Last week two London schoolboys died, in separate incidents, as a result of knife crime.
Last year (2016) there were a staggering 32,448 recorded knife crimes in the UK. In certain circles, carrying a knife has now become the norm. It is the preferred weapon of the under 18's.
Many years ago, such offenders were sent off to Borstal, Approved schools, Farm schools, and other 'naughty boy' institutions. Not exactly pukka prison, but the regimes were usually pretty tough.
Nowadays there are Secure children's homes, Secure training centres, and Young offenders institutions. From what I understand these places are no more than 'homes away from home', and they offer very little in the way of correction; I believe attendance is viewed as a 'badge of honour'.
No home is without a knife drawer, in fact a home could hardly operate without knives, so they are within reach of every young person; and a single knife would probably never be missed if 'borrowed'. Many children regularly take a knife with them to school. The situation has now become so serious that police refer to it as an 'epidemic'.
Children are being knifed for 'looking at someone in the wrong way', or 'for coming from the wrong side of the estate', or even 'for talking to the wrong girl'. Anything can be 'wrong', and no excuse is too feeble.
As with the threat of terrorism, knife crime is almost impossible to police. Many do-gooders were against Britain's 'Stop and Search' policy, claiming that it was racist (Theresa May herself was against S-n-S). Why searching someone should be racist I'm not sure, but I suppose they mean it's racist if the person being searched is of 'Afro-Caribbean' descent.
N.B. Having said all that, I must admit to being never without a knife in my pocket. However, mine is there for bucolic purposes; NOT for aggression.
The courts sentence to punish and hopefully rehabilitate, and to deter others from committing a similar offence. Clearly the punishment is not severe enough to deter others.
ReplyDeleteThe availability of knives is never going to change. I believe the greatest number of deaths in the home is caused by stairs. Imagine trying to ban stairs!
DeleteI see you are hoping for an avalanche of comments today, Cro. There is a very simple reason for so much knife crime amongst urban youth. It is because they are not allowed guns.
ReplyDeletePlenty of those about too.
DeleteNah - too expensive. It would cost me about £250 to buy a black market 9mm with 8 rounds, whereas a ceramic knife is free from my mother's drawer if she was still alive. Shame I killed her.
DeleteI would love to tell you my gun story from the mid 60's, but I can't commit to cyber space.
DeleteI was stabbed 4 or 5 times by a couple of muggers and had a punctured lung which put me in hospital for a couple of days. I did manage to give them both a solid kick and they ran off empty handed. I then walked to the office before realising that I had been stabbed. All before 07:15 in the morning. Luckily I was the first stabbing victim of the day so I was woodshed through casualty.
ReplyDeleteAll in all knives are great in the kitchen or garden but frightening on the street. I am still a little nervous if I walk through London after dark, and all this happened in 2004.
That must have been terrifying. I was mugged in London in about 1965, but no weapon was used; just fists.
DeleteIf I remember you nearly wrote an ode about the Opinelor Laguiole knives and in all your food pics always a knife. The problem is not the knife but the person who uses it.Knife crimes always existed , not really new and on farms children have knives at a very young age. Do your grandsons own a knife ?
ReplyDeleteThey all have Opinel knives for eating; we all do. They, however, don't carry them around as I do.
DeleteLack of discipline in the home with no fathers and gangs favourite weapon is the knife. Out of control and no boundaries. Games and violence and no Mrs Whitehouse anymore.
ReplyDeleteAll that and more. They have no fear of the law.
DeleteRachel, at times you are a most intriguing person. At others? At others I find you, or rather your (political) views leaving quite a bad after taste. You strike me as intelligent yet tend to repeat some truly cliched views which almost serve to incite controversy. "Lack of discipline in the home with NO FATHER" makes a young man carry a knife? Really? Question one - please do think about what you are implying here as to the mothers bringing up kids on their own. Useless are they - in the face of a father "not sharing the action"? You sure must be popular with your female friends.
DeleteSecond question: What if the father at home is a piece of shit who - by example - "maketh a man" of his son? Role model? Don't think so.
Question Number Three: Any solutions to offer?
There are many reasons people carry weapons. I'd put forward not least fear, a sense of paranoia. Fact is that most people carry "weapons" for self defense - not to go on a rampage (exceptions confirming the rule). By way of idiotic example: Say someone breaks into your house in absence of Peter wouldn't you stand there ready with the heaviest frying pan in your arsenal?
As to Cro's reply to you: No, Cro, youngsters do fear the law, most definitely - not least because the law cracks down on them (regardless of colour - it may even be white) with a cack hand. This country astounds and exasperates me with the bad press elders will give their own youngsters. It's shameful.
I'd venture that young man in particular (testosterone will out) need to be given some purpose, some pride, some value, some incentive and, of course, a good basting with common sense and the philosophy of ethics for good measure. And respect? Maybe? Just maybe? All of the above OUR responsibility to provide.
U
What Rachel outlined may not be comfortable reading to the Left wing, PC, brigade; but she is right. There are of course other factors, but 'anger' and a feeling of 'belonging' to a father replacement gang are high on the priorities of the modern delinquent. If you wish evidence of the lack of respect for the rule of law, just look at the photos from yesterday's left wing 'Day of Rage'. In most countries such people would be carted of to jail, but in the UK they are allowed to scream in the faces of the police with impunity. They don't care.
DeleteIt is like that here in The US also. Especially in California ! and now where I live in Arizona except it is guns.
DeleteI suppose that if I reminded you that most under age pregnant teenagers come from 'single parent families', you would argue against that too. Government stats must be accepted; otherwise what have we?
DeleteCro, Tom is wrong it is not the lack of availability of firearms it is the willingness of certain members of the public to use violence at the drop of a hat for the slightest reason. Look at Switzerland, almost every afternoon serves in their military part time and keeps a rifle at home during that time. Upon retirement many purchase their service weapon and it is converted to semi auto. Shooting as a hobby is huge there with private citizens actually using more ammunition on ranges than the British army. Yet gun crime is comparatively rare. Why? Because they are raising useful citizens with solid values not a feral underclass. While we continue to teach rights without responsibility nothing will change. As for gun crime in the UK extremely strict laws were brought in yet it has continually increased and despite the necessity of Operation Trident no one likes to acknowledge where the bulk of the gun crime problem originates.
ReplyDeleteSorry that should read everyone not afternoon. The joys of a small screen and aging eyes! Incidentally I also carry a penknife, quite large, but in over half a century if never felt inclined to stab someone with it. Maybe we're just not in tune with the Times.......
ReplyDeleteCro, having left a wordy, as is my wont, reply to Rachel (and you) here are a couple of little morsels that may amuse you outside knife "crime" yet involving knives.
ReplyDeleteOne of my sisters has an irrational fear of knives. Whilst she is herself is not so much hot tempered as easily irritated, she will refuse any argument with anyone whilst in the kitchen wielding knives. I have never asked her whom she doesn't trust: Herself or the other party?
I once got knifed. By myself. I had bought the most splendid butcher's knife, courtesy of Conran, Habitat. On first use, Father's-of-son birthday I brew up a storm of a meal - stepped out on to the terrace to announce imminent arrival of feat when all guest looked at me - AGHAST. I followed their gaze. Dear oh dear, Cro, I was bleeding like a pig down my wafty summer skirt and apron. The knife was so sharp I hadn't noticed I had slain three fingertips of my left hand when coming out on the patio with my new knife hidden behind my back before brandishing it at my guests. Teaches you to not play stupid pranks. Yes, so pig on point of slaughter was the word. I fled. I hid - for five minutes, some muslim nappy soaking in blood. Then I emerged - the only laughing, served lunch as if nothing had happened. Next morning I went to A& E to get stitched up. Do I have still have the scars many years on to prove it? Of course I do. The one on my left ring finger most beguiling.
Still, the moral of this rather long anecdote and a lesson I have taken away with me, Cro: Should I ever be stabbed by someone - to death or otherwise - please do make the knife sharp. Very sharp. It won't hurt you.
U
I lost my sense of humour.
DeleteOnce again one makes a simple point, and the left wing try to find excuses for the miscreants. The PC brigade have been doing that for the past few decades, and look where it's got us. Time to face FACTS, and start getting tough!
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