On Racism, Anti-social Behaviour, Kids & Missing parents

Today I have a lot of topics to talk about. But to avoid mess, I'll narrow it down to just a couple and save the rest for some other time. I've just finished to watch a report on how widespread racism is in Southmead, Bristol (on BBC's investigative programme Panorama). A British reporter of Bangladeshi descent, born and raised in Manchester, temporarily moved to Southmead to investigate undercover how much racism is still frequent in some Britain's towns.

It is worth noticing, first and foremost, how much controversial the issue of racism is. Britain has been a country of immigration for several decades now. But in some cities its inhabitants haven't accepted this reality, yet. Tamanna Rahman, the reporter, is a British citizen just as much as a white British citizen is. However, she experienced verbal and physical abuse during her stay in Southmead. She recalled it as a painful experience.

The thing that struck me the most, though, was the age of people that abused her. Most of them were kids, aging from 11 to 19. One of the muggers was just 11. And his defiant behaviour was outrageously disquieting to my eyes. I couldn't imagine an 11-year-old act like that back home. I can be wrong, of course.

He pretended he had a gun or a knife and his words were full of rage, hatred and violence. He pretended to be a gangster and approached the woman in the most disrespectful way ever. He attempted to steal her purse and threatened her to cut her throat. I wondered: Where does all this come from? All this hatred, all this void inside? Is it normal that kids just hang around in the streets by themselves and then harass women the age of their mothers, potentially? Isn't there a culture of respect for elderly people? Isn't there a culture of respect for people in general? Who taught them that the colour of the skin make us different and can put us on a scale of value? What does a kid of 11 years know about racism? Does it come natural?

My impression, again, is that kids are a little forsaken in this country. Parents don't really care. (All they care is their career and their self-improvement, possibly - I'm assuming, as a first glance). My impression is anyway backed up by another hint that took me aback last week.

On the morning news, the anchorwoman was discussing the issue of the so-called cot death with a doctor. He was pointing out that the risk of cot death is higher when kids sleep with their mothers and the mothers happen to be tired and might fall asleep while breast-feeding, "especially if they had a couple of drinks". He said it carelessly, like an incidental remark. I was horrified. Breast-feeding and having a couple of drinks??? The two things do not come hand in hand in my mind, and I considered it an appalling and dangerous suggestion to make by a doctor!

I'm not a mother, but my sister recently gave birth to the sweetest nugget of a baby you can imagine, but anyway... She has never had a drink, not even a sip of a drink, since she became aware of being pregnant. She was self-disciplined, but she didn't miss alcohol for a sec. She has never been too much of a drinker, to be honest, but the mere thought of causing any damage to the health of her son was much more poignant than the dizzy feeling of being tipsy. And it came natural to her. Her first thought was: "my son's health and safety".

And it's all the more puzzling if you consider the fact that this country seems to be obsessed with health and safety procedures. I've had a couple of classes so far that dealt with this issue. Health and safety procedures on how to enter the university building on the weekends, health and safety procedures that a journalist should consider before embarking on any assignment, even a pop gig where only 12-year-olds are expected to attend! A country that is paranoid about risk assessing fails to be risk-proof on the most basic and elemental of all relationships: mother and child.

I may have gone astray, but I believe all these issues are related to one another. Kids' anti-social behaviour and racist violent approach are to be linked to the very absence of parental presence, of parental care. Because, excuse me, but if a mother cannot give up a drink over her own offspring, what can we expect?