A Clockwork Orange

Rick referenced the work today in regards to what is happening around Metro. Seemingly random and senseless violence perpetrated by youths for a sole motive described by the Chronicle-Herald as "abject cruelty". Are these teens just doing it for kicks? Is it that simple? If so, they need to be locked up for a long time as no amount of rehabilitation will be able to help them.

It was great to have the one and only Steve Murphy into the studio today to chat with Rick. I thought they were going to chat about CTV, but they delved right into these crazy teen crime issues. The Mayor joined them for a bit and he seems frustrated by the whole thing, especially the lack of support from the Feds, who have promised more cops and who have yet to deliver. Steve brought up the issue of not using the term "Young Offender" (which I think insinuates guilt to a person not yet convicted), and says we have to get used to calling them what they are: children. He says the lexicon needs to be re-vamped in order to go back to strengthening the dynamic between a "parent" and a "child" and not refer to them as "young offenders" and the "courts". It is impersonal and I agree, kind of takes away from the reality of the situation and stereotypes, some of them at least, unnecessarily. At least, I think that was what he was saying! He says he reads the blog, so he can correct me if I'm wrong.

This whole curfew thing is out of control too. As I heard this morning and on CTV news last night, even if you break your curfew, you can't be hauled into custody. The police can bring you back home, but it's not like one of these teens will be hauled back into jail. It's a reason why I'm wary about this ankle-monitoring bracelet thing too. Even if police catch them, with or without the bracelet, they have to bring them home. What's the difference? Bottom line: the Youth Criminal Justice Act needs to be changed, and it needs to be changed NOW. As Steve pointed out, if you have just stabbed someone, you're not really going to have an issue with violating a curfew no one has the resources to enforce.

Did you catch the short interview on CTV with the uncle of one of the teenaged girls who is accused of beating the lady in the Commons? He said she's a good girl and she wouldn't do that kind of thing. I love it when Rick states the obvious on his show. He said "Good girls don't beat senior citizens with metal table legs". It was compelling listening to caller Barb talk about her daughter who got caught up with the wrong crowd and who is now in her 20s -- in jail. She says she asks herself often in tears, "What the hell did I do?" Parents need help, police need help - is it government's responsibility to fix everything or our own job to work on our own sense of personal responsiblity?

Someone mentioned having the Guardian Angels on the streets of Halifax. Here is the website to find out more:

http://www.guardianangels.org/

I'm going to be doing a little reading about it this afternoon.

Speaking of personal responsibility on a much different scale, I had an experience the other day walking home from getting groceries. My boyfriend and I were walking down the street (carrying our re-usable grocery bags) when we saw this person biff a coffee cup out of his car while sitting parked in front of a coffee shop. The garbage can was less than 3 feet away from his car, but it was one where you had to actually push the cup through the lid into the garbage. We started staring at him and he realized people had seen him do this. He looked at us and very reluctantly and slowly got out of his car, picked up the cup and put it in the garbage. It must have taken all of 12 seconds. I thought it was a small victory in the fight to convince people to take responsibility for their actions, no matter how small.

It's a gorgeous day, but all this crime and violence has me really feeling uneasy. I'm finding it really hard to want to be outside at all. A few of my friends are feeling the same way. It's no way to live, so what are we going to do about it?

Talk to you tomorrow,

Amber