Why big bro ?

HI ! I'm Edward Teague 62, trained as a botanist, founded and ran, for 25 years, Software Systems Europe Ltd., designing software systems for manufacturing industry.
Norden resident for 19 years. Not a member of any political party. Hon. Treasurer of Norden Village Pigeon racing Club. Has been involved in local campaigns involving the rejection of a mobile radio mast near Shawfield School, and the Scoutmoor Wind Farm . For nearly 3 years in the 70’s taught evening classes at Buckley Hall Detention Centre.

I have very strong feelings about the reflexive response of society and authority to using legal, punitive measures to deal with children. Believes this stems from an undeclared war on our children.

Chemical contraception, abortion, selfish adult divorce ( do you ever hear of children divorcing their parents ?) have all taught people, alienation of the child from the womb to the classroom.

The war on adolescents, is increasingly waged by adults with legal and technological fixes, Dispersal Orders, ASBO’s, school exclusion, the medicalization of problems (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remember Dennis the Menace, Billy Whizz and the Bash Street Kids ? ) and their resultant treatment with chemicals…Ritalin, Risperidone, the use of SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors), including Prozac and Seroxat. The prurient demonisation of adolescent sexuality and sexual experimentation.

This of course always happens elsewhere – in the next town – in shopping malls says the Prime Minister – filling station says the deputy Prime Minister. You can identify the baddies by their hoodies ? Oh yeah ?

Now we have become more aware of a problem in Norden, that has been in our midst since I have lived here.

Reflexively we reach for the legal fix – Dispersal Orders – resulting in ASBO’s. To police this we demand CCTV cameras, talking lamp posts – we don’t want to catch them after the event – surely we should try harder to stop them before they start on that short, sharp, steep, slope to really criminal behaviour ?

Let’s just stop and have a good think about the problem before we proceed any further down the primrose path of even more state control. Some folks of course would prefer more street patrols of uniformed Police.

I was lucky I had a Big Brother. He looked after me, looked out for me, taught me the rules, showed me the kicks, pointed out the pricks. It was a big bad world out there. It is a big bad world out there.

That’s why we need a big bro

Agree ? Disagree ? get in touch 01706 861 552 or e-mail zizania@gmail.com