I read this morning in an Australian newspaper that stabbing wounds were up to nearly double what they were the previous year. People make all manner of complaints about the police needing to be there, but perhaps the reality is we can't have 10% of our population as police officers. It would also be ugly.
In conversation with some police officers over the years I hear time and again that they see juvenile offenders getting bolder as they get experience with what to their eyes is the weakness of the law with them. They see them repeatedly and see how they change and note who is going to get into what sort of trouble. Often they are right.
They are told "it will all change on your birthday" but they already know from several years that its all just talk... until their birthday, by which time its too late.
I fear we're sending them messages which are way to complex for their minds and their social network to comprehend.
Back to that article however and one of the contributors makes an interesting point:
In Singapore, carrying a knife as a weapon including kitchen knives without authorised permission is punishable by 6-months jail and 6 strokes of the cane. Over there you can walk safely in nights as compared to Melbourne. What do you think is the difference???
People have long lamented the changes in our system to remove corporal punishment. I think that its strange that our law enforcement officers are able to shoot you if you do not comply but we recoil in horror at the thought of someone getting a spanking for being a brat or an asshole.
Perhaps we should be looking at the rantan too?
If we are stipping the power to discipline children from the parents, who is taking it up?
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