Friday, 29 July 2011

The Selfishness Of Youth

A video showing a woman eating dog mess has been launched in protest…
Another campaign against dog fouling?

Oh, no. Something a little more squishy and unpleasant:
… against people putting dog fouling before young people's issues.
Wha..?
During the three minute film, youth worker Melissa Knight appears to eat dog mess in Mayow Park in front of horrified onlookers.

Miss Knight, of Ommaney Road, New Cross, said: “Dog poo takes up a lot of time at local assembly meetings.

“It is an important issue and is horrible but young people are more important than dog poo.”
Clearly, the ‘old people’ (we call them adults) don’t think so.

This is how a representative democracy works, you see; people complain to their councillors about the things they think are important, and those councillors discuss them.

So if ‘young people’s issues’ aren’t being discussed, then the people talking to their councillors don’t think your issues are as important. Sorry. Would some taxpayer’s money help?

Why, yes. I see it would.

Because if anyone other than local and central government is your main source of funds, I’ll eat my hat…

But clearly you think you should get money from the public too:
A group of nine teenagers from Sydenham and Forest Hill Youth Forum (SFHYF) helped to create the video ahead of the charity’s new fundraising campaign.

SFHYF is appealing for people to donate £2 a month where local organisations for young people can then bid for the cash.
I’m sure it’d be a wise investment.
Miss Knight, who has worked for the charity since 2008, said: “We really would like people who can afford it to give a couple of pounds a month and make a difference.

“For small organisations it means a secure replenishing pot of local funding which offers a security that their weekly workshops or groups won’t be subject to funding cuts.”
Hell, I’m sure £2 a month is a small price to pay to enable this charity to employ you to not submit returns and create YouTube videos to hector everyone, Melissa…
Chairman of Lewisham Council’s children and young people select committee, Councillor John Paschoud, said: “When I talk with young people and persuade them to participate in local assemblies I've heard the same complaint about what people's priorities seem to be, dog poo over creative activities.

“The Youth Forum's idea of many people subscribing small amounts to create a sizeable fund to support youth activities is a really good one, but it needs publicity and this sort of viral video may be just the thing.”
Yes, it’s certainly made me think twice about the value of ‘youth issues’.

Though not, I suspect, in the way you might have hoped…
at

14 comments:

  1. SBC29 July 2011 at 09:37

    "
    This is how a representative democracy works"

    Democracy....works?

    It does? News to me. It's simply the least worst of all the options.

    or to misquote a famous fictional policeman:[Vimes] had been rather interested in the idea that everyone had a vote until he found out that while he, Vimes, would have a vote, there was no way in the rules that anyone could prevent Yaz or Stabby McChav from having one as well. Vimes could see the flaw there straight away.

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  2. Captain Haddock29 July 2011 at 10:14

    Youths with "issues" have a recurring tendency to forget that "youth" is but a transient phase on the road to becoming a grown-up ..

    And that they will spend a great deal longer of their lives as grown-ups, than they ever did as youths ..

    That said, I'm far from convinced that all of them should be permitted to complete the journey ..

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  3. SBC29 July 2011 at 10:29

    "
    That said, I'm far from convinced that all of them should be permitted to complete the journey .."

    I thought that was why they invented the Armed Forces and Wars? Pruning back the deadwood so the rose can flourish and all that...

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  4. Captain Haddock29 July 2011 at 10:51

    @ SBC ..

    Fortunately, the ones with "issues" rarely get beyond the Careers Office stage ..

    The ones who get "pruned" are the ones we can least afford to lose ..

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  5. Bucko29 July 2011 at 11:17

    While I don't really give a damn about youth 'issues', the dog shit story has become way overblown.

    You can't open a copy of our local paper without reading a story or letter about the terrible blight of dog poo. It seems to be the only thing people get angry about now.

    It's like they've been brainwashed.....

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  6. sbc29 July 2011 at 11:42

    "Careers Office stage"

    I was, mainly, quoting Great Granddad-a Norfuck mill boy who survived the Somme etc. In the years after, like an awful lot of WW1 Vets he questioned his own, and that of his comrades, intelligence for believing the lies and propaganda about 'fighting for King and Country' and for lying about his age to sign up etc and he came to the conclusion that if they were 'lions' then 'damn foolish, all brawn and no brains' lions and in the scheme of things no real loss to mankind.

    These days of course we're far more civilised and don't conscript children with promises of shiny buttons and glory (although perhaps with promises of a decent Apprenticeship and the chance to kill some wogs).

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  7. sbc29 July 2011 at 11:55

    "It seems to be the only thing people get angry about now."

    TOO FUCKING RIGHT!!

    Try having a crippled kid in a wheelchair and then you'll get ANGRY about the WANKERS who let their dogs crap on the pavement.

    If I ever catch the SCUMBAG who regularly lets his dog shit all over the pavement in our road then 1. he or she will be wearing a nourishing, if somewhat smelly, hairdo and 2. his dog will get kicked to death (it'd be worth the prison time).

    [/rant]

    - Victor 'SBC' Meldrew

    Ok seriously though, I found out that our local council are obligated by law to come up and remove any dog crap.

    So everytime now that there is some on our street I email the council.

    Which I hope annoys the fuck out of them and costs them a fortune to send out a team of trained and licensed Dog Pooh Removal Technicians.

    If they finally man up and fine the people doing it the maximum 1000 pounds then maybe it'd stop but they won't for political reasons of course.

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  8. Bucko29 July 2011 at 12:17

    SBC - There is a very, very long list of issues that I would get angry about before dog poo got in on the act.
    Very long....

    ReplyDelete
  9. SBC29 July 2011 at 12:29

    Bucko, won't you think of the chiiiildreeeEEEn?


    :P

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  10. Bucko29 July 2011 at 13:41

    SBC - Nah ;-)

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  11. blueknight29 July 2011 at 21:55

    A video showing a woman eating dog mess has been launched....

    ...monitors online activity and sends a list of viewed x-rated websites to users' therapists.

    I am confused?

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  12. Rob29 July 2011 at 22:59

    It's soooooo unfair...(tosses hair)

    ReplyDelete
  13. SBC30 July 2011 at 01:29

    blue knight, Rule 34....good old Rule 34.

    In an uncertain world it's nice to have some constants.

    ReplyDelete
  14. JuliaM30 July 2011 at 05:16

    "News to me. It's simply the least worst of all the options."

    Good point!

    "While I don't really give a damn about youth 'issues', the dog shit story has become way overblown.

    You can't open a copy of our local paper without reading a story or letter about the terrible blight of dog poo."

    What would APILN do without a constant stream of dog poo stories, though? ;)

    "If I ever catch the SCUMBAG who regularly lets his dog shit all over the pavement in our road..."

    They should have their nose rubbed in it.

    "I am confused?"

    Heh!

    ReplyDelete