Horrific shooting.

[Foggy]

What has this country come to when small children cant play without the fear of being shot. Its easy to think there is nothing we can do to stop this sort of behaviour.

But in my opinion we as anglers can all do something by encouraging young people into our sport, its not hard to do, the sport is addictive. Even catching small roach in a farm pond can be enough to set youngsters on a path for life where hanging round street corners is just not in their vocabulary.

It doesnt need to be hard work, we all have perfectly good tackle we never use, give it to a youngster, give them tips, give them consideration. Ok they may be noisey, ask lots of questions etc but we were young once.

Just a word of warning, before getting to involved with a youngster ask their parents if they approve. In this sick world we live in your motives can be mistaken.

My heart goes out to the boys family, one crazey second has ruined their lives and cut short a lovely childs.

[fishypaul]

Originally Posted by Foggy

What has this country come to when small children cant play without the fear of being shot. Its easy to think there is nothing we can do to stop this sort of behaviour.

But in my opinion we as anglers can all do something by encouraging young people into our sport, its not hard to do, the sport is addictive. Even catching small roach in a farm pond can be enough to set youngsters on a path for life where hanging round street corners is just not in their vocabulary.

It doesnt need to be hard work, we all have perfectly good tackle we never use, give it to a youngster, give them tips, give them consideration. Ok they may be noisey, ask lots of questions etc but we were young once.

Just a word of warning, before getting to involved with a youngster ask their parents if they approve. In this sick world we live in your motives can be mistaken.

My heart goes out to the boys family, one crazey second has ruined their lives and cut short a lovely childs.

absolutely spot on foggy,my mum and dad might have got fed up with me going fishing when i was a teenager but they admitted to me years later that they were so happy that they knew where i was and what i was doing ,
personally some of the thugs i see these days would be more suited behind bars then on the river bank

[bassbandit]

yep totaly agree with you both

[littleboybream]

well im 14 and hooked on fishing(pardon the pun lol). most people on the bank when i started were so helful and wiling to give up some of their time they ppaid for to help me when i wasnt catching. its great now as ive got atleast 4 other people my age into it.

[Rob M]

Originally Posted by Foggy

But in my opinion we as anglers can all do something by encouraging young people into our sport, its not hard to do, the sport is addictive. Even catching small roach in a farm pond can be enough to set youngsters on a path for life where hanging round street corners is just not in their vocabulary.

As noble as I think your post is, I doubt getting youngsters into fishing is the answer. There are far-reaching sociological problems involved in tackling gun crime. Deprivation, drug/alcohol abuse, media, social division, lack of opportunities, peer pressure, music culture and parental responsibility all play a part.

Fact is, society has been on the slide since the mid 80's. Thatcher's division of the have and have-nots extends to today. Bless her for dividing social classes by selling social housing. I smile when Blair-bashers blame the current government for all the social ills of of Britain. The ills were there 15+ years ago. Anyone remember the poll-tax riots? If the opposers of Labour feel so strongly, maybe they are willing to donate the profits made on their properties in the last 10 years to charity?

The ban on replica guns are a major step forward. I hope no other poor kids are victims. However, it seems that guns are not the only threat today but also dangerous dogs.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Rob M

As noble as I think your post is, I doubt getting youngsters into fishing is the answer. There are far-reaching sociological problems involved in tackling gun crime. Deprivation, drug/alcohol abuse, media, social division, lack of opportunities, peer pressure, music culture and parental responsibility all play a part.

Fact is, society has been on the slide since the mid 80's. Thatcher's division of the have and have-nots extends to today. Bless her for dividing social classes by selling social housing. I smile when Blair-bashers blame the current government for all the social ills of of Britain. The ills were there 15+ years ago. Anyone remember the poll-tax riots? If the opposers of Labour feel so strongly, maybe they are willing to donate the profits made on their properties in the last 10 years to charity?

The ban on replica guns are a major step forward. I hope no other poor kids are victims. However, it seems that guns are not the only threat today but also dangerous dogs.

Well I have to admit to being dumbfounded by your reply. I did not suggest that helping young people into angling was THE ANSWER, but as anglers we can do our bit to help, however small. What does NOT help is the old party political wrangling, Thatcher bashing, Blaire bashing. You blame Thatcher for dividing social classes? When were social classes ever united? Its about time you faced facts and realise that Labour have had enough time to write the wrongs you imagine Thatcher made. ANd yet our education system is the pits,
our health service is riddled with disease, and social division is greater than ever, thats what your labour government has done. I remember back in the times of red robbo and scarghill when you couldnt rely on buses, trains, coal supplies, the burial of our dead,the emptying of our dustbins etc. We dont get that now because Mrs Thatcher had more balls than all the labour party put together and tackled them head on. That is why Britian is the 4th largest ecomomy in the world. If that hasnt filtered down to our young people the only people to blame is the labour government, theyve been in charge a long long time.Perhaps they chose to spend the money on bribes for arab airline buyers or fighting a totaly illegal war, but they certainly havent improved education one iota.
You can belittle the private citizens efforts to make at least some difference, but if enough people were to help youngsters into either angling or sport or any passtime, it WOULD make a difference. That in my opinion is what is lacking today, peoples social conscience, rather than get out and do something they lie back and watch telly and blame the government (or previous government). Furthermore those couch potatoes who bleet that its hopeless to even try are probably parents of kids who are at that very moment kicking peoples cars in the local car park.

[Rob M]

Blimey, I had drank a lot yesterday evening! Politics is a volatile issue and of course completely subjective. I have my views and you have yours, let's leave it at that.