It is not all about the ME regardless of how psychology tries to say it is in the past 40 years.

[AdvancedSetup]

Hmm.... seems the Pope has similar thoughts

 

From the Boston Globe

 

He also said that the American emphasis on "personal freedom and autonomy" can cause a reduction in the sense of community.

Exactly - when all one cares about is ones self that's a sad state.

 

.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

I'd have to disagree on point number one Ron and, moreover, blame that aspect on many of the issues of today.

Religion is the cause of all conflict in the world today.

In my personal opinion the catholics are the last people that should be spouting about anything with their lantern swinging hypocrisy.

A system/religion that advocates not to use contraception and also offers a "get out" option via a confessional cannot be taken seriously.

 

Religion was not forced down my throat from an early age and I was allowed to make my own mind up about it.

To me all this religion trash is just a dread, a belief in a belief.

As far as I'm concerned when the lights go out that's it.

 

You don't need religion to be a good person, just love and good parents.

[maynardvdm]

I agree with Ron.

 

I feel religion teaches us between right and wrong. I am not saying any one religion is more important than the other, but you get taught where to draw the line.

[AdvancedSetup]

I was going to go on but actually decided not to.

 

I do fail to see the direct link to the moral decay of society being caused by religion. But to each his own I suppose.

 

I believe in God and I can tell you so, but beyond that I'm not here to convert or coerce you to my way of thinking, you have a mind and you can make your own choice what you believe.

 

Yes, many evil things have been done throughout history in the name of religion, but almost always misguided acts by uneducated people.

 

 

.

[help4me]

I'd have to disagree on point number one Ron and, moreover, blame that aspect on many of the issues of today.

Religion is the cause of all conflict in the world today.

In my personal opinion the catholics are the last people that should be spouting about anything with their lantern swinging hypocrisy.

A system/religion that advocates not to use contraception and also offers a "get out" option via a confessional cannot be taken seriously.

 

Religion was not forced down my throat from an early age and I was allowed to make my own mind up about it.

To me all this religion trash is just a dread, a belief in a belief.

As far as I'm concerned when the lights go out that's it.

 

You don't need religion to be a good person, just love and good parents.

 

Don't go bashing Catholics... some of us actually live/d our faith to the best of our ability without having the idea... "I can do what I want and just go to confession" Just as with any group of people... not all are bad, fake, insert your own adjective.

 

Second, there is much debate as to why religion happened in the first place. Many believe that the belief in a higher power is the only way to get humans to behave. I have posted this viewpoint elsewhere. Human nature will not follow any set rules unless by fear. Very few can do the "right" thing simply because that's what needs to be done. Humans operate on a reward/punishment basis. Religion is the ultimate way to get people to behave, because no one can absolutely prove or disprove the idea of a supreme being. Thus.... more than a few people will follow the rules of their religion... just in case there really is a "God."

 

Those that create conflict in the name of religion are liars. Those in power claim that wars and other such tactics are for freedom or done in the name of "God" only to gain support of their countrymen. People won't allow their government to send their loved nes of to die because of political greed. The government is wise to this and thus it will rally it's people under the guise of a Holy cause.

 

As you said in your post Bob, you don't need religion to be a "good" person. But the laws of the land don't seem to be as effective as they used to be. Religion itself may be fake, but there are some good ideas in religion.

 

The problems of the world today aren't based on anything other than the ready supply of easy answers. Society has made it easy to quit. Not many people today have the drive to going when the going gets tough. It's easier to lay back and let "the system" take care of you, easier to get a divorce than counceling, easier to acceopt what already is, rather than fight for what should be. In essence it's easier to do nothing. And in America, the government supports that. Those that do nothing.... receive all kinds of government help like food vouchers, medical help, housing, and so on. But should you try to help yourself, you get nothing. Maybe I should give in and do nothing as well. My life would certainly be easier ;)

[help4me]

Also I think that nothing has changed so much in the "progression" of society. But because of the electronic age.... the availability of mass communication... we just know more and faster of things that happen. Computers, television, cell phones, newspapers, etc. are available almost everywhere. Humans are now linked to almost everyone in the world at a second's notice. News travels faster now days. And it's trendy to air your dirty laundry in the public eye. Nothing has really changed... the "word" is just more available to a larger number of people.

[Seth]

1. Lack of Religious up bringing

2. Media RATINGS HYPE

3. Vicious economic wheel of over inflated values

4. Too many personal freedoms

5. Youth constantly coached/trained/taught that THEY are #1 and not having to "fit" into society as a member (it's all about them). I don't ever recall shooting anyone because they "didn't give me respect".

6. Item 3 forcing most homes to have double incomes to survive beyond poverty level.

 

The vast majority of these items lead to most of the other fallout in my opinion.

 

You can not have 6+ Billion people on Earth and everyone wanting all their own individualization and rights. It is not all about the ME regardless of how psychology tries to say it is in the past 40 years.

 

1) I disagree. Morality has nothing to do with religion. Morality is simply the result of, "We can achieve more if we're not killing each other"

 

2) Like Brittany Spears?

 

3 Don't understand what you mean.

 

4) Ditto to above.

 

5) Welcome to the new music. "Pop a cap" into those that don't agree with you. Especially the "**'s".

 

6) Agreed. Both parents have to work their *** off to make ends meet, while their child is being "taught" by a teenage girl who can't wait to get the **** out of there.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

I think with regard to point 3 Seth, Ron means that for example my Dad could get 60 pints for a £1 when he was a lad, now I can't get 1 for a £1, not even in JD Wetherspoon on a Monday which is reduced prices day.

 

Too many personal freedoms?

A person can't smoke in the pub any more while having a pint, sounds like cutting back on personal freedoms to me.

Women and kids were never seen in pubs, now you can't get to the bloody bar for prams or skidding on a milk feeder.

 

Some woman at the back of me the other day actually changed the kid while I was getting stuck into my growler and chips, I thought the pie had gone off, but hey it's not politically correct to say anything.

 

The next thing some Chinese guy is hoofing round the pub trying to offload ripped copies of some movie that came out about 4 seconds ago.

 

So you say bollocks to and get a taxi home and it's driven by some one eyed Afghanistan that's bathed in garlic and has some obscure religious pendant hanging from the rear view mirror that nearly takes your eye out.

 

Then he tries to rip you off just like the Chinese guy did and if you get stroppy threatens to get the race relations council involved even though he couldn't tell you what a legal driving license was if it hit him in his remaining eye.

Road tax, Insurance? No idea.

[AdvancedSetup]

Ah, see Wolfey. You're just seeing the things that annoy you and not the bigger picture it would seem, or at least that's what your last post seems to imply.

 

I just don't like to type BOOKS which is why I said I wouldn't go into it, so I'll let this one drop. This type of discussion needs to be done via voice not typing.

 

As with just about anything there are good and bad points to both sides of the coin.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

I am stating larger issues of political correctness, this governments policy on immigration, the fact that it's ok for some single mothers to sit in the pub all day and get stoated on benefits.

Get a load of kids and live high on the hog.

Copyright theft by the gentleman I just mentioned

Just small things Ron you know.

[Seth]

An East Indian living in Canada is opposing our helmet law and claims he doesn't have to wear a helmet like everyone else when riding his motorcycle. He claims it his "religious right" to wear a turban instead of a helmet. Oh ya, let's see what Allah can do with his crushed skull instead of the surgeons.

 

I'm thinking of starting my own "religious right". My new religious and invisible Sky Daddy says I'm allowed to break into your home, kill you, rape your wife, and then take your belongings".

 

It's my religious "right".

Edited April 17, 2008 by Seth

[Seth]

I am stating larger issues of political correctness, this governments policy on immigration, the fact that it's ok for some single mothers to sit in the pub all day and get stoated on benefits.

 

LMAO...EXACTLY.

 

Our previous provincial leader was chastised from the media because he told 2 woman that they didn't look deprived.

 

Where was this rendezvous? In a bar in which the two woman were drinking, smoking cigarettes, and complained to our provincial leader that welfare wasn't giving them enough money.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

Your right Seth

 

Don't get me wrong, I have quite a few Asian and afro Caribbean mates who are good lads.

It's just these extremist nutters that spoil it for the rest of them.