Fabric of Society

This past week I have watched with horror at the events that have unfolded in London and across the UK. It has been shocking and unsurprising at the same time.

I remember when I lived in London I was more afraid of the yobs than anything else. I had heard of people being attacked just for walking a certain way, looking a certain way. Hence, I kept my head down and walked very quickly through the streets at night. You never really felt very comfortable there.

So what has caused all this unrest? There has been much debate about the issues: boredom, no hope for the future etc. I'm a strong believer that it starts at home. I'm not a parent, so I speak from observation, but parents just don't parent anymore. It's all about being your kids mate. There is such a fine line between being friends and being a parent. It's simple, your kids won't like you for some of the hard decisions you make, but they will still love you, no matter what. We need to go back and instill right from wrong, values and morals in our kids and society.

Another issue is all these handouts. Why would someone get out of bed and work hard everyday when governments will pay them to be unemployed and stay at home? I'd also lay around on the couch watching TV!!! I do understand for some it's not that simple, but for many this is what they choose. I had a friend in Australia who wanted to surf all day and live off the dole. Why work?

It's also time to get tough. Nobody has to take responsibility for their actions anymore. You do the crime, you do the time. There are just too many loop holes. Here in SA, you break a road rule, you just pay a bribe. You drive drunk, you just pay a bribe. What happens when you drive drunk and end up killing someone?

Watching the looters destroy shops, burn buildings and people's homes, steal TV's, clothing and other tech products without guilt or remorse really made me angry. There are no consequences, we have become soft and all to enamoured by this human rights jargon. A person who breaks the law does not deserve any rights. I might get into trouble for this statement, but I stand by it.

These issues can be debated endlessly, but for all of us who aspire to be parents or who are already parents, we can bring about change, starting at home. It's time to break out the sewing kit and craft a new fabric, to encourage our children and neighbours to live with integrity, compassion, honour and pride.