Leave those kids alone

Oct 17 2010 by Ian Robson, Sunday Sun

MAYBE, just maybe, the so-called yobs we love to hate are innocent, OK.

I am sick and tired of hearing how police and street wardens are cracking down on young people who, by and large, don’t need cracking down on.

A case in point are the folk who congregate at Old Eldon Square, Newcastle, at weekends.

As far as I can tell, most of them are just meeting their mates, sharing some time together and having a good time.

Yet, consistently, the authorities would have us believe they are the end of civilisation as we know it.

The kids – gasp – gather in groups which might be considered threatening.

And – shock, horror – they talk to each other in ways which might be intimidating.

Perhaps – shudder – they might drop a sweet wrapper.

Worst of all they might – just might, mind you – cause a nuisance at some point. What to do about such disgraceful behaviour?

Send in the street wardens, move them on, write to their parents, and denigrate them as yobs.

Like it or not we have an army of civil servants brought up in a culture of political correctness where any word or gesture can be interpreted as a threat when, often, nothing of the sort exists.

It’s time to leave the kids alone and, you might be surprised, they will keep out of trouble by themselves.

The only thing we achieve by squaring up to them all the time is to alienate them and create the very situation we are trying to avoid.

I accept that a small number of them are troublemakers but that’s no excuse to tar all with the same brush.

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Nothing to celebrate here

GEORGE Michael called the photographers around saying: “I want to start again.”

He declared it was a beautiful day and said he had an idea for a new song. He said it was inspirational and thanked everyone who supported him.

Can we just check what we’re “celebrating” here? The early release of a criminal who had been rightly banged up on drugs charges!

Not “inspirational” then, but the inevitable consequence of a justice system that lets convicts, whether stars or not, serve only half of their sentences before being unleashed on society again.

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A FEW weeks ago Paul Gascoigne was announced as the new manager of West Yorkshire football club Garforth Town.

It appears the deal did not come to fruition. Is anyone surprised?

Time for a fallen hero to step out of the limelight and the rest of us to stop expecting so much.