Blair's government continue to generate a climate of fear against the young. The latest symbol of youth misrule to strike terror throughout the land is the hoodie, or hooded top. Yup, the wearing of a hooded top by young people is now an affront to democracy and civilised values. In fact hoodies are currently being banned from shopping centre's up and down the country, a strange fact given it's from these same shopping centre's that most hoodies are bought. The department stores better watch out for it can't be good business to sell someone a garment then bar them on the basis that they now own that garment. What an odd concept, excluding people who have just become your customers. It must be source of daily astonishment that anyone actually makes it through the doors of your average emporium. Over the last week or so economists have been telling us that the latest spending boom is well and truly over. Hardly a surprise now shopping is akin to crime. A worry like that can put a person off, you ask for baked beans and what's heard is, "I've got a gun." Little wonder the prisons are full, probably of shoppers. Bet it's more quiet in there now, no danger of riots, not with all that queuing going on.
In today's Observer newspaper are statistics that give lie to Blair's claim that we are all at risk from a growing wave of teenage crime. For instance, the number of 10 to 17-year-olds convicted or cautioned fell from 143,000 to 105,700 between 1992 and 2002, a drop of nearly 26%. The number of young offenders has actually decreased over the past three years, but three-quarters of people asked believe that the numbers have gone up. Only 11% of known offenders are under 18, although one third of people believe that this age group is responsible for the majority of crime.
There is a Class element to the whirlwind of hatred currently lashing the young. For instance Prince Harry's drunken assault on a journalist and the Nazi regalia he wears when out partying are examples of high jinks. On the other hand to wear a hooded top and live on a council estate is to be beyond the pale.
Fortunately the real truth is in survey after survey which show young people to be angry about the environment, about global warming, about poverty, about racism and sexism, about homophobia, about unfairness. Which explains why so many of them struck against the war in Iraq and why on every demonstration their numbers grow. After all, they only have a world to win.
1 comment:
Great writing Dan. I need to read stuff like this to keep in touch with merry England. Thanks for the insight.x
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