• The Standard's Beat Knife Crime charter

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The USA has 6 children a day shot dead, and 80 people a day shot dead in all. They do nothing about gun deaths so do not believe the right wing nonsense they spew out.

The UK has knife problems in city centres but adding up all the gun deaths and knife deaths and the UK still has less deaths per year than New York city alone.

The UK is one of the safest places on earth if you avoid city centre living.

- Dashingprince, UK, 03/01/2009 04:14
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To: Mother of Teenage Son

Thank you for saying America is moving forward while England moves backwards. It's true: regarding violent crime, parts of London have a higher crime rate than America's inner cities. It's really sad. However, we've always known that larger populations always mean a higher crime rate.

Many of us are concerned that if Obama becomes president, the U.S. will fall backwards in many ways. You fight your EU-ruled programs; Obama, a socialist leaning toward communism, will copy many of your failed social programs, especially regarding the favoring of immigrants over citizens, and health care. He will be more lenient on violent youth which will encourage them, similar to those in Britain, to commit more crimes.

There are lessons to be learned from Europe.

- Wylie, Davis, USA, 24/10/2008 10:08
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Before we talk for years about education and parenting issues, can I add a simple solution which consists of 4 words..... Send them to prison!
Full stop, end of.. Or is that not allowed any more?

- Phil, Kent, 19/10/2008 00:55
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I too resent personal attacks. I live in this universe, in this country and yes the majority of the knife attacks in London are committed by ethnic minorities, they are not just black teenagers. The knife attacks elsewhere in the country are being committed by white teenagers.

We live in a multi-cultural society and my grandfathers generation came here during the war to help and work hard.
We can come together and help these teenagers and stop this madness or we can stone 'the immigrants' and send them home.

As America moves forward we move backwards.

- Mother Of Teenage Son, london, 18/10/2008 11:49
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Mom of Teenage Son - you must be living in some kind of parallel universe if you really believe that knife attacks are being committed by teenagers of all cultures and races. I honestly don't know how you can even bring yourself to type something so untrue. It's because of the PC blinkeredness of people like you that the basis of this problem isn't getting addressed.

- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 17/10/2008 16:30
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I resent personal attacks on me like Dee, from East London has made.
This is supposed to be a debating board for the subject at hand. My personal beliefs on other matters, are exactly that, i.e. PERSONAL.

If Dee does know exactly where I live, I don't know how she found out, but she would also know, that there is a sport's facility directly opposite me, which I can see now as I write this comment.

I also resent the fact that she has implied that I have brought my family up wrong, and that I am unhealthy, which I most definitely am not.

If Dee's post is left on this site for everyone to see, then please include this as my answer to it. Failing that, please remove her post and do not show mine either.

- Peter Thurgood, London UK, 17/10/2008 15:26
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Simon from London is 100% right... now let's sit back and wait for all the wet loonie liberals to start shouting "Racist!" at us.

- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 17/10/2008 14:09
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To Beatriz from London, you miss-read what i wrote. I said parents, teachers and the government need to work together. These teenagers are the next generation, we need to help them together before any more lives are taken.

I am responsible for my son first and foremost and my son is doing positive things with his life.

I take my son on holidays, to the cinema, theatre, circus, theme parks, funfairs, seasides, bowling, martial arts and he goes to the one local youth centre that is open 1 day a week. When a teenager gets to 16 it's not so cool to hang out with your parents so he goes out with his friends now but there is less activities for young people today And a lot of money is being poured into the Olympics and the government are wondering why teenagers are on the street.

Kitty, you are right being bored and having nothing to do does not give a teenager an excuse to go and plung a knife into someone's chest but if you stopped and talked to some of these teenagers they are disconnected from society and angry, bored and without hope. They have little self-respect so they have no respect for other people. Some are being bullied so join gangs for protection. Some have absent fathers and absent mothers. Some have been kicked out of school and turn to crime to fill their days and line their pockets.

Fred, try turning on the news, these knife attacks are being committed by teenagers of all cultures and races. Most Immigrants come here and work hard.

- Mom Of Teenage Son, London, london, 17/10/2008 14:09
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Peter Thurgood. There are no sports facilities shown opposite your address in Lewisham on the current Google Map or Satellite image and is being a militant pro-smoking activist the kind of responsible parenting you are advocating? Hardly going to be sympathetic to sports or escape a mugging when you cannot jog a mile!

- Dee, East London, 17/10/2008 13:34
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I've said this before and I will say it again. This problem will not be resolved until we lose the shackles of political correctness. Generally, knife and gun crime isn't really endemic amongst today Britain's teenagers and youngsters. It's a problem within the black community, and until this is acknowledged by all the problem won't go away.

- Simon, London, UK, 17/10/2008 12:43
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It is a matter of priorities. Funding for all 'traditional' organisations from the local youth club, to the scout troop or to the amateur boxing club are being slashed to pay for the Olympics - precisely the same thing occurred before the Millennium to pay for the Dome.

Each UK Olympic medal at Beijing cost £12 million of public money, a total cost of £235 million, and only two countries, Russia and China, spend more on their Olympians(Times 16.10.08). While money is lavished on the elite the last sports facility on my council estate - the five aside football pitch - is now going to have luxury apartments constructed on it.

Our politicians of all parties and the media are busy waving Union Jacks to get us to forget the recession, sorting out their freebies at the London Olympics for their families and chums or working out how they can make money out of it. Whereas that well known lefty-PC figure Lord Baden-Powell correctly identified what was wrong a hundred years ago and started the Scouting movement.

Politician's crocodile tears reflect a political reality - dead children don't vote. Perhaps rather than nationalist hyperbole or subsidising TV sports channels, the £235 million would be better spent saving children's lives and providing the facilities that young people need to keep them out of gangs, away from drugs and crime.

Unlike the rest of us Boris can do something practical about it and put our money where his mouth is.

- Dee, East London, 17/10/2008 12:24
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These people aren't even on the level of a Jeremy Kyle guest. Even their families don't care about them and they are going to be a burden on this country and every decent tax payer for the rest of their sordid little lives. If only we could get rid of them en masse, then we could start again with a clean slate.

- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 16/10/2008 16:21
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A wise DMX once said "Never take a man's life because you hate yours".

- Mark Williams, London, 16/10/2008 15:57
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Fred you've put your finger on the button. To many PCs far to many do-gooders with guilty consciences. We need to show strong governance with tough laws. It's no good making excuses such as it's not their fault their mothers didn't breast feed them properly. Prison must mean punishment not privileges. A real tough regime that criminals don't want to go back to. The harden no change criminal just lock up and forget them or lethal injection. Best to eliminate the bad gene pool ASAP.

- Mike, London, 16/10/2008 14:37
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Kids are screamimg out for FAMILIES, with fathers, whose values have been decimated by this nanny goverment.
No boundaries equals no morals.
No morals equals anarchy.
Kids don't need youth/sports clubs or other help as they already exist. It has been the kids cry for generations the 'there's nothing to do' They have no aim in life as they are not stimulated, are untouchable (legally)and generally ignored by many parents and thus feral.
If you replace gangs with families, especially fathers, and get male teachers back into schools perhaps these poor kids may have some sort of future.
It requires a big chamge in culture, I doubt we've got the wherewithall to address it anymore. Shame.

- Schnizzle, London, 16/10/2008 14:20
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To Mom of Teenage Son, London, I too have been the mother of teenagers. Funny, mine never got bored or angry because their father and I made sure that they had interesting pastimes; picnics and walks in the park; playing cricket with dad, cooking with mum; reading; even a ride on double decker bus learning about places of interest, museums, etc. We did not have money for holidays because we were paying off a mortgage, so we did our best to make life fun and interestesting for our children. One is a lawyer now and the other is a mother of three beautiful children who have a home cooked meal every day. Stop expecting 'the government' to do your job. You gave birth to your child; he is your responsibility!

- Beatriz, London, 16/10/2008 14:18
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So Boris is completely out of touch with the teenagers of today is he?

What constitutes a teenager of today then?

They don't come from another planet, they don't have two heads and one eye in the middle of their foreheads. They are exactly the same as yesterday's teenagers.

Boris right in saying that they need more education, but so do their parents. It is no good saying these kids are bored. They are your kids, not the State's, you need to take responsibility for them.

My kids are never bored, and you know why, because I do things with them and for them, just the same as when I was a kid, I too was never bored, far from it, and this was once again, because I had parents who took an interest in me, and what I did.

I am fed up with hearing people, both kids and their parents, moaning on about more youth centres, after school clubs, training programmes and sports clubs being built for them.

Opposite where I live, there is a recreational ground, with a football pitch and basketball facilities. Special trainers come there once or twice a week to help the local kids, all completely free of charge, and you know how many kids attend? About half a dozen at the most. The rest of the local kids, spend most of their time, sitting about on a wall, and playing dare games with the traffic.

Education and love and affection for one's children, should begin in their homes.

- Peter Thurgood, London UK, 16/10/2008 14:14
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I sBoris becoming one of the bleeding hearts brigade?

I like most people feel sad and sorry when innocent people get stabbed.

But I couldn't care less for the ones that are involved in gangs and drugs taht carry knives.

IF YOU PLAY WITH FIRE, YOU GET BURNT

- P I Staker, london, 16/10/2008 14:11
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I agree with Mom of Teenage Son. My Father has been running a boxing club for nearly 40 years and in recent years seen local funds reduced to zero. Him and his colleagues not only train youngster, from all backgrounds, 4 days a week but have to work hard to find funding to keep the gym open.

It seems that for anyone who wants to help keep Teenagers "off the streets" are constantly faced with one obstacle after another. What incentive is there from the government to help teenagers??

- Victoria Ryan, London, 16/10/2008 13:29
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It's down to bad parenting most of the time, what can the mayor or government do about that, except for deterring those who cannot afford children not to have them by witholding the multitude of benefits they receive? Boredom is not an excuse, teen facilities have never been an answer and half the time, are abused or not even used by those that would rather be destructive than constructive. I'm sick of the excuse mongers who want to play the 'deprived' card. most of the perpetraters are not interested in organised things to do - there is a world of difference between being bored and loitering and plunging a knife into someone's chest. That kind of behaviour comes down to detachment from other human beings. How exactly does the school system let them down? It's there to make use of, people need motiovation from at home as well as within the classroom. bIf they're angry at being poor, perhaps they'd be better off lookng at why their parents cannot provide for them, and work harder at the school that provides FREE education for them to get a decent job.

- Kitty, London, 16/10/2008 13:28
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Fred, you insult the Third World.

- Claire, London, 16/10/2008 13:14
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Boris Johnson and the government as a whole are completely out of touch with the teenagers of today.

I am the mother of a bright teenage boy who along with his friends are crying out for more youth centres, after school clubs, training programmes and sports clubs to keep them busy and occupied and off the streets.

In America there are sports clubs and youth centres where teenagers can go and talk to mentors and rehabilitated young-offenders and they can learn skills and sports. They have something to look forward to.

A lot of young people within the Afro-Caribbean community here in London have nothing to look forward to. Some are BORED and angry, living in poverty with a school system that fails them and adults who don't understand them.

When I was a teenager there was so much to occupy my time and I had big dreams for my future. I attended after school clubs and youth centres, weekend performing art schools and I did work shadowing.

It's not about putting more police on the streets to stop and search these already angry teenagers because that makes them more angry and feel more alienated.

Parents, teachers and the government need to work together to give these young people something to do to occupy their free time after school, at weekends and during school/college holidays and give them something to look forward to.

- Mom Of Teenage Son, london, 16/10/2008 12:45
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Don't despair Boris - deter ! The horrific consequences of carrying a knife should be visited upon the culprit not upon the victim. So, bring back flogging, with the cat for the over 18s and with the birch for the under 18s. The history of corporal punishment on the Isle of Man is instructive here including the recorded rise in violent crime when corporal punishment was abolished there. The current methods of deterrence are notworking. Good luck Boris.

- Peter Haldane, London, 16/10/2008 11:31
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Well the politicians invited in the Third World invasion. Now they have the crust to say they are amazed at Third World standards.

- Fred, Horsham, 16/10/2008 11:30
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