British PM blames subculture, poor upbringing for teenage violence
Mitch Potter
Toronto Star
Friday April 13, 2007
LONDON–Wading into one of the final controversies of his 10 years in power, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has ignited a fury by blaming a distinctive black culture for a rash of knife and gun crime in London since the start of the new year.
Admitting he was "lurching into total frankness" in his final weeks in office, Blair was quoted yesterday beneath a banner headline in The Guardian as saying the violence would not be stopped "by pretending it is not young black kids doing it."
Blair's remarks came during a lecture in Cardiff, Wales, where he downplayed poverty as a factor in a spree of teenage violence that has claimed the lives of seven young people since January.
"Economic inequality is a factor and we should deal with that, but I don't think it's the thing that is producing the most violent expression of this social alienation," Blair told reporters after the address.
"I think that is to do with the fact that particular youngsters are being brought up in a setting that has no rules, no discipline, no proper framework around them," Blair said.
"We need to stop thinking of this as a society that has gone wrong – it has not – but of specific groups that for specific reasons have gone outside of the proper lines of respect and good conduct towards others and need specific measures to be brought back into the fold."
Blair's comments were met with blanket condemnation from community leaders, who told the Toronto Star they felt "sideswiped" by the prime minister's suggestion that they alone bear responsibility for the issue. One accused Blair of "dishonestly attempting to absolve himself from the chronic lack of support for community efforts to create solutions.".......Read More
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Mitch Potter
Toronto Star
Friday April 13, 2007
LONDON–Wading into one of the final controversies of his 10 years in power, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has ignited a fury by blaming a distinctive black culture for a rash of knife and gun crime in London since the start of the new year.
Admitting he was "lurching into total frankness" in his final weeks in office, Blair was quoted yesterday beneath a banner headline in The Guardian as saying the violence would not be stopped "by pretending it is not young black kids doing it."
Blair's remarks came during a lecture in Cardiff, Wales, where he downplayed poverty as a factor in a spree of teenage violence that has claimed the lives of seven young people since January.
"Economic inequality is a factor and we should deal with that, but I don't think it's the thing that is producing the most violent expression of this social alienation," Blair told reporters after the address.
"I think that is to do with the fact that particular youngsters are being brought up in a setting that has no rules, no discipline, no proper framework around them," Blair said.
"We need to stop thinking of this as a society that has gone wrong – it has not – but of specific groups that for specific reasons have gone outside of the proper lines of respect and good conduct towards others and need specific measures to be brought back into the fold."
Blair's comments were met with blanket condemnation from community leaders, who told the Toronto Star they felt "sideswiped" by the prime minister's suggestion that they alone bear responsibility for the issue. One accused Blair of "dishonestly attempting to absolve himself from the chronic lack of support for community efforts to create solutions.".......Read More
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