What is going on with our young people?
A national day of mourning is being held in Finland after an 18-year-old went on a gun rampage at his school and killed seven pupils and a teacher. The gunman, reportedly identified as Pekka Eric Auvinen, shot himself in the head and later died in hospital. This kind of thing is not supposed to happen anywhere -- but this is Finland; quiet, civilised, spacious, friendly, effecient Finland. The shooting happened in Tuusula, north of the capital Helsinki, and officials have set up a crisis centre to help those affected by the tragedy. The gunman gave a warning of the attack in a video posted on the internet. The home-made film called "Jokela High School massacre 11/7/2007" shows a young man pointing a gun and declaring himself a "social Darwinist" who would "eliminate all who I see unfit". The video was made, and dated before the attack. This film is similar to the one made by Cho Seung Hui, who sent a recording of himself to the US NBC television network before killing 32 students at Virginia Tech University in April.
How does this happen ? What went wrong is this young man's life ? Is their a flaw in the way we're now rearing our children ? Should we have more rules in school, should we have fewer rules in school ? How can someone with apparenrtly such little experience of life be so angry - by the age of 18 ? Yes, 18. What do you think ?
This leads us onto our other main discussion today:
CAN WE LEGISLATE AGAINST OUR YOUNG PEOPLE BEING RADICALISED ?
I'm not sure what that word actually means these days -- "radicalised". Could it be that we apply it to something that we don’t understand, just because it's the closest fit, but not necessarily the best fit ?
Anyway, we hear a great deal these days about how our young people are becoming radicalised -- how does that work ? Yes, they're perhaps unemployed. OK, they're perhaps ignored by their parents, or they don't have any friends. But there are a lot of young people who fall into that category at one time or another in their lives. Haven't we all fallen into that category -- at some time ? But surely there's a massive gulf between feeling rejected, being unloved, not having a support network, and killing people -- all in the name of some greater good, or in the name of a Greater God.
And yet the calls for more control, more investigation, more something, to stop this radicalisation continue. The British government is going to go further it says, the European Union wants to outlaw websites that spew out terrorist propoganda which might lead to recruitment, and just last week the Saudi King said the London government wasn't doing enough in the war on terror. Ouch - that one was side-stepped by the British government.
But what's the core issue here ? And how do we define the something I've mentioned above. It's too easy to lapse into cliches here, but how do we stop young men and women adopting a belief that leads them to kill. What's the silver bullet that would make us feel safer, and would guarantee a better life for these young people. They cant exactly be described as happy or content if they go down this particular path of hate, violence and death.
Comment number 1.
At 26th Mar 2009, kwestwind wrote:I am the proud mother of a 14 year old son, and very much believe that all of us need to follow our own dreams, not those of our parents or friends. The only reason I would intervene is if he were considering a life of crime or something similar
As for sex education, I am for it, but wish I had better resources to offer my son in this regard: although an important topic, it is terribly uncomfortable to talk with one's child/parent about.
thanks for a great show!
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Comment number 2.
At 13th Jun 2009, ajtwisleton wrote:I'm listening to ´óÏó´«Ã½ WORLD SERVICE.
I'm the common man of England.
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Comment number 3.
At 13th Jun 2009, ajtwisleton wrote:No offense to you Muslim countries, but we in Britain have a very reasonable society...you can be liberal, you can be conservative, it doesn't matter.
A post Christian society versus a post Islamic society....?
:)
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