Sorry Daryl but it’s not your generation thats singled out.In the 50′s I remember being warned about the teddy boys hanging about on street corners with flick knives, in the 60′s mods and rockers,hippy’s where shunned in the 70′s then punk rockers.it’s a fact that the older generation grouses about the young, don’t take it personnal – you’ll be here one day!
your generation is no better or worse than ours!

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Rob Harris said:-

“your generation is no better or worse than ours”.

If we are generalising Rob, then sorry, I must strongly disagree. I stress, “generalising”, there are obviously good and bad but as a collective group, young people are far worse today.
In the 50s and 60s, anyone, young, old, female, male, you name it could walk the streets at any hour day or night without a worry in the world. Shrewsbury was an excellent example, on a Friday night, one would see one or two coppers outside the Music Hall or at the bottom of the Cop seeing out the dances, there would be a bit of sober merriment and in minutes the patrons would have dispersed, apart from the odd nonsense thereafter, possibly the odd fight between acquaintances or a small broken shop window, the town would be quiet. In the main all towns etc were generally the same.
The mod’s and rockers had pitched battles at Brighton and so on and the “Teddy Boys” a needlessly feared phenomena. Outright villainy like we see today was unknown. Drugs were aspirins one bought from the local shop. Generally, offending youth could be challenged without recourse to violence and society generally was more placid, amenable and conforming with social norms.
Today, no town is immune, all are subject to mob rule on a weekend night after the pubs, clubs and dances close, drugs and the resultant criminal offences exist in every nook and cranny of our towns and villages. Crime and criminality has rocketed. In the 1950s there was roughly 40,000 in prison, it is now double that. The coppers were the friendly George Dixon’s nowadays they look and act like (and have to) something from another planet with CS and pepper sprays, openly wielded batons. I could go on with much, much more.
The youth of today compared with those of yesteryear obviously reflect the changes in our society, I don’t view these changes all for the better, indeed, much of society seems out of control and central to this situation is our youth (again I insist that I am “generalising”).
I wholly agree with Daryl Parker in his letter when it comes to “good” and “bad” youth. The only snag is, the “bad” are in such huge droves on our streets and in our public places, it is difficult to know one from the other.

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I heartily endorse Stuarts observations and have to say that it has all been said before and it will not be long before the PC element will be here in force to confound his statement! ….

I was born in the 30′s and spent my boyhood and youth in the 40′s and have to agree that I could walk the streets of Hometown UK with safety both day or night and the neigbhourhood “Bobby” patrolled his beat on foot! ….. the mere sight of the buttons on his uniform were enough to sent errant youth or nere-do-well packing! ……

There is no doubt that Society has developed to allow all of this to happen and the words “Accountability” and “Responsibility for Ones Actions” have disappeared from the vocabulary! …..

If this trend is not arrested the time will come when the populace will be living in walled enclaves with privately employed guards to ensure safety from violence and harassment! ………. it has happened and is happening elsewhere! ………..

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