Sunday, August 21, 2011

A Society at Peace!

The story of Freddie is sad indeed, the son of a dysfunctional family with father in prison, mother on the game, sisters in poverty caring for themselves, getting themselves to school most days, but always in trouble! Trouble with parents, with neighbours, with teachers, with just anybody. Freddie is one of those who might well have rioted last week, little sense of responsibility, little understanding of community, little to excite him but much to frustrate, to limit, to depress. Who got it wrong, who caused this division, disaffection and distress? 

Does it matter anyway? Some say that society is broken; others that social unrest is the consequence of a disaffected generation of young people; others that policing needs to be stronger, more assertive with punishments that deter. Fewer believe that policing is by consent of the community and that justice and jail must be restorative. 

Does it matter what we say, think or believe? Not for Freddie. He fell or was pushed from a third floor window and was impaled on the railings below a long time before these riots. Unlike our community today, Freddie is at peace!

2 comments:

Dalva M. Ferreira said...

Sad and universal, like the ultraviolence shown in "A Clockwork Orange", that terrible portrait of a possible (and so near) future. Fear!

Sylvanna said...

"Pienso, luego estorbo."
"Je pense donc je dérange."
"I think so I'm a trouble, (or I disturb ! )"
One of "Les Indignés" 's motto ! They are joining their voices throughout Europe for a better more human world , away from individualism and profit making, while the young catholics in Madrid were meeting to deepen and to share their faith for a more spiritual future and at the same time, some youngsters in London suburbs started to rebel simply because they have NO future...
Freddie is just one of the victims of our social and moral unrest.
There must be a link between these three communities, only their means of expression differs... Who will dare to listen and to act ? Their dearest wish is to believe either in God or in ethical values so strong is their desire for a more human-centered world.






Freddie prefered to die to living in such a broken world whre