One stabbing too many

Recently in the news there has been much debate about stabbings and killings as the deaths from stabbings has risen. This has been a particularly sensitive issue as most of the victims and perpetrators have been black. Prime Minister Tony Blair a couple of day ago decided top speak on the matter and urged the black community to stop 'pretending ' that black youths were not responsible for the recent spate of shooting and stabbing plaguing London in the last couple of weeks. His comments were greeted with anger from the black community leaders who charged that he had not once mentioned the actions that were already going on within the black community to denounce the violence and tackle the issue.

The real question though is who really is to blame for the waywardness of young black youth of today? Is it the parents who a mostly kids themselves when they had kids and live in mostly single parent families? Is it the absent fathers who shirk their responsibilities with no remorse or consequences? Is it the community the lack the cohesiveness and caring about each other to raise the youths and provide leadership and role models? Is it the government who don't provide the necessary environment for the kids to take up after school activities and give parents the ability to discipline their own kids?

The simple answer is that we are all to blame. In some way we all play a part in the life of every child born irrespective of race or colour. And if we all shirk our responsibilities then we create a society that flourishes with negativity. So let us top blaming each other and work together to great a better society, that our children and grandchildren can grow up in without the fear of violence.