It was a shocking crime even by today's standards, where people have become almost numbed by the amount of violence that they watch on TV or read in the tabloids.
On March 25th 2010, a gang numbering up to 30 boys and girls descended on Victoria Underground Station, armed with knives and other deadly weapons and took the life of a 15 year old boy. Sofyen Belamouadden, an aspiring footballer, whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time died in a violent and brutal manner.
The fact that this heinous event took place in broad daylight and at the height of the commuter rush hour, in a location a few hundred yards away from Scotland Yard tells you the total disregard that these young men and women have for authority. The belief that they could actually get away with such an awful crime without being detected is quite incredulous.
As in most of these murders in London and other inner-cities across the country, the common denominator are that the victims and perpetrators are young and black and the situation is getting worse. Over the years many initiatives and much government expenditure has been ploughed in trying to turn the tide of violence plighting the black community. But yet black-on-black crime spreads like an incurable cancer.
As this crisis deepens, black leaders have put the responsibility on teachers, blamed it on racism, unemployment and even slavery. However few if any never approach the heart of the matter. A stable nurturing family can help a black child beat all those obstacles and come out a decent and responsible member of society.
It is time (30 years too late in my opinion) for black people people to look at their parenting skills. If black families and communities do not take as their responsibility to help keep black boys from getting astray, it makes it frankly impossible for the rest of the wider society, from law enforcement agencies to business to government to help.
Too many black "baby fathers" make children as trophies and do nothing to raise them or show them decent masculinity. There are black mothers who are also violent and hopeless and do little to stop their sons (and sometimes daughters) being drawn into the pervasive black sub-culture of drugs, rap and violent crime.
The government needs to get tougher on the failing black parents of criminal children and force them to attend classes. Black children are vastly over-represented in penal institutions and foster care. Black families must bite the bullet and start taking responsibility for their children and not blame society for the truly chaotic situation that they have themselves created. It is only when black parents, along with black community leaders, black politicians and the wider black community realise this, and only then will this tragic descent into complete self-destruction be halted. The culture of non-responsibility and self-denial among Afro-Caribbean people needs to stop or else black people will become pariahs in society; feared and hated by all.
Friday 2 April 2010
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