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Wednesday Jun 25, 2008
Who can stop the violence?
Next week Channel 4 launches a new series of programmes called Disarming Britain. The cynic in me says that they are "cashing in" on a serious issue; but I also passionately believe that talking about what is happening is a huge part of the solving the problem. And it is a problem: 15 young people have been died as a result of gun or knife violence since the start of the year.
Last night on the train home I listened to the BBC Radio Five Live Simon Mayo interview with Barry and Margaret Mizen, the parents of Jimmy Mizen who was killed last month on his 16th birthday. It was the most humbling piece of audio I've heard in a very long time. Sadly it's no longer available as a podcast, but it should be heard by any young person before they choose to carry a knife or gun.
I hope that Disarming Britain does what no-one else really seems to be doing; and talking to the young people affected by the violence. Too much of what I've seen and read in the papers is from commentators staring over their walls and looking in to the estates rather than from the people who are actually living with gang violence around them.
The Disarming Britain promo is very impressive, as a piece of film. Whether the series will make a difference is another matter.
Posted by Olly ( 11:01 AM ) Link to this post | Comments[2]
Give children and young people something constructive to do. They need somewhere to vent their energies.
The government should subsidise this if they want solutions.
Martial arts should be STRONGLY encouraged so that young people get discipline, a chance to exercise and gain a sense of achievement and so that young people can stand up to and maybe even disarm other youths whom use intimidation to try to control others.
I believe that a wide sweeping change is needed.
Extra-curricular activities should be available to all, even and especially the most deprived and vulnerable people in society.
Hopefully, tragic as it is, this recent wave of attacks will be the kick up the backside that the government need to get them to commit effort and funds to this cause.
My thoughts are with the families of the victims.
May some good come of this bad.
Posted by James Skinner on July 15, 2008 at 05:08 PM GMT+00:00 #
Thanks for your comment.
I agree with much of what you said, I said something similar a few weeks back on the YouthNet blog:
http://www.youthnet.org/ynblog/blog/entry/why_we_need_to_champion
Hopefully someone will listen! :-)
Olly
Posted by Olly Benson on July 17, 2008 at 09:25 AM GMT+00:00 #