Youth workers surprised by teen backlash? Well, no, that should read “surprised by backlash against teens”, it’s not the teens doing the backlashing, but people who should deserve the term “adult”, but who apparently have not yet reached that level of maturity. And surprised? No. Shocked or disgusted, perhaps, but surprised makes it sound like they unexpectedly got something they always wanted. Here’s what I’m ranting about:
The next day 15-year-old Pihema Clifford Cameron was allegedly stabbed to death by 50-year-old businessman Bruce William Emery.
The stabbing allegedly occurred during an argument that arose after Pihema was about to tag a fence on a property.
He was chased and stabbed.
Yesterday, Christchurch City councillor Barry Corbett defended the man’s actions.
“If I was on the jury, I would let him get away with it, but that is just me,” he said during a Christchurch City Council debate over whether to introduce bylaws to tackle graffiti, vandalism and substance abuse.
The day after the murder Manukau City mayor Len Brown said tagging was the starting point for youngsters to go on to commit more serious crimes.
So here we have a Christchurch City Councillor and the Manukau City mayor justifying the murder of a teenage boy. And why? Because the boy was caught trying to tag a fence. That’s right, a 50 year old man catches a couple of teenagers trying to tag his fence and gets in an argument with them. Alright so far. But then he chases them up the road and stabs one of them with a knife, killing him. And these two clowns who should be pillars of the community try to justify this man’s action.
We are not talking any measured, appropriate response here. We are talking a 50 year old business man murdering a 15 year old boy for attempting to tag a fence. Of all the reasons to kill someone, this has got to be the stupidest, most pathetic, most incredibly immature reason ever.
And a Christchurch City Councillor and the mayor of Manukau City try to justify it.
It’s when I read reports like this that I think I’m probably better off just staying in China.
Well, this business man has yet to go to trial, so we have to add the word “alleged” in front of anything: This alleged grown man allegedly stabbed a 15 year old boy to death for trying to tag his fence.
And as for Barry Corbett’s stupidity: Correct me if I’m wrong, but if he were sitting on the jury, his job would be to decide whether this alleged grown man had broken the law or not, and not to decide whether he was right or wrong, justified or unjustified in breaking the law. And barring some plea of temporary insanity or some other mitigating circumstance allowed by the law, if it turned that this alleged grown man had stabbed this boy to death, then Corbett and his fellow jurors would have no choice but to swallow their puerile bravado and find him guilty.
This would be ridiculous if it weren’t so utterly disgusting.
Well said Cr. Corbett.If these tagger scumbags ‘get the drift’ that they risk a bashing or worse, then maybe they might think again before defacing public/private property with their illegible hierogyphics.
Regards Chch…these simians could at least keep their tagging to the east of town from whence they issue forth, and where their peers can admire their “artistic flair” lol.
Should I take if from your screen name that you are a fan of Steve Jobs?
But more to the point: Your comment is about as offensive as I will tolerate. Push it any further, you’ll be banned.
But so long as you’re commenting: Could you please explain how the ‘crime’ of tagging merits the death sentence? Or why people should be allowed to take it upon themselves to mete out such an extreme punishment for such a petty misdemeanour?