Letters
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Dear Burngreave Messenger
I have just read your article entitled “Time
To Listen To Carwood Youth.”
An attempt to provide for the young people
of this estate is long overdue. However, the individuals chosen
to illustrate this cause me some concern. Most were involved
in a campaign of terror against a local elderly woman who
had to be moved by the council. Most of the windows in the
row I live in and the flats opposite occupied by elderly people
have been put through at least once. Many of us have received
threats, including death threats. We have witnessed knives
and guns being wielded in the street and serious abuse of
elderly residents. I am unable to have my own son stay with
me as he is in danger of attack.
Only two of those pictured have lived on the
estate for more than 18 months. Three of the others are members
of families moved by the council after being evicted from
elsewhere for anti-social behaviour. It is rumoured that the
council believed that if they were moved in amongst ‘nice’
people they would become ‘nice’ people. If this
is the case, as a victim of this imbecilic policy, I would
like to suggest that the next time the council wants to experiment
in this way they move those involved to Dore, there are lots
of ‘nice’ people there we are told. If the problems
inflicted on this area did exist in Dore, I would lay odds
they would have been addressed instantly, not left to fester
for years, as is the case here.
Those involved do not only include children.
One of those involved is a mother in her twenties. She appears
to want to develop her own ‘hood’ based on the
LA gangs. Children as young as five are encouraged to smash
windows, harass residents and trash the area. Anyone who intervenes
is treated to abuse, threats and broken windows. Another mother
has stood and watched while her children (and others) demolished
and torched a car.
What has been happening is not something over
which the council has had no control. There are virtually
no facilities for kids in this area, considerably less than
when I moved here seven years ago. Years of neglect and cuts
by the council have left us with a generation of children
who are bored stupid and ripe for exploitation by what Karl
Marx described as the lumpen proletariat, and we are witnessing
the worst kinds of lumpen behaviour.
I applaud John Robinson and Philip Hoppner’s
attempts to work with these individuals, like the majority
of residents I am not a member of the ‘hang ‘em
and flog ‘em’ brigade, but to portray them as
victims and the other residents as culpable not only ignores
the facts, it reinforces the impression, in these children’s
minds, that this is normal behaviour. Or, to put it another
way, they should learn to recognise when they are having their
plonkers pulled.
Name
and address witheld
To Whom It May Concern,
As local
residents who use the park on a daily basis, would like to
thank Lee, Panni, and everyone who helped organise the Multi-Cultural
Festival. We certainly had a great time, there was plenty
to see and do, and it was great to see everyone enjoying themselves
and getting on like we all should. Great day, brilliant organising.
Thanks.
Mr
R. Hanna
Mr T. Butler
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