Orble - Thoughts 'n' Things

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I have just read another newspaper article concerning a teenager knifed to death. As I was reading I had a sense of deja-vu. Why? Because the story was the same as most others; only the name of the victim and the location of the killing had changed.

The mother (there never seems to be a father), with tears in her eyes and speaking between sobs, insists her boy was an innocent victim who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time; the same words spoken by countless others before.

The teacher, with sombre expression, tells everyone how good the boy was and that he would have turned out to be a law-abiding and hard-working citizen, even though he was at times unruly.

The friends speak of how he was a fun-loving guy who wouldn''t hurt anyone.

But then - I find out this innocent, well-behaved, fun-loving guy who would have grown up to be a model citizen has his image on various social networking sites. The image shows a surly, scowling kid proudly displaying a lethal blade. It also emerges he was a member of a rival gang to that of his killers and also had a criminal record that included mugging, assault and threatening behaviour.

What sheer hypocrisy!

Am I to believe the mother didn't know about his criminal activities? Am I to believe he would have grown into adulthood as a caring, considerate and hard-working, law-abiding member of the community? Am I to believe he was a fun-loving youth who loved everyone and hated nobody?

Is it only me, or is it logical to assume that maybe, just maybe, he would still be alive today if:

a) His mother had taken more interest in what he was doing?
b) His teacher had taken action whenever the boy disrupted the class?
c) He had not decided to join a gang ?

There is a lot of talk about knife culture and a lot of blaming everyone and everything possible other than the people close to those with knives. All decisions in life, irrespective of age, are taken by the individual and therefore the individual must take responsibilty and blame. There are many successful adults in the world who started their lives in squalor and belonging to dysfunctional families. Through sheer hard work and study they have managed to overcome such disastrous beginnings without the resort of joining gangs and using knives and other weapons.

The only sympathy I have is reserved for the linnocent, law-abiding victims who have been mugged for their meagre pension; theones killed or maimed whilst going about their own law-abiding business and for the relatives of such victims. I have no sympathy, or respect, for those who choose to live unlawful lives or for the relatives who cry their crocodile tears in front of the press or the news camera.

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Posted By: Lawrie - Category: No Category

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What A Waste Of A Life

July 4th 2009 20:01

He was a good boy when I first met him. He was five years of age at the time, full of fun and a bit michievous; just a healthy, normal, happy five year old.

He was born into a loving family with two caring parents, a doting grandmother and three aunts and two uncles who all adored him.

As he went through life's stages of learning how to read, write and count, he continued in the same mode of happy contentment and joyous fun. He wasn't the brightest spark in any class but neither was he the dimmest bulb. Most of his grades were either As' or 'Bs'. He never broke the law and very rarely got into any trouble, other than the odd mischevious schoolboy prank.

This continued until about six months after leaving school and joining the 'real' world. He soon learned that honesty was not the best policy. How did he learn this? He was, like most honest citizens, punished for telling the truth.

One evening, he and a couple of his mates were returning from wherever they'd been. It was an evening when a boisterous bit of fun got out of hand. I'm not sure of the specific details so will say no more otherwise it would be conjecture. All I know is that a little bit of tomfoolery got out of hand. A house window was broken by a stray stone thrown by one of the group.

The group ran off; all except the boy, who knocked on the lady's door and offered to pay for the damage. The lady, evidently believing the boy was using this honest approach as a means of getting into her house, refused the offer and called the police.

When he appeared in the local juvenile court, his "mates" lied to the court and stated they were nowhere in the vicinity of the incident that evening. The boy, having told the truth, was sentenced to ninety days community service and ordered to pay for the window to be replaced and to pay the lady £250 for the distress caused. His "mates" escaped scot free.

During his community service he was subjected to the influence of a few unsavioury characters such as habitual drunkards and, unfortunately, a couple of drug abusers. They all scoffed at the idea of actually working for a living, insisting they were better off unemployed and letting the state i.e. the hardworking taxpayers, pick up the tab for their way of life.

After being subjected to this propaganda for the full ninety days (this was in the time when community service was administered in days and not hours) he eventually believed what he was hearing. To make matters worse, he also lost his job because he now had a "criminal record."

It took less than six months for him to become hooked on heroin. The last time I heard about him, he was living in "cardboard city" in the centre of London, badgering passers-by for "fifty pence for a cuppa". His family have tried to entice him back home, as have the social services, but to no avail.

This waste of a life could, and should have been avoided quite easily.

If his "mates" had been honest enough to admit their part in what took place that evening and the barrister had pleaded the fact it was nothing more than a boyish prank then perhaps he may not have had to do community service, with the result he would never have come into contact with the people who led him down the wrong path. If the authorities had used a little common sense, they could have placed him in a group devoid of hardened no-hopers who should have been sentenced to imprisonment in the first place.

This little tale has a knock-on effect. Other youngsters have heard of what happened to this boy and have come to the conclusion that it will be better to cheat and lie their way through life rather than be honest and true. No doubt they will pass their beliefs onto their children in due course, thereby strengthening the ever increasing numbers of people prepared to live a life of crime and dishonesty.

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Posted By: Lawrie - Category: No Category

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Recession - What Recession?

June 28th 2009 22:02

I am being told time and again by the media that there's a recession taking place. I will need to tighten my belt and do without any luxuries as the recession bites. I may be one of the so-called "lucky" people, but I honestly cannot see what the fuss is all about.

Sure, some businesses have gone to the wall; some people have lost their jobs; some banks have gone down skid row, but other than that, let's take a step back and look at this from another perspective.

The majority of the population are still in work; most businesses, large and small, are still operating; banks are still raking in cash and offering loans and I haven't heard of anyone dropping down dead due solely to this 'recession'.

If the populace is so stricken, how can they still afford to pay thousands of pounds for a box at Wimbledon? How come so many have travelled to South Africa to support the Lions? Why are the roads still blocked full of traffic? Why is it that businesses are still showing big profits?

One of the reasons given for the financial slump is the fact the banking fat cats were being given too much in bonuses and yet this practice is still going on, even with banks that have been more or less nationalised. Another reason is that people have been living off loans and yet this is another practice that has not seen a slow down. Money is still being squandered on luxury items, holidays are still being taken and most people are carrying on in life as normal.

If someone with a little bit of common sense (although common sense and authority is difficult to find these days), maybe people such as you or I will be told the truth instead of being filled with unnecessary fear by listening to the professional scaremongers being wheeled out in front of the microphones.

Thinking back to the twenties and thirties and the collapse of Wall Street and comparing those dark days to today, there's a world of difference. In the true recession, people were starving with no prospect of work and with the countries affected having no money to spend on the poor, sick and lame. There was no money available for handouts and there was definitely no way the government could hand over aid to countries such as China, which by the way is now a richer country than the UK.

The working class people are still buying the latest football shirts, at rip-off prices; still forking out money for petrol that's not needed, unless they live in an out of the way place that has no bus or train route.

When I see bread queues forming; hunger marches taking place and general strikes being called, then I may just change my mind. As long as people have the money to buy the latest fashion accessory or enough to pay thousands of pounds for football season tickets and any other extravagances, I will continue my life as I have done for the past six and a half decades.

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Posted By: Lawrie - Category: No Category

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Entertainment - A Caricature of Life?

June 21st 2009 16:06

I am sure even the most morose person to have ever lived would at some time wish to be entertained. Entertainment, in all its forms and guises, is the perfect antidote to grouchy pessimism. When the entertainment is enlightening, lifting the spirits and creating fun, even expert dullards can't help but enjoy the moment.

Who has never laughed at the hapless clown with his painted face, baggy trousers and oversized boots? How many hours of fun have been extolled by the antics of slap-stick comedians? During times of strife, how often has the relaxing atmosphere of a cinema driven away the stresses of life while watching the make-believe world of Hollywood

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