Ok, so be prepared for a rant at this moment in time.
Adults. This is directed at you, I hope you feel the full force of this rant as it is being metaphorically fired at you with my teenage gun of hate - a gun of hate that many adults take to be literal. Why is it that adults associate a group of 15 / 16 / 17 year old girls in the middle of Kent with the knife and gun crime that has been hyperbolised in the media through the last few decades?
Rest assured, I am not baffled as to an adult's reasoning for this. I have seen for myself the articles about young people in the media. Thieving, murdering for free breakfast, hate crime, bullying and racism are all unfortunately hot topics surrounding the teenage generation, but are we choosing to ignore the Raoul Moat incident? Are we choosing to ignore Anders Breivik - the 32 year old Norwegian right wing extremist who gunned down a holiday camp over summer? So how about the recent pathetic display of humanity across the UK as hundreds took to looting and murdering for a 'cause' that was probably unknown by most of them, I agree that many of those that took part in the casual looting of London were younger, many were teenagers and children. However, did we see many images of the bank managers or the teachers involved in this chaos? Only 21% of those charged over the riots were under 18. 79% of those charged were trusted adults - trusted adults were robbing the innocent, abusing the defenseless and mutilating countless homes and businesses, then going in to work the next day and teaching your children, or handling your finances.
And yet, why don't mothers grab onto their child's hand as soon as they see a 'gang' of teaching assistants? Why don't people actively cross the street to avoid passing a norwegian group of tourists in London (or maybe they do - i don't know how annoying the Norway people are :D)? All this happens all the time and the sad truth is that for the most part - I don't blame people for being wary of the teenage generation. With all the propaganda that is fed to the British public, it is hard not to believe that hoodies are hiding knives. It is hard not to feel threatened by a group of guys, possible 17 or 18 years old in tracksuits, being loud and scary-like - it's a stereotype - they've been around for ages. But here is where we get into the really frustrating details.
It is when adults are judgmental of the whole generation. It is when adults actively seek to tut and mutter about a behaviour that would mirror that of a middle-aged woman. It is when there is nothing that a 16 year old girl, in smart clothing on her own, can do to avoid being the object of an adult's disdain that we know the British public need to start thinking for themselves and resist the drip-feed of the Daily Mail.
I would say that, at least once a week, i witness or am the object of assumptions made by respectable adults who probably are unaware of their prejudice, but which are becoming increasingly frustrating. I am sorry for the long post people - just had to get it out there ;D - comment if you agree.
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