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Lampman · 25-08-2007, 06:40

Raising the legal drinking age would not have saved the little lads life.Alcohol abuse is a factor in the usual town centre mayhem seen up and down the country,but so is drug taking.What do we do about that, raise the age limit?
Whilst in Victor Meldrew mode I can only repeat the social engineering that we have seen over the last 20 or so years has failed.
Youth club workers seek to engage youngsters in useful pastimes,exchanging views on life,perhaps steering them in the the right direction.
The reality is somewhat different ;youngsters(as it ever was)prefer a background noise of 100 +Db.They use the clubs as a meeting place and views may not be the only things exchanged.
Then at the end of the session they are released onto the streets and as I have said before they don't all go home to Mum and Dad and a cup of cocoa.
I am not clever enough to have the answers.I can only relate to my own past experiences,I was lucky in the aspect that my parents cared about my behaviour if they hadn't I still got disciplined at school.Then later as I entered employment any youthful cockiness was soon overcome by the reactions of older workmates(many ex service men amongst them.)
Today we seem to have lost our collective way kids rule the roost.
Earlier postings about the breakdown of parental control are correct but this is not the only reason.We are a molly coddled nation,which promotes the idea that you don't have to strive to achieve success,'just collect your dole mate do a bit on the side'.
Not all youngsters are bad,there are many more living worthwhile lives who are a credit to their parents,they will enrich the country.
Unfortunately it is not these who are the worry,it's the Bmx riding hoody,who may or may not be tooled up and heading your way.

25-08-2007, 06:40	#79
Lampman Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 567 Liked: 3 times Rep Power: 556	Re: Boy, 11, is shot dead in car park Raising the legal drinking age would not have saved the little lads life.Alcohol abuse is a factor in the usual town centre mayhem seen up and down the country,but so is drug taking.What do we do about that, raise the age limit? Whilst in Victor Meldrew mode I can only repeat the social engineering that we have seen over the last 20 or so years has failed. Youth club workers seek to engage youngsters in useful pastimes,exchanging views on life,perhaps steering them in the the right direction. The reality is somewhat different ;youngsters(as it ever was)prefer a background noise of 100 +Db.They use the clubs as a meeting place and views may not be the only things exchanged. Then at the end of the session they are released onto the streets and as I have said before they don't all go home to Mum and Dad and a cup of cocoa. I am not clever enough to have the answers.I can only relate to my own past experiences,I was lucky in the aspect that my parents cared about my behaviour if they hadn't I still got disciplined at school.Then later as I entered employment any youthful cockiness was soon overcome by the reactions of older workmates(many ex service men amongst them.) Today we seem to have lost our collective way kids rule the roost. Earlier postings about the breakdown of parental control are correct but this is not the only reason.We are a molly coddled nation,which promotes the idea that you don't have to strive to achieve success,'just collect your dole mate do a bit on the side'. Not all youngsters are bad,there are many more living worthwhile lives who are a credit to their parents,they will enrich the country. Unfortunately it is not these who are the worry,it's the Bmx riding hoody,who may or may not be tooled up and heading your way.