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Community: Real Life

Respect?


Rick

Rick, 18, lives in Cumbria but is trying to escape. He's going to Plymouth University in September to study Surf Science and Technology for three years and can't wait. He enjoys surfing, camping, politics and chilling with friends.

Rick thinks that young people don't get enough credit for the good they contribute to society. Politicians focus way too much on negative press perpetuated by the media.

Young people's actions are seen as counter-productive by people in power. However, I volunteer and run two basketball clubs which really benefits my community. If you're older and do the same thing you get recognition and praise, but if you are under 25 people rarely bother to find out what you're capable of. You're bound to be seen as another layabout thug who's up to no good.

When politicians try and deal with the problematic few, they alienate us even more by labelling us all as the same. Too much emphasis is placed on so-called yobs who are doing everything they can to destroy their area, but this is only a minority. Young people are misunderstood. If a teenager wears a hood, many see it as a form of aggression, but often it's as protection from the dangers of the streets especially at night. People seem to forget that crime is committed by all ages.

Young people are significant in society but their positive efforts are ignored or undermined instead of praised. My local paper published a story about my basketball team yet it was outnumbered by negative stories. Journalists seem to find it easy to attack young people but we shouldn't be branded with incorrect stereotypes. The truth is it's a tiny minority who steal the headlines from the rest of us.

I saw an advert in a national paper about the Respect? campaign and then went on to TheSite.org to find out more. As I was reading I finally felt that other people my age could get together and do something about the way young people are seen in society.

It's been such a privilege to be part of the Respect? Young People's Advisory Group. We've achieved so much already, but our latest push - calling for an Early day Motion (EDM) is a major step in our campaign. The EDM is to raise awareness and get politicians to understand the plight of young people.

"Backing the Respect? campaign is an important step in changing the attitudes of politicians, journalists and the public."

The statistics that came out of research carried out by the Respect? campaign were overwhelming. More than 90% of young people don't feel politicians treat them as equals, over 80% believe the way they are shown in the media means they are respected less and over 90% again feel they don't deserve the reputation they have been given. When the Government tries to resolve the problem of, for example, lower voter turnout, it makes me so angry because they don't realise the underlying problems! MPs represent everyone, not only the young voters and those who don't turnout, but also those within the constituency that can't vote because they're under 18 and have no voice. MPs must do their bit to engage and educate. They must address the issues facing young people, not just indoctrinate those that will vote and run the country in the coming decades.

The EDM is a way of getting our opinions to MPs - especially from young people who don't have a voice in parliament. Dawn Butler MP has tabled the EDM in order to get other politicians to support the call for an end to negative representation. It's great to see an MP listening to the views of young people and trying to influence other MPs to stand up and listen to the issues that really affect young people. Now, more MPs need to see the individuality of young people and encourage them to get involved in the decisions that affect us. After all, we are the people who fully understand the situation we are in. It's this, coupled with the media actually reporting on positive stories, which will help to change to the negative stereotypes of our generation.

I'm writing this to get all young people to lobby whoever you can to get the EDM signed. It doesn't just have to be your MP - get your friends and family to pressure their MP too. This is the call to action many young people have been waiting for without realising that many other people feel the same way!

Backing the Respect? campaign is an important step in changing the attitudes of politicians, journalists and the public. Being involved will start to change the way society looks at and treats young people. I've had enough of people avoiding my gaze, or looking down on me, just because I'm a young person. It's time we all got the respect we deserve.

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