I’m not sure how many people have seen Ross Kemp’s gangs programmes but it makes for difficult viewing. This afternoon, I watched the South London episode (in all its bellicosity) and was quite appalled at what I saw.

One particular scene had a group of five young BAC boys talking candidly about weapons, respect and the measures to which they would go to get respect with weapons. These guys were no older than 18 but they were evidently living for nothing and so prepared to die for anything.

Now to the company who I watched it with, the most contentious issue raised was that of the young men and their claim that all the weapons come from the government.

His argument was based on the fact that ‘the government are the face of a beast which is hell bent on destroying black people quickly’. However before I could get a word in edgeways the second strand of his argument came thick and fast. ‘The problem for them (the government, the beast) is that soon all these younger and younger disillusioned guys will become hardened killing machines and they’ll turn against the state in all-out war.’

I was stunned to hear this response, probably more than by the gritty realism of the kids on TV. Is this what junior adults think of the children and adults in training? Was this really a representative view of BAC people of my generation? After conferring with a few other similar guys it appeared that this view of our future generations was widespread but nobody had any ideas as to what to do about it.

The sheer depth and breadth of the issue was right up, close and personal in my face.

How can we expect our youth to grow wiser when so many of our elders are confused?

I tried to quickly explain that the thought of an all-out war was ludicrous because there are so many factors that are not being considered in making such a statement. War is a big business which has political, geographical and mainly financial implications. Would all these criteria be met before this ‘war?’

It dawned on me once again that the big issue behind all of the confusion, the crime, the desperation and the despondency is nothing to do with wars or metaphorical beasts; it is simply education. It is culture. But not a dysfunctional culture of fear and division. It is an inner culture of self-empowerment and community.

I could see looking into those young boys eyes and listening to what they said that they weren’t hardened criminals. They didn’t want to be upsetting their mums, who apparently they would lay down their lives for. They were scared kids who were talking big to look tough in front of their equally scared friends.

I realised that these boys were young and far from being lost causes. These so called assassins of tomorrow are just kids who need sustained duty of care and attention, at home and from this country…

All this big talk and it’s not even evening yet! A lot of things to do and a lot of things to ponder so this is me signing out. For now.

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