Guns, Kids, and the Church!

Since the last edition of IMPACT terrible incidents of violent crime in London have continued, the majority relating to gun and knife crime by young people on young people. Living in the capital, for me this has felt very close to home at times. Only a few weeks ago there was a fatal knife attack just up the road form where I live.
I’ve been very interested to see what the responses have been to these events from local people, politicians, young people, and the Church. This week I was talking to a young mother who said that many mothers in her neighbourhood are scared to let their children play out with other children or even let their children walk round to a friend’s house because there had been a shooting in the area recently. This mother acknowledged that much of the fear that local people are experiencing is out of proportion and that people are generally living in fear of what could happen because of what they see and hear in the media.
Politicians were quick to respond when there were several tragic shootings in London. As the media made headline stories of the shooting epidemic the political machine sped into action. The Government reacted to all this by announcing a crackdown on gun crime by legislating for harsher punishments for those involved in violent gang culture. I’m not convinced this will act as a true deterrent, or that it is the best reaction to take, or even a solution.
Young peoples’ views on this differ according to whom you speak to, but it seems to me that very few people (whether that be parents, police, politicians, or the media) have actually taken the time to listen to what young people have to say. In particular I think we need to be getting some of these gangs into some kind of forum to ask them how to solve the problem – or perhaps that’s just pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking! What I am aware of is the negative reporting on young people and the few positive young role models. As I write, the news tells me that since Transport for London gave under 16’s free bus travel there has been an increase in crime on buses by that age group and one famous young American actress has been arrested for drug
possession – get my point?

Aidan Liriano
Jt CPF Co'Ordinator