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HeyGents...
My posts were confined to discipline within a correctional setting.......as for "da yute" of today...
I think it is a combination of many things.......including:
A trend of far too many parent's using the V and/or x box to raise te kids,
Popular media stresses the self over society. I realise that a key element in attracting kids to movies etc is showing a reversal of power (ie the kids are in control) but that has been coupled to the whole "self first" idea....A lot of my friends are teachers and they comment frequently on the negative impact the media has on kids...lots of kids are not mature enough to realize that the "be yourself " message (which is a very good message) hasbeen firmly linked to the "rebel, break the rules" message which the media holds as cool behaviour...
Note:I AM NOT trying to flame the younger members of the forum (or of our society for that matter.) As a leader and trainer I recognize that all wisdom and intuition is not held with in the craniums of old, aluminium pot water drinking cahps like myself....
I am simply pointing out what I see.....
I do think the media has a lot to answer for. Most of the Young Offenders and "Graduates" (YO's ho have moved on to the adult system) belong to a very specifc brand of street culture...the Gansta Hiphop image....
The music itself constantly underlines THUG is GOOD, COPS R BAD, as well a complete lack of respect for women, family and society in general..
YES, I know an argument can be made for all music: Well Badger...what about the devil-worshipping Heavy Metal you listened to in the 80's? Lokk man, I'm off that now...Haven't summoned Beelzebub since 92....and have you SEEN the price of newts eyes these days?
Worry more about those dudes listening to Zamphir and his ^%^# panpipes..or Britney Spears......
Seriously tho. the Gansta culture dictates a lack of respect for society, women, law and order. It is all about complete self-gratification and demands voiolence to retain ones 'face".
For the Samurai, Bushido also demanded force (if required) to retain ones honour and face...but no "street soldier" today would put up with (or be even able to contemplate following" the strictures of Bushido that required the Samurai to be a civilized man as well, master of the tea ceremony, poetry and painting......
Its like the media / thug culture has focused entirely on the "flash", LCF value of a culture set and ignored completely any deeper meaning........TO the street thug, its all about show...the clothes you wear, the "bling bling", building up self by adding to the outer shell but not truely building self respect from within,,,,
Our inmates all talk about love, peace and respect...its their favorite mantra's....in their letters and in their daily life.....
They, however, are very rarely capable of showing peace, love or respect to anyone.....
The imperatives chosen cultural mores force them to act without thought to preserve their image as "tough guys" because that is THE ONLY STATUS THEY HAVE...
The media as played the "fight the man" image to the hilt, so why should kids think to become part of society when it is cooler to become part of the "thug life"....The clothes the music, all the commercial trappings are geared towards that image..
Look at thewhole baggy pants-under-the ass-thing......We call em Booty Pants or Open for Business pants...Its a fad that started in the New York State prison system. Imates there were issued one size fits all pants, and it became a mark of the ex-con todress that way on the street...It gave street cred or credit to the wearer.. much like the respect given to our brethern who wear UN and other foriegn service medals......
Because the kids truly did not feel apart of their society, they measured their own self worth by how tough a thug they had become......(This was true for kids in LA and NewYork and the depressed areas of a lot of major US Cities)
But the media exported the lifestyle hear.....
But art imitates life, and police officers can tell anyone about kids being rolled or having the slippers put to them simply for wearing clothes that send the wrong street message....I know of many incidents where kids got a beating just because their ball caps were titled to the wrong side....other little-wannabe thugs were following teh "west-coast" dress fad and felt they had to be true to the thug life and take em out....
AAnd non ofthe kids involved on either side would have a snowball's hope in hell of surviving in east LA.......
Its that simply... The structures of this new culture don't allow for thought......
The one being "dissed: has to react violently to redress the supposed slight to his honour( a word that street thugs throw around but very very few have any concept of)
I feel for kids today, having to live their lives a schools where; unlike when i was at school, arguments dont lead to fist fights one on one....but swarmings, knifings or shootings.......
The "thugs" use weapons so easily because they wouldnt dare fight someone one on one.......they dont have the minearls....they can only act in groups and then they act with overwhelming volence...
Its funny, there is more violence at dance clubs every night, then in all of the old punk bars and shows that i ever went to. Sure the punks got "active" in the mosh pit...but i NEVER saw a stabbing or a swarming or anything like that...
Part of the problem, as others have pointed out; is the whole youth justice system. Its a crock and so is the Act. As a line officer, i regularly work alongside YO staff and I respond to alerts in the YO segment of our institution...
Most people would not believe how these kids are treated...
The idea underlying the YO act is good...give kids a chance, but in practice it is horribly flawed in the application..
The YO System treats ALL young offenders as little kids. It grades their performance according to their behaviour much like Club Ed does.....but there the similiarities stop....
Staff have so many limitations on their dealings with YO's it cripples their ability to do their jobs...andthe kids know it...
I have responded to alerts where kids have taken other kids hostage, set fire to their cells, been involved in swarmings etc.... and in all cases the Kids (some of whom are 19 doing YO time) who perpetrated the incidents STILL got their pizza and subs and skittles and pop.....cause it takes an act of God to remove the treats that the kids get (so they can develop like real kids)
The system suffers from a disconnect...the policy makers do not realize or care that the incarcerated youth are just as violent and the adults, perhaps moreso becausethe kids KNOW the legal system cant touch them......
Last friday, I was on nights, and there was a disturbance in the YO unit. 3 line officers were injured responding to the alert....including my partner....btu the little *%^$& who started the incident......He still got his visit and he still got his fridaynight pizza for good behaviour....
To change the yout of today we as a society first have to change our own outlook on this.....ditch the 60's influenced crap that masquerades as our legal system today, and ensure our parents takeactive roles in raising their kids. Then we must change the medias message,,,,,,,
My posts were confined to discipline within a correctional setting.......as for "da yute" of today...
I think it is a combination of many things.......including:
A trend of far too many parent's using the V and/or x box to raise te kids,
Popular media stresses the self over society. I realise that a key element in attracting kids to movies etc is showing a reversal of power (ie the kids are in control) but that has been coupled to the whole "self first" idea....A lot of my friends are teachers and they comment frequently on the negative impact the media has on kids...lots of kids are not mature enough to realize that the "be yourself " message (which is a very good message) hasbeen firmly linked to the "rebel, break the rules" message which the media holds as cool behaviour...
Note:I AM NOT trying to flame the younger members of the forum (or of our society for that matter.) As a leader and trainer I recognize that all wisdom and intuition is not held with in the craniums of old, aluminium pot water drinking cahps like myself....
I am simply pointing out what I see.....
I do think the media has a lot to answer for. Most of the Young Offenders and "Graduates" (YO's ho have moved on to the adult system) belong to a very specifc brand of street culture...the Gansta Hiphop image....
The music itself constantly underlines THUG is GOOD, COPS R BAD, as well a complete lack of respect for women, family and society in general..
YES, I know an argument can be made for all music: Well Badger...what about the devil-worshipping Heavy Metal you listened to in the 80's? Lokk man, I'm off that now...Haven't summoned Beelzebub since 92....and have you SEEN the price of newts eyes these days?
Worry more about those dudes listening to Zamphir and his ^%^# panpipes..or Britney Spears......
Seriously tho. the Gansta culture dictates a lack of respect for society, women, law and order. It is all about complete self-gratification and demands voiolence to retain ones 'face".
For the Samurai, Bushido also demanded force (if required) to retain ones honour and face...but no "street soldier" today would put up with (or be even able to contemplate following" the strictures of Bushido that required the Samurai to be a civilized man as well, master of the tea ceremony, poetry and painting......
Its like the media / thug culture has focused entirely on the "flash", LCF value of a culture set and ignored completely any deeper meaning........TO the street thug, its all about show...the clothes you wear, the "bling bling", building up self by adding to the outer shell but not truely building self respect from within,,,,
Our inmates all talk about love, peace and respect...its their favorite mantra's....in their letters and in their daily life.....
They, however, are very rarely capable of showing peace, love or respect to anyone.....
The imperatives chosen cultural mores force them to act without thought to preserve their image as "tough guys" because that is THE ONLY STATUS THEY HAVE...
The media as played the "fight the man" image to the hilt, so why should kids think to become part of society when it is cooler to become part of the "thug life"....The clothes the music, all the commercial trappings are geared towards that image..
Look at thewhole baggy pants-under-the ass-thing......We call em Booty Pants or Open for Business pants...Its a fad that started in the New York State prison system. Imates there were issued one size fits all pants, and it became a mark of the ex-con todress that way on the street...It gave street cred or credit to the wearer.. much like the respect given to our brethern who wear UN and other foriegn service medals......
Because the kids truly did not feel apart of their society, they measured their own self worth by how tough a thug they had become......(This was true for kids in LA and NewYork and the depressed areas of a lot of major US Cities)
But the media exported the lifestyle hear.....
But art imitates life, and police officers can tell anyone about kids being rolled or having the slippers put to them simply for wearing clothes that send the wrong street message....I know of many incidents where kids got a beating just because their ball caps were titled to the wrong side....other little-wannabe thugs were following teh "west-coast" dress fad and felt they had to be true to the thug life and take em out....
AAnd non ofthe kids involved on either side would have a snowball's hope in hell of surviving in east LA.......
Its that simply... The structures of this new culture don't allow for thought......
The one being "dissed: has to react violently to redress the supposed slight to his honour( a word that street thugs throw around but very very few have any concept of)
I feel for kids today, having to live their lives a schools where; unlike when i was at school, arguments dont lead to fist fights one on one....but swarmings, knifings or shootings.......
The "thugs" use weapons so easily because they wouldnt dare fight someone one on one.......they dont have the minearls....they can only act in groups and then they act with overwhelming volence...
Its funny, there is more violence at dance clubs every night, then in all of the old punk bars and shows that i ever went to. Sure the punks got "active" in the mosh pit...but i NEVER saw a stabbing or a swarming or anything like that...
Part of the problem, as others have pointed out; is the whole youth justice system. Its a crock and so is the Act. As a line officer, i regularly work alongside YO staff and I respond to alerts in the YO segment of our institution...
Most people would not believe how these kids are treated...
The idea underlying the YO act is good...give kids a chance, but in practice it is horribly flawed in the application..
The YO System treats ALL young offenders as little kids. It grades their performance according to their behaviour much like Club Ed does.....but there the similiarities stop....
Staff have so many limitations on their dealings with YO's it cripples their ability to do their jobs...andthe kids know it...
I have responded to alerts where kids have taken other kids hostage, set fire to their cells, been involved in swarmings etc.... and in all cases the Kids (some of whom are 19 doing YO time) who perpetrated the incidents STILL got their pizza and subs and skittles and pop.....cause it takes an act of God to remove the treats that the kids get (so they can develop like real kids)
The system suffers from a disconnect...the policy makers do not realize or care that the incarcerated youth are just as violent and the adults, perhaps moreso becausethe kids KNOW the legal system cant touch them......
Last friday, I was on nights, and there was a disturbance in the YO unit. 3 line officers were injured responding to the alert....including my partner....btu the little *%^$& who started the incident......He still got his visit and he still got his fridaynight pizza for good behaviour....
To change the yout of today we as a society first have to change our own outlook on this.....ditch the 60's influenced crap that masquerades as our legal system today, and ensure our parents takeactive roles in raising their kids. Then we must change the medias message,,,,,,,