Just to cheer you up!

I feel like I should do something light hearted and sarcastic for my first proper blog, but the only reason I even started this was because Katie inspired me to write this.
So I'll try to do something more fun next time!
[why do I always start with apologies..?!]

Knife crime. Gun crime. Fun crime?
No.
What ever the media may lead you to believe, these are not the pastimes enjoyed by most teenagers.

The kind of sensationalist headlines we read everyday paint a picture of murder and violence as a common occurrence in 21st century Britain. As a nation we have a fixation with 'gang culture' and 'hoodies' that has the average 16 year old condemned to be concealing offensive weapons in every available orifice. Our media exaggerates these stories far out of proportion which simply has the effect of scaring the innocent and encouraging the guilty, by portraying these horrendous incidents as the norm. This is just not the case.

What's my actual problem then? Okay, the media portrays gun and knife crime as a horrific reality we will have to sit up and take notice of. That's fine. Something needs to change. What our nation doesn't need is the alarmist behaviour that gets us nowhere. I'm not denying the existence of violent crime in our society. It is a terrible truth that members of the public carry, and occasionally use, lethal weapons - an issue which needs to be addressed without a doubt. However, as a country we are not dealing with it well. As a result the youth of Britain, the future of our country, is being accused, judged and despised for something that such a small minority is to blame for.

Teenagers are the scum of society; the lowest of the low; the feared; the hated; the... Brussels sprouts on a Christmas dinner. But no matter what people's prejudices and preconceptions, Brussels sprouts are actually good for you - exactly like the young adults of today (sorry, I'm rambling...).

We are a good bunch really. Yeah, we exchange sex jokes loudly across the bus and like to eat cheese, ketchup and marmite sandwiches (or is that just Gemma...?) but we really are concerned for the good of society. We can and do make a difference, and will continue to do so as long as the adults around us give us the respect we deserve.

After a lot of ranting, I appear to have still missed the point of what I was saying. Give me one more go...
Stop and consider what these headlines actually tell us about society. Is it that our country is going to the dogs? Personally, I think it tells us something wonderful about our nation: these incidents are appalling to the people who read about them. In some places, although it would be horrific, it would be common place. This is not the case on our wonderful little island. So we should, I suppose, learn to be grateful that the alarmist headlines are exactly that - over the top and shocking, because this shows that so many wonderful people have morals so deeply ingrained that we continue to be horrified and more importantly unused to such events.

Don't worry, I'm done now!