An ASBO for Bob?
I felt almost at home last week Wednesday; the sky was blue, I’d heard my daily dose of Afrikaans from a fellow commuter and Robert Mugabe was making headline news. In fact, it was rather surreal, and strangely satisfying, to have Bob’s mug on the front page of two consecutive editions of The Guardian just a few days earlier.
I guess it was comforting because after years of turning one of Africa’s most beautiful countries into a veritable graveyard of parched land and soul-destroyed people, it looks like there may be a tiny glimmer of light at the end of the Zim tunnel. Certainly it would appear that the silent observers around the world, and in Africa, have finally found some form of voice. True, the fat lady has not yet belted a tune and it will take more than just nudging for Mugabe and his cronies to take serious notice just yet, but if I were him, I think perhaps I would have started sweating just enough to risk ruining one of many Armani suits.
The other story - or theme, rather – that has dominated news of late is that of the various stabbings that have been taking place over London. Part of me feels sad but a bigger part of me is absolutely disgusted that these crimes, the senseless and preventable crimes that they are, are being committed by and on, young kids and teenagers. Crime in South Africa may be bad, but never in my life have I felt so angry and amazed as I do about youth crime in Britain. And the question that I continue to ask myself is; where are the parents when all this is happening? I should, I suppose, point out the obvious and acknowledge that no, I am not a parent and so cannot talk from any position of authority on the subject, but blimey, even I have enough common sense to know that young kids should not be allowed to roam the streets at 1am. Not, you understand, that late night wandering is the cause of crime, but it is indicative of the lack of parental – and social – authority, discipline and care, that goes hand in hand with this and other youth-related problems.I believe in human rights as much as the next person but I also know that there is such a thing as having too much freedom.
In response to some of the recent crimes, I heard a youth worker – himself a relatively young man – echo my views to BBC 1 on what is needed to tackle youth crime. It is not greater access to social support services, it is not rehabilitation programmes and counselling and it is not the application of the infamous ASBO; it is about a return to tough parenting. Children need guidance, discipline and boundaries and by taking the decision to become a parent – and yes, this is, by virtue of decisions around sex, an active decision - parents are accepting the responsibility of taking care of their child’s needs. Children like to push boundaries, and as growing, inquisitive beings this is acceptable. What is not acceptable, however, is allowing boundaries to be pushed over so that neither these, nor reasonable consequences, exist. Kids in the UK are allowed by society, their parents and the government to get away, quite literally, with murder because the powers that be have forgotten how to care appropriately.
The problem is not just that more and more kids are getting involved in gangs and crime, but that they take for granted the privileges that life in a first world country entails. So often I have wanted to take a few of these kids to Africa, show them just to what lengths children there will go to, to get access to education, to just one pair of shiny new shoes – that fit – and to a home with a tap.
Mugabe likes to blame everything on Britain and it is safe to say that he would quite happily lead Tony Blair to the gallows. Perhaps we can find a solution to help both parties. Maybe Tony should offer Zimbabwe a little prezzie; let’s send a gift pack of offending teen criminals to Zim - to open their eyes to real hardship – and perhaps in return one of them may be able to get close enough to Bob to do some damage with their choice of not-so-kiddie weapon. If all goes well and to my ideals, the reformed kids will return to the UK to spread the word of appreciation, respect and good fortune and Zim will find itself under good new leadership after its terrorised leader is forced to go into hiding in some dark corner. Ah, one can always dream…
Email Jen on vanity@southafrican.co.uk
I guess it was comforting because after years of turning one of Africa’s most beautiful countries into a veritable graveyard of parched land and soul-destroyed people, it looks like there may be a tiny glimmer of light at the end of the Zim tunnel. Certainly it would appear that the silent observers around the world, and in Africa, have finally found some form of voice. True, the fat lady has not yet belted a tune and it will take more than just nudging for Mugabe and his cronies to take serious notice just yet, but if I were him, I think perhaps I would have started sweating just enough to risk ruining one of many Armani suits.
The other story - or theme, rather – that has dominated news of late is that of the various stabbings that have been taking place over London. Part of me feels sad but a bigger part of me is absolutely disgusted that these crimes, the senseless and preventable crimes that they are, are being committed by and on, young kids and teenagers. Crime in South Africa may be bad, but never in my life have I felt so angry and amazed as I do about youth crime in Britain. And the question that I continue to ask myself is; where are the parents when all this is happening? I should, I suppose, point out the obvious and acknowledge that no, I am not a parent and so cannot talk from any position of authority on the subject, but blimey, even I have enough common sense to know that young kids should not be allowed to roam the streets at 1am. Not, you understand, that late night wandering is the cause of crime, but it is indicative of the lack of parental – and social – authority, discipline and care, that goes hand in hand with this and other youth-related problems.I believe in human rights as much as the next person but I also know that there is such a thing as having too much freedom.
In response to some of the recent crimes, I heard a youth worker – himself a relatively young man – echo my views to BBC 1 on what is needed to tackle youth crime. It is not greater access to social support services, it is not rehabilitation programmes and counselling and it is not the application of the infamous ASBO; it is about a return to tough parenting. Children need guidance, discipline and boundaries and by taking the decision to become a parent – and yes, this is, by virtue of decisions around sex, an active decision - parents are accepting the responsibility of taking care of their child’s needs. Children like to push boundaries, and as growing, inquisitive beings this is acceptable. What is not acceptable, however, is allowing boundaries to be pushed over so that neither these, nor reasonable consequences, exist. Kids in the UK are allowed by society, their parents and the government to get away, quite literally, with murder because the powers that be have forgotten how to care appropriately.
The problem is not just that more and more kids are getting involved in gangs and crime, but that they take for granted the privileges that life in a first world country entails. So often I have wanted to take a few of these kids to Africa, show them just to what lengths children there will go to, to get access to education, to just one pair of shiny new shoes – that fit – and to a home with a tap.
Mugabe likes to blame everything on Britain and it is safe to say that he would quite happily lead Tony Blair to the gallows. Perhaps we can find a solution to help both parties. Maybe Tony should offer Zimbabwe a little prezzie; let’s send a gift pack of offending teen criminals to Zim - to open their eyes to real hardship – and perhaps in return one of them may be able to get close enough to Bob to do some damage with their choice of not-so-kiddie weapon. If all goes well and to my ideals, the reformed kids will return to the UK to spread the word of appreciation, respect and good fortune and Zim will find itself under good new leadership after its terrorised leader is forced to go into hiding in some dark corner. Ah, one can always dream…
Email Jen on vanity@southafrican.co.uk
posted by Jen Smit at 4:31 pm
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