Your thoughts on gun and knife crime
Use your fists, do u honestly think carryin a weapon gets u more power, guess what it dusnt it makes u look like a pussy
Guns are 4 ppl who cant fight or are scared of there own shadow. Really dont see how hiding behind 1 makes you hard.
No point init – drop all weapons – want a fite? … use fists not weapons – just think about wot damage it wud cause if yuh take a life or attempt.
drop the weapons, if u wana cause pain to the dude just ruff him up a bit no need for family to be affected by it
Black on Black Crime Aswell…What kind of example are you setting?! Your killing off your own race!!
wot is da point in usin gunz?? it dont tek a bad man 2 pull a trigger
use guns ul die aswell but if u use fist u live to fight a nover day
yah gota be a pussy if ya cnt f8 wit ya fist, and uv gota use a wepon. and its a fukin waste killin sum1 den u gota get locked up so realli ders no fukin point!
its not ur job to take sum 1s life away just think of all the kids lifes that have already been took by guns
guns dont make u hard it makes u sad and perthetic. life is a precious thing that nobody should take away from somone. gun crime has got way out of hand. Needs to stop now!
big bois use der fists! but even then ppl shuld forget beef man y kill ppl wots the point if u dont like sum1 dont fukin talk to dem init. enough said!
Cowards use guns.
it aint kool carrying a shank or gun – it just causes probelms blood n heartache
MA FRIEND TREVOR WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY SUM CREW COS DEY NEVER SAW HIS BRO- HE WAS ONLY 6 yrz oLD
ppl need 2 realise how a lil thing lyk a gun can cause such big heartache n ruin peoples lifes
How Many More People Have To Die..? Put An End To It..X
THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON TO CUT DOWN GUN CRIME IS TO STOP TALKIN ABOUT HEAT N BEEF IN MCS, AT END OV DAY IT GETS U NO WHERE ANYWAY SO WHY DO IT???
ONly skets use gunz..ya dnt need um ya fite wiv ya fists init!
Yes Yes We Need 2 Put A Full STOP!!To Diz Foolishness Cuz Inersent Ppl R Dyin 😡 YaGet Meh !!!!!
this gun stuff is daft
it dunt make you a badman
it dunt make u hard eva enyone
can pull a trigger
stop and think about friends and family
and wot they will go threw
Disarming Britain 
Its Not About Where Your From. Its Not About What Colour You Are. How Old You Or How Hard You Are.
If You Carry A Knife Your A Weakness To Me.
Having A Weapon Means Your Weak.
I Pity All People Who Carry A Knife Or Threaten People With A Knife. I Don’t Need To Fight With A Knife I Don’t Need To Fight With A Gun Or A Weapon Of Any Sort.
My Weapon = Fists
I Would Rather Fight Going Down Knowing I Didn’t Use A Weapon Than Them Going Down Because I Used One.
The Difference Between A Man And A Kid?
A Man Can Fight With His Head An Body
A Kid Can Fight With Only His Mouth An Weapon
What Are You ?
HI , channel 4 sent me a message on bebo asking me if i felt safe on the streets today well actually no i do not feel safe anywhere not even in my own home as today (5-6-08) somebody punctured an external gas pipe on the side of my house , the fire brigade had blocked off the whole road in fear of an explosion. We believe we know whom these people are because we have been harrased at our house for approx 3 years.
The gun and knife crime subject is a never ending discussion. I believe it is wrong and that the forces should crack down harder on the guns and knives being bought into the country. Young people believe that if they have a gun or knife that they are all big and mighty this is just ridiculous.
If you also do not feel safe on the streets or in your home voice your concerns and worries , if alot of people do this someone important might actually read it and take notice of how todays generation actually feel about all this , we are mostly the victims due to gang battles and race/religion/ or any other differences people might have whether its because they havent got the latest trainers or have ‘red’ hair.
If you feel the same way
You have a voice…….USE IT!!!
AL BOYS R GONNA FIGHT THATS LIFE THATS HOW WE KNOW WHOS WHO BUT THE GUN AND KNIFE THING THATS NOT OUR THING WE FIGHT IF WE HAVE TO WITH OUR HANDS LET THE OLDERS DO THAT CAN U DO 25 TO LIFE JAIL ? DO U WANT TO DO LIFE IN JAIL OVER A LOOK A PHONE A POST CODE YE I REP MY ENDS BUT I DO IT WITH MUSIC WHEN U GO TO JAIL U LOOSE IT ALL AND I MEAN ALL THE ONLY PERSON THATS GONNA B THERE 4 VISITS IS UR DAD UR MOTHER NO 1 ELSE WILL B THERE DONT GET IT TWISTED ITS ONLY UR FAMILY U KILL WHEN U KILL SOMEONE NO ONE CARES WHEN UR IN JAIL ROTTING AND ALL UR BOIS HAVE MOVED ON NOW AFTER U GO JAIL ALL WORKING WHY BECAUSE YOU OPENED THERE EYES TO WAT HAPPENS AND U NO WAT ALL UR FRIENDS-HOMIES-DOGS-CUZZYS-BREDGRINS-THEY ALL MADE STATEMENTS TO THE POLICE SAYING U DID IT U FEELING ME NOW U NO IM TALKING THE TRUTH…
Why do you have to ‘shoot’ another trailer on a council estate where I live to portray gun and knife crime ??? It does not just happen here (very rarely and I’ve lived here for 20 years) – but it happens EVERYWHERE…..
Please think about the people who live on council estates who get sick and tired of being stereotyped over and over and over again – it’s getting REALLY boring !
This topic does need to be discussed – and urgently – but please check in your media stereotyping at the door….
My concern is not that people are carrying weapons, but that CRIMINALS are carrying weapons.
We are walking into a society where criminals can, illegally, obtain all the guns they want, but the law abiding citizen cannot.
So it’s a choice: Give the law abiding ones amongst us the right to defend ourselves, or do more to take them out of the hands of the criminals.
Having a weapon means you can defend yourself. You cannot defend yourself with your fists against a criminal with a weapon.
All of these “Your words” responses are made by people who have no idea how many lives having self-defense weapons can save.
Britain has really got itself into a sad state of affairs when regular citizens unwittingly begin pushing for an Orwellian police state.
Look at some of the comments here. Rather than accepting some personal responsibility, we’ve got a pack of yobs rationalising that fist-fighting is a more masculine or honorable alternative. It’s no wonder the offspring of a nanny state refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. Look at the society they’ve grown up in. Rather than promoting fear of inanimate objects, they really ought to think twice about why they’re getting into fights–fist or otherwise–in the first place.
Wake up Britain its not just London although seems much worse there or is it just the media`s influence? Get the true figures of gun and knife crime over the last 3 or more years ,mark them on a map of Britain BE PREPARED FOR A SHOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whats the answer? maybe if everyone stopped carrying weapons , that would be a start ,there are NO excuses for walking around with a gun or knife ,that just makes you a potential murderer think about it! ZERO TOLERENCE NO EXCUSES
I have the right to protect my own well-being.
You think your hands will save you from more than one attacker?
Honestly, this site is depressing. And apparently you all have the right to vote? We’re done for.
If zero tolerance means random or unwarranted stop and searches, then it will evolve into a full blown violation of freedom. Until then, I agree, but the message this website is tying to convey looks ridiculous due to the illiterates who are dominating the comments page.
I would rather be at risk walking home at night than live in a Police State, I feel the line will be drawn sooner rather than later.
where is the love in this city ?
Your not cool pulling a trigger
Your not hot by pulling a knife out of ya boxers
Your not a heroe by taking someone life away a heroe saves someones life!
Your not clever by aiming you target
Your not in science by stabbing someone organ, this aint dicepting lessons in science!
Your not cute by saying your gonna kill him/her
Your just what england dont want !
Why aint no one doing anything?
Why isnt there anything to get people away from this crime ?
TheRealWords
x
Mummy…Johnny brought a gun to school
He told his friends that it was cool
And when he pulled the trigger back
It shot with a great crack
Mummy I was a good girl
I did what I was told
I went to school, I got straight A’s, I even got the gold
But mummy when I went to school that day, I never said goodbye
I’m sorry mummy I had to go, but mommy please don’t cry
When Johnny shot the gun
he hit me and another
And all because he got the gun from his older brother
Mummy please tell daddy that I love him very much
And please tell Chris, my boyfriend, that it wasn’t just a crush
And tell my little sister that she is the only one now
And tell my dear sweet grandmother that I’ll be waiting for her now
And tell my wonderful friends that they were always the best
Mummy I’m not the first I’m no better than the rest
Mummy tell my teachers I won’t show up for class
And never to forget this and please don’t let this pass
Mummy why’d it have to be me no one deserves this
Mummy warn the others, mummy I left without a kiss
And mummy tell the doctors I know they really did try
I think I even saw a doctor trying not to cry
Mummy I’m slowly dying with a bullet in my chest
But mummy please remember I’m in heaven with the rest
Mummy I ran as fast as I could when I heard that crack
Mummy listen to me if you would
I wanted to go to college
I wanted to try things that were new
I guess I’m not going with daddy
On that trip to the new zoo
I wanted to get married
I wanted to have a kid
I wanted to be an actress
Mummy I wanted to live
But mummy I must go now
The time is getting late
Mummy tell my Chris I’m sorry but I had to cancel the date
I love you mummy
I always have I know you know it’s true
Mummy all I wanted to say is “mummy I love you”
(i didnt write this !)
Som 1 needs 2 srt out UK,or tings gnna get worst!
Peace
I have been shooting for a while now, and i know that guns are not bad. The Government shouldn’t be banning guns, once a gun is banned it becomes easier to acquire on the black market as there is a bigger demand. What the government needs to do is get there head out there asses and take these scum off our streets.
Guns are always going to be used in the future but it’s up to us to choose how their going to be used. One person won’t make a difference but the whole of the uk speaking out loud will, Britian can change but it will take time, but with persistance and hard rules be layed down in the house and at skwl children will learn not to use these fire arms, the older lot should be setting a good example and their not. channel 4’s advert is ryt it has become childs play, any one can get hold of a gun these days and it makes me sick, i’m a teenager myself i lyk to show off in front of my mates but never would i use a fire arm or even touch one.
What i don’t understand is why peple feel the need to use them, a true man will use his head and body not his mouth and a weapon!
Let Today Be The Day We Make A Stand, For All The Familys That Have Lost A Loved One, For All The Mothers And Farthers That Are Still Coming to Turns With The Loss They Have Had To Enjoured!!
IT STOPS TODAY!!!!!!!
you dont choose who lives or dies,…gunz are weapons you choose to kill with..be wise and cme to your senses….dnt use weapons
im with micheal newman on this one… its not guns or knives that ae the problem.. is the wimpy scum that walk the earth carrying them thinking they’re hard, and they’re ganster.. guns and knives are as dangerous as cars… i can load them all, take the guns out the cases and lay them on the table in front of you, dangerous end towards you and i guarantee they won’t do anything.. until someone picks them up!
its people who kill people… if they all used coca cola bottles, we’d be saying glass / plastic is illegal! depends what they use.
banning them stops people like us going target shooting for recreational purposes… if you make another law, they’ll break that one too.. we need a police force like the USA…
Hi my name [hidden] i am a 19 yr old knife carryer and theas is my reson
the subject of weapons, gun and knife crime is a subject i am very fond of for a number of reason been a youth worker it is something I have 2 deal with every day and also my life experience people on this page are commenting on how they don’t feel safe on the streets now i don’t feel safe any wear and that why I carry a knife and that why i would carry and use a gun i have pulled a knife out several times and that knife saved me my life it’s not the youths fault its not families fault its the goverments fault and the goverment should do more to stop this happening they shud make the streets safe and yer you get a mixture of weapon carrier people who carry and use them because they think they’re bad and they want to hurt people and people like me who need them 2 protect their self from people like them i believe every 1 does everything for a reason killing carrying every think it maybe be right or wrong or the reason maybe not be good enuf but i don’t judge any of theas people that have murdered or died
a Asian guy broke in 2 my house and tried killing me so i stabbed him nothing major just a little stab i called the police told them what had happened and they didn’t do any think to protect me or prevent it from happening month and month later the same guy caught me agen and i had my knife agene and pulled it out on him if the police did their job i would not of been in fear of my life and would not of had to carry a knife around with me you wont to luck at the course for this crime luck at the police and goverment
dear Channel 4! You are making violence look COOL. It ain’t gonna work, you are probably gonna make it worse… Your posters on the tube and stuff are quite sickening actually.
I feel sorry for the life that these people are living, we are not in a war torn country, we live with freedom, but you are creating warzone for yourselves and it isn’t necessary, think if the world that you are making for yourselves and your future, you aren’t going to be young forever and when you are 40 you are going to be dodging the mess you made. That’s if you make it that far. Why are these kids over the age of 18 not working and making a future for themselves, we all have the chance of an education in this country take that chance and make something of it. Stop killing each other, it’s not right.
I don’t agree … in fact there are some pretty gruesome images which I am sure will shock many people and make it quite a real issue, as opposed to something which can appear a bit glamorous to some. Having just watched the programme “Kids, Knives and Broken Lives” what struck me most of all was how many young people don’t want the knive culture to continues and how many of them are intelligent, sensible individuals with an awful lot to offer their community and those in it. With reports about young people being constantly negative, I think a lot of people assume they’re ‘drop outs’, however this is clearly not the case in many situations.
Thank goodness for all the voluntary organisations which help so many young people pursue activities and show their skills which otherwise would remain unnoticed … all we need now is on-going funding for such essential projects!!
Well done Channel 4 for highlighting this issue.
all i can say is there is 1 thibg missing in all this……..our justice system stinks!!! what have they got to deter them from carring weapons??????? a slap on wrist not gonna stop em is it. GET TOUGH
I dont beleive it was a good idea to have a week full of programme on Britains violent culture.
I beleive the money spent on making these programmes could have gone to all the struggling youth and community workers who’s funding is being cut every year.
When i was growing up we had youth clubs where we could all go and hang out. I cant remember the last time i saw a youth club that was up and running.
In my eyes the solution is simple bring back the youth clubs give the youth something to look forward to on a weekly basis,
We dont really need a week of this sad and depressing television, we all whatch the news and most of us are living it. and thats real enough.
And MOTHERS… when your sons are coming home after terrorising the streets STOP turning a blind eye to because he giving you money and got you a new TV,
sTOP and think how many lives had to be destroyed for your new plasma.
YES ALL MUMS NEED TO CHECK THEMSELVES TO
WELL DONE CHANNEL 4 , FOR GLAMORISING THE DEATH OF SO MANY OF MY BLACK BROTHERS AND SISTERS
I wish we could all live in harmony together. I soooo would love this…
Le ghra,
Ta me iontach mi shasta, agus mar sin, caithfi tu, comirt le me hein agus duine eile…..
Disarming britain really upset me, moreso because some of them youths were highly intelligent, why doesnt the government make the olders mentor the youngers it will make them act more responsible and gain them qualifications in youth work and it will make the youngers have more positive role models, the only people that can turn this around now are the teenagers, and lets face it, they could do with a little responsibility to help them grow up.
and another thing, why doesnt the government take our boys out of afghanistan ? because they are shooting up the place too, if guns were extinct it would end this gun crime malarki
Thanks, all, for your comments.
Eyez – you mention how the money that went into the programmes should have been spent on youth work.
That’s all well and good, but ultimately, change only comes about from open debate and communication – which the Street Weapons Commission has been working towards creating. Bringing together all the experts and ground workers who’ve had real-life experience all the facets of this topic.
Publicity from such programmes – giving groups in financial plight a voice – can, in turn, help them find new sponsors. Money from a series such as this one might help in the short term. But when the cash dries up, what then? And what about those who just aren’t interested in youth groups? What if it’s nothing to do with having ‘nothing to do’?
For news organisations and broadcasters to say, ‘we can’t broadcast that, it’s too depressing,’ would have it’s flipside – it would appear that the truth was being covered up. And where does that get us? An underground culture of street weapons which is never tackled effectively. And so the killing goes on.
As for glamorising street violence, some of the wounds we saw tonight were hardly glamorous. Like one surgeon said, if the kids actually knew what they were doing with a knife there would be far more deaths than there are. But even a small cut to the arm can be fatal if its in the wrong – or rather right – place.
You’re right about the mothers though. We ALL need to take responsibility, as a community and a society.
As one of Halton McCollin’s friends said in Kids, Knives, and Broken Lives, “just because it doesn’t happen in your community doesn’t mean you should ignore it.”
And he’s someone who knows.
It was refreshing to hear last night, the way boys are educated has a significant impact on gang culture. I have worked with boys with learning difficulties who are pushed through the system with little support from the teacher. It has been difficult for me to hear 7 year olds saying they want to kill themselves because of their lack of self esteem. If they have no significant role models in their lives, it is tough. The social and emotional needs of children aren’t being met in schools. We all need to feel loved and have a sense of belonging. Being a part of a group of people the same as you allows this. More empathy is needed from teachers, I know they don’t learn this at teacher training college. Maybe how our teachers are trained needs to be addressed.
Thoughts on this subject.
– Channel 4 shows thought leadership on documentary making and has done for a while now. Please put up a website to allow one off donations towards documentary making as I for one would cough up to help make more programmes like this.
– Some of the older lads interviewed in the film were clearly in it to build their ‘rep’ through being on ‘the Tele’, and it made them look really pathetic.
– If you are ‘top dog’ in your gang or on your turf, ask yourself this: if you are this good at being a force for evil, imagine how productive you might be at something else? Re-focus your talents – doing good can be very rewarding you know.
– In the same way spending money on stopping smoking will ultimately reduce a bigger cost to the NHS, surely investing in community projects and anti-gang initiatives will ultimately reduce bigger costs to the criminal justice system and other costs to our communities (Daily Express/Daily Mail – how about a campaign for that rather than one to cut petrol tax???????).
– Most people posting can’t spell. I imagine some is deliberate street slang, but much must be down to kids failing in schools, or the schools failing them. Community projects, Department for Schools (or whatever the current brand name is) and Police working pulling in the same direction would be great – is there a model for this we can pinch from another country? Please keep out the over-paid consultants!
– Fear of consequences of carrying a weapon is not great enough. If it is such a bad thing, what is the punishment? I’m not a fan of locking kids up (the gangs are getting the kids so young now, it is tragic!!), so what is the answer? The punishment should combine with giving these kids what they lack, what about setting up ‘Youth Elite’, a bit like national service, but drawn up from scratch by experts (rather than by politicians thinking about the next election). Perhaps this would be done locally in communities (rather than on some boot camp somewhere), so the perpetrators of the crimes could be seen to be changing and growing and therefore setting an example to the younger ‘wannabee’ gangsters. We need strong community workers with the facilities, funding and training to turn lives around, with integrated support from Police and Schools so the kids have no-where else to turn (to get away from the changes they need to be able to make). What about recruiting ex Army types, or Bouncers (vetted for bullying/psychotic tendencies first)?
– Where is the love? I’m a Guardian reader before anyone starts…, but come-on, beating people, stabbing people or shooting people just for STRIPES??????? What the fkcu???? At my Youth Elite Centre, I would have everyone singing ‘Where is the Love’ by the Black Eyed Pees everyday!!!!! Humour, love and discipline for the young people please.
– To those really just strapping for self-defence……… I am so sorry that you are living in my country in fear. Keep your head down and know
My brother Julien Warrington was murdered in our home 3/9/07… We need an end to the murders. Prison is too soft or the reaffending rate would not be so high. Youths don’t feel a ‘fear’ of prision. It would not take away their human rights to not have playstation/snooker/tv & anything else as entertainment. Replace with classes on respect, the consequences of crime as I for one would go into the Young Offenders Institutions to speak about my experiences. They should be bombarded with reasons to turn their lives around, to give something back.
My brother cannot be given a 2nd chance, he stood no chance and the ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ was in his own home!!
The Government needs to plough money into the many projects that do work at a grass roots level and open/build more prisons & keep those that commit these heinous crimes out of society for LIFE…
Ok the problems we face are real. There has been an increase in violence throughout Britain. However the media sure do like to hype things. It wasn’t so long ago all our lives were inevitably going to be ended by an anthrax attacks. The Media are spreading fear, and this is fuelling the problem. You have to look back to see where the problems have started, and when you do you the stark reality is clear:
Through the 90’s we’ve seen an increase in violence in films/games etc. I’m not saying these make you go out and kill someone, but they certainly spread the seeds, giving people ideas of alternative ways to “make it” in life or gain the respect they “deserve”. The message from Hollywood has been you have to take respect, and it seems that what the youngsters are doing.
In music gangsters have been glorified. These people have been the role models for younger generations growing up through the hip hop craze. They too should be forced to take a bit more responsibility for there actions. Maybe they could invest some of there millions in to stopping the next generations going through the hardships that they did?
Throughout the late 90’s and the beginning of the new millennium there has been an economic boom. This too puts pressure on younger generations. How can you afford all the things you want when the prices are pushed so high? How can a mum be expected to keep giving her children money to go to the cinema, or to get something to eat? Everything was pushed further and further out of reach for the normal workers, or people not working at all. Now days it’s either your filthy rich or you just about scrape to get by. The high rollers life style is constantly rammed down our throats. Everybody desires what they see, and this in turn makes people envious, then angry.
The older generations have been so caught up in money making. It’s these generations that have taken the planet to the edge of destruction. Instead of taking responsibility for what they’ve done, they heap it on to the younger generations. No one does anything to improve the situation. Instead were told we have to pay for our rubbish, or to drive in to the City. It’s ok if you’re lucky enough to have the money to afford all these increases, but it’s unfair on those who can’t. Yes the youngsters have to know the problems of the planet, but what can they realistically do, when no one seems willing to give them the time of day.
In Britain we’ve taken the power of discipline away from the police, parents and schools. This has given power to power hungry children and teens. Police men have to talk to and take abuse from yobs and still have to think twice about there actions, or they’ll be thrown in front of a tribunal, probably losing there job, and made in to a hate figure by the media. Police need to be able to use a more hands on, rough approach, and we should be backing them. It’s all too easy these days easy to use the race card, or the human rights card to get out of trouble, putting the focus on someone else. Despite what people think, the younger generations aren’t stupid.
Teacher’s are in the same boat. All they can do to trouble makers is to suspend them, or talk to them. It’s too late to go back to caning in schools, but should we ever have gone away from it? Should we really have stopped parents hitting there children, if they’re out of line? The big fuss made about this just stopped the decent people disciplining there children. A child beater will beat there child no matter what the law says. So again what was the point of the big hype about this in the 90’s?
I think a lot of the younger generations feel angry. There’s too much pressure at a young age. Money and violence is to in your face. They’ve been brought up in a Britain where you either succeed in education, or you find ways to make a quick buck Kids are being raised on violence through the internet, TV etc and some are seeing this as the easiest route for them to make it in life. They hang on the streets as they can’t afford to do much else. There will always be rotten apples in society, but we now have a problem where these people have been made in to role models for kids around them.
We have a problem on our hands as a whole, and its about time we all pulled together to try to change things. I think the first step is to realise its been a problem brewing for a long time… and all parts of society have had a part to play.
last nights show was very weak it showed u nothing the people you filmed wore just showing off to the cameras there not even real because real bad people would never go on film try harder people are taking the p.ss out of the circus you call disarmins uk we all no the gun and knife thing is so bad stop talking and making sill documentrys and do somthing talk is cheap we hear it every day
As a relative of a police officer shot in cold blood whilst on duty protecting the public i am very aware of all the social and economic reasons offered as to why young peolpe turn to crime Previously i believe i was sympathetic to these causes, However, since finding out that the YOUNG MAN!! responsible for attempted murder is now serving (a very short) sentence in a single cell with playstations and a FREE university education, it makes me physically sick!! What or where is the incentive to be a hard working good citizen?? Why is my family member now living an existence?.. as due to his nearly fatal injuries he has no quality of life, whilst the rest of the family regulary work in excess of 12 hr, 6 days a week jobs in order to help the children go to college? The whole politically correct ethos that the country has now adopted is only building even more and bigger social problems for the future. Is it not about time that someone stood up and spoke the truth.. single parents are not the best way forward.. children need strong dependable role models of both sexes.. Crime is wrong.. there is no excuse no matter how bad a childhood or how poor you are! Prison should be a punishment and not a holiday camp that the youth of today compete to win a place in!
After watching tonight’s episode of ‘Disarming Britain,’ several things need summarising (as you’d hope a committee would do) and addressing:
In terms of the Manchester debate, young people are continuing to use the term Gunchester. This term is over 20 years old now, but has been passed through the last three generations of inner city areas. My personal feelings is that by using this expression, it almost compares to using the ‘n’ word as a slang expression. In brief, it has become acceptable to use Gunchester as a slang term, in similar respect to the ‘n’ word, which we’ve seen tens of thousands of pounds thrown at to try and rid society of it as another throw away meaning.
The term Gunchester brings no sense of respect to the city and (to an extent) still makes out the city centre to be a gun zone, which in comparison to 10 years ago is no longer the case. Inner city areas such as Hulme, Longsight and Broughton are now the problem, not the city centre. With the ‘Gunchester’ term still being tattled about on the street and young peoples MySpace pages, and to an extent in the press, it does nothing positive for the escalating situation regarding weapons on the street. On the contrary, it worsens things. By using a derogatory (and well dated) term to refer to the city, immediately begins and ends other young peoples connotations of Manchester as a city as a gang-ridden, gun infested ghetto.
A point I feel should be addressed. Whilst this is a very very very tiny part of the cure to gun and knife crime, no doubt the first in a series of blog posts on this topic from myself, I feel this is a lighter problem that could be addressed as the country’s single biggest youth problem is looked at in depth.
On a final note, Cherie Blair should be axed from this committee panel. As a Barrister I’m sure she is very good at her job, but as yet another spokesperson for a Anti-Social Behaviour report (funded presumably by the tax payer) that will gain national media coverage, I feel she is going to be of very little use to the report’s credibility amongst the real people in Manchester who know and understand the depth of the problem that we have going on at present.
M
It’s so heartbreaking to see. I’m a 20yr old student from Birmingham and I used to have the same attitude as so many people out there.
I used to watch all this on the tv and think ‘well if its not on my doorstep then why worry?’ The truth is, its on everyones doorstep, everyone has a dad, a son, a brother, a cousin, or an uncle and believe it or not if you don’t think they have it in them to be a thug or involved in a gang or whatever, then recognise that anyone can be a target.
I got to the point where I came desensitised from all this violence, I’d go to a darnce or a rave and it’d get lokt off cz of a shooting or a stabbing and this became the norm. Recalling the stories to ma mom she was so scared for me and I couldn’t understand why because this is the kind of culture people my age have become used to until one day I put myself in her shoes. I would hate to bring a child into this world and into this mess, how selfish to have them fear for their safety and get sick with worry that they may grow up to carry knives or guns or be harmed by one
This isn’t just a couple of angry youths on the street the government are talking about tackling- we’re talking about correcting generations of anger, oppression, revenge. The people out there who hide behind weapons need to realise that they don’t have respect because they carry a weapon people fear them because they wouldn’t think twice about using it.
Theres so many issues surrounding this problem and its about time everyone stopped communicating through violence.
I watched with interest the programme last night. Interested partly as someone who has stood up to gang culture in my own area (though thankfully it was not gun culture), partly as someone who worked for many years with young people who perpetrated crimes and were victims of them and interested mostly as a mother of teenage children living in Manchester. I was interested to hear the tough enforcement stance the police say they take regarding violent street crime, last Thursday my 15 year old son was the victim of a violent and unprovoked attack by 2 unknown young men, in a normally ‘safe’ residential area in broad daylight. Despite the police being called they did not attend that night and have yet still to attend.
If they had attended (apparently their reason for not responding swiftly was the rain!) they may well have located the attackers they would certainly have given reassurance to my son, made him feel more confident, protected and safeguarded.
This lack of action is not isolated about a year ago my other son (then aged 12) was attacked in a very similar incident, 2 unknown males, unprovoked assault, he was punched off his bike to the ground by 2 young men. The police did not respond swiftly at that time either and did not hide the fact that they had no intention of treating the matter with any seriousness. The police’s recent attitude when I have contacted them is to be officious, offhand and unsympathetic. They have questioned the seriousness of the assault as my child did not have injuries requiring medical treatment and said he was not a child?
I have raised my children well, the largest gang my son can be found in is when he plays for his school or local football team. So committed is he to this he voluntarily coaches 4 year olds for a local league unpaid each week. Other than listening to music I cannot sing along to, and the occasional wearing of a hooded jacket it could not really be argued that he is a gangster. The worst his teachers could say about him at his recent parents evening is that he is “distracted by girls”.
I am not sure what worries me as a mother more; that the only way my children will get a service from the police is if one of my children is beaten within an inch of their life or worse. Or that my children will feel so unprotected and unconfident in the police’s commitment to their statutory duty they will see no other option but to take action to protect themselves.
I just hope I am never in the position to be able to say to the authorities I told you so.
I forgot to say ;I also agreed with Lesley Pullman when she spoke of the inadequate support and services for victims and witnesses.
If by any miracle my son’s attackers were caught and then brought to justice. The best support he could hope for would be very limited and delivered by an unpaid volunteer. In sharp contrast to the highly paid, highly educated skilled proffessionals who would be there to support the perpertrator 24 hours a day. I would never argue for a reduction in the services available to perpertrators but do feel that there should be a level playing field.
If the matter got to court I would have to sit next to the family and friends of these thugs while hearing how difficult their lives had been, well my son’s has not been a walk in the park he just chooses not behave in such a way. Victims’ witnesses and the community need to feel safe going about their lawful business, needs to feel that the rules are there to protect them and that the authorities will uphold these rules and are committed to protecting the law abiding majority. We need to feel the law and law enforcers are on our side.
Teenagers are depicted as rebelious children who wear hoodies and carry wapons…quite frankly im fed up with it.
I’m 14 years old and everywhere i go i get stared down on by older members of the public, yes i wear hoodies but can this really label me as a thug? Hoodies are just a type of clothing and they shouldn’t be used to sterotype us.
Guns have been around for a long time, and im sure they will be for many more generations however we need to stop how they are being used! All the documentries are useless now, we know that guns/knifes and other weapons are bad and we know that they kill, but the thing is this is the only way some teenagers are able to feel safe when they walk the streets, if everyone who carries a knife begins to realise that they can walk down the road without weapons then surely the regular murders of the UK will begin to decrease, its now the governments turn to make them realise!
as a youth worker in the wolverhampton city centre i have come across many young people who are involved in criminal activity invovling both guns and knives
i have also worked with the victims of such crimes
i have had situations were a young person has disclosed ot me that they are carrying a knife, with no intention to use it, but for their own saftey, as they are seeing from the media that so mnay teenagers are carrying weapons
the media is scaring these teenagers into carrying weapons not preventing them which i believe is damaging
although i do believe these incidents should be highlighted, media are generalising all youths into one catorgory, ever heard of the self fullfiling prophecy????
iv found a good simply easy way to get posetive work done with young people, which i blieve could help change lives for the better
sit down with young people
ask them what scares them
what worries them
what they like
and what they dislike
and help them challange that for themselves
give the young people the support and the resorces to set up thier own youth centres
help them to educate informaly other young people
give them a camera to record what really happen in the streets, not to glamerise it, but to educate
but most importantly, dont just jump straight into trying to find the solution,talk to the young people
just give them the chance to be themselves, play a game of cards with them and have a chat, about nothing in particular
next day, do some art work, again no theme
keep building that relationship with them untill u can safely and comfortably bring up the subject of knife and gun crime
if youth centres were better funded by the government projects werent being cut maybe the many good youth workers in the United Kingdom would have a leg to stand on, and would be able to compleate that work that t you may seem so small, but to the young people so massive, as they feel someone is finally looking at them as an individual and that they realy care
jesus can no one see the real problem look at all the people on here saying use your fists insted of guns and knives. how thick are these people?. very by the looks of their speling and use of english language (perhaps the education system has some explaining to do to), people are killed in fist fights every day. in fact more people are killed by othe peoples fists every year than guns or knives.
and we don’t need youth centres or churches or mosques to deal with the problem. we need borstals and prisons and i mean victorian style horible prisons and borstals where they have the absolute minimum human rights if any. it’s abouttime society punished these kids for terrorising comunities and mugging people. instead of molly coddling them. no more pointless asbos or ankle tags or comunity service but long hard sentances of hard labour minimum amount of food needed to live on 1 one hour visit every fortnight no pone or tv or any entertaiment no fratanising with any people 12 hours hard labour every day 1 hour exercise then lights out sleeping on the hard floor with thin blankets. lets stop treating these gang thugs as victims and start treating them like the criminals they are then the problem will cease that is the only sensible option. the only victims in this are the families of the dead and the innocent people these thugs have stolen from or assaulted or killed. and untill we realise as a society that they are criminals and should be treated as such t we will allways have a problem with street crime.
treat criminals like criminals
There is a helluva lot of gangs out there. That is rather a lot of teenagers. There is also a lot of young victims. The one’s that do make it, get to University, avoid the drugs, the violence, the pathetic celebrities, maritial break ups, easy access to weapons, race discrimination …………LEAVE the country. Young lives are being WASTED. THIS COUNTRY IS FAILING THEM. THEY ARE OUR FUTURE AND THE REALITY IS THE JAILS CANNOT COPE COS THERE IS TO BLOODY MANY OF THEM. OPEN YOUR EYES.
Also, my son was attacked with a machete by a gang after leaving a gymn and needed 18 stitches in his leg, They did not get the person who did it. I feel angry but I think so many young people are so lost and don’t know how to communicate and express how they feel, this builds up and they become violent.
how can you say young people don’t know how to communicate and express how they feel turn on the radio or the tv it is full of young people expressing how they feel the the only ones who are stoped from communicating or expressing how they feel are the victims. there is no excuse for for young people turning to crime. crime has nothing to do with race commiting crime is a choice and people who commit crime must be locked up away from society. and the prison system could handle it once you take away all the prisoners luxuries as prisoners have more luxuries than working class law abiding people this must be stopped pison must be a punnishment and a hard punnishment at that. and if their are not enough prisons and borstals the answers simple build more which would create more jobs and therefore strengthen the econamy
This country really needs to sort out the goverment they are well to soft on our kids. they are all about human rights for the killer but what about the kids that died the goverment dont care until one of there own is killed then it will all change.I am 14 and i am ashamed of the country i am growing up in.
I was stabbed by a drug addict in 1991 for no reason and I was at work at the time of the attack. I do feel sorry for people who get stabbed and their families. However if your a gang banger and or you carry a knife and you get stabbed is it not a case of Live by the sword die by the sword. I feel more sorry for the real inoscent victims who don’t belong to a gang or carry a knife.
The cause of gun and knife crime? THE MEDIA. For the past 30+ years we have been fed violence and crime every day via imported films and programmes from the USA. These show that the only way to gain respect and power if you are poor is with a gun; and the only way to make big money if you are poor is by drug dealing. Throughout that period the reduction in controls, budgets and standards in the media have allowed this. I know I spent 30 working in the media. Now obscene language that would have shocked a docker 30 years ago is commonplace, even on TV.
Also the loony left education ideas promoted from the 1970s onwards have reduced self respect and the respect for others of the population. Two generations now have no discipline, self control or respect for anything or anyone.
The reason why so many young people carry knives and guns is because of poor people, people that live in council estates etc.
These young poor people are on the streets that are HUNGRY, looking to rob money, phones, bikes whatever they can get. When you get robed, its
usualy never one person, its mostly always groups of young people… so what is the best thing to have when a big group of
people are trying to rob you… a knife, to hopefuly scare them away and if it doesnt… well everyone knows about all the people
that have died so far. So you see its a cycle… poor people that want ur stuff and carry a knife so u hand ur posessions over and
completely normal kids carrying knives to try and scare these muggers off.
So… make sure that there is some way to keep these poor kids off the streets. You will get people that arent from bad backgrounds with knives, but they arent actualy going to use it, its just ment to scare u.
Also all these people saying oh yea fight with ur fists otherwise ur a pussy blabla… that is stupid, ive been robed by 6 people before, yea thats
6on1 fuck it, i dont care about being a pussy give me a knife that will defenetly scare them (this is just an example).
Poor people, council estates, ghettos all of that runs the cycle. So how do you stop the cycle? Quite easy to figure out what the real problem is if u think about it.
So as long as there are ghetto’s, council estates and poor people, I doubt this problem will get any better.
the cause of the violence is—–skunk weed strangeling
younge brains you down graded it now everyone dose a little weed but you reep what you sew
I’ve never personally been affected by knife crime as I live in a place that isn’t really rife with it, we get the odd occurence but its nothing like in cities etc. I watch the news sometimes n see people my age being stabbed and its an absolute atrocity. It’s not even worth thinking about what them people are going through.
Its what goes through the mind of the stabber/s that gets to me, what person can take a life!! It makes me so mad, and I don’t think the answer is God or whatever else, I think the answer lies with the Government, but they are too pig headed and arrogant to see what exactly is going on in this country!! While they are sitting in their lovely homes debating over trivial things like taxing rubbish bags young people are out there being abused and stabbed and shot and god knows what else! Why cant they see theres a problem?! and if they can see it then why the hell wont they do something about it. I mean to me its a bit worrying when theres headlines on the news ‘young boy has been stabbed’ and there isn’t one mention of the Government helping in the story and then there may be another story later on ‘Government put taxes on wheelie bins’!! I mean what???? Its just so frustrating to think that these people are running the country and setting up our futures…what future is it going to be!
Im 17 and I am certainly not looking forward to going out into the world, im going to University next year and with all these stabbings etc, it makes you scared to make that move into a big city. And for all the young people growing up into this world, what sort of country is this Goverment making for them!
Why cant they see that we NEED more police on the street,
We NEED random searches over suspicious looking young people,
We NEED stricter prisons, not holiday camps!
We NEED longer prison sentences, even for those just carrying weapons!
We NEED something done!!!!!
From what I can tell this country never used to be rife with violence and killings, in the past when politicians were stricter and tried to do more things for the good of the country rather than just the good of themselves. All this is coming from someone who has never had to face problems with knife crimes, and to see people my own age being brutally slaughtered is heartbreaking. I dread to think what people living amongst this feel like.
I really hope more than anything that something clicks in this governments brain, that everything that people are trying to do can get through to someone, all it takes is for someone to make a change, to make a difference and maybe they could save a life!
For the poor people that have been victims, for their families, and for the lives they could save by making a better future for everyone.
So whoever sees this or whoever it gets passed onto PLEASE!! do something. I think now its getting a bit beyond a joke and this should not be happening…its 2008, as a country with the goverment i think we have the power to do something about this, its just getting people to LISTEN!!!
We NEED more laws and invasions into our freedom and liberties like a hole in the head. Wake up. The government slowly disarmed us and then brainwashed us out of even defending ourselves and now we are much more violent becasue of it. THINK!
We need to realise that law abiding people are going to save us. Not more police, not more laws and not longer sentences. Empower the majority and not the violent minority.
If being defencless reduced violence the UK would be the safest place in the world. This liberal experiment has failed. WAKE THE HELL UP.
Alternantively lets just keep having more pointless feel good laws that have been a disaster for this country.
It is rediculous to think that by banning guns we will reduce gun crime, it does not take guns off the streets as the guns owned by law abiding citizens are kept safely away in gun cabinets. The guns on the “streets” are not legally owned. It is rediculous to think that a criminal who by definition is someone who breaks the law will follow new laws put in place. The sort of person who wants to blow someones head of is not going to stop and not obtain a gun becuase its illegal.
HELLO PEOPLE THE GOVERNMENT CAN LOCK YOU UP FOR 42 DAYS WITH NO CHARGE AND THEY ARE TAKING OUR ABILITY TO RESIST BY TAKING OUR GUNS, ALSO NOT THE FACT THAT THERE IS A CCTV CAMERA FOR EVERY 14 PEOPLE IN THE UK. ALSO OVER £50’000 WAS SPENT ON UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES BY ONE COUNTY THIS YEAR. THOSE ARE SPYING VEHICLES!!!! THEY CAN WATCH YOU, LOCK YOU UP WITH NO CHARGE!!
I totally agree with you Tom, I am hopeing that more people are starting to realise what you and I understand, but unfortunatly there are still some people continuing with the same old mantra. There are still people who will say we dont want to end up like America. Now Im not saying that I would like this country to end up like America, I would like Britain to be like Britain before 1920 when this country was one of the most peaceful countries in the world because the law abiding had guns and would use them to help the police keep the peace. But people will have a choice to make soon, because of all the crime and terrorism the government are trying to bring in ID cards and a database and giving the police more draconian powers and in my opinion they are turning this country into another North Korea. So the people will have to decide, Do they want this country to be more like America or more like North Korea?