In defence of the young.

Contrary to so much of what is written in the press today, in the main I think our young are well mannered, thoughtful and a credit to themselves. 

In the main. 

Yes you can always find those who aren't. The rude, the aggressive and selfish. The entitled. But it was ever thus. Bullies have always flourished in our schools. The selfish of my day were no less selfish than today's young. The British in many parts of the world have a long history of being seen as rude. Today's young are no ruder then my generation.

In certain parts of France the English are referred to as the "fuck offs", a reference to the way so many of us speak and behave when visiting on holiday.

According to earlier generations the young where never as well mannered as their generation. 

Famously your Dad hated the music you listened to, it was just "noise, blasted out by someone who couldn't sing".

Truthfully it must be admitted that there was little more mortifying then your father trying to get "with it" by liking and playing your music.

You were happy he hated it.

My generation it has to be said came under particular criticism from their dad's over their musical taste. Glam rock (damned nancies according to my father), punk rock ( absolutely forbidden in my house) and the new romantics (more damn nancies).

At least those nice Beatles could sing.

Well my experience of the young has been almost entirety positive.

Earlier this week we received a phone call from our Doctors surgery. They had some trainee medics looking to speak to someone with Parkinson's, keen to understand the conditions impact on day to day life. Would I be willing to be interviewed by them?  I said yes. 

They duly arrived at our door. They seemed so young! First year medics, they introduced themselves and we all sat down and talked. Interestingly they admitted that part of the purpose of the visit was to learn how to engage with patients. So that they can put them at their ease.

They seemed very good at that already.

They asked intelligent questions, politely and with what appeared to be genuine interest. It was noticeable how little they knew about Parkinson's, but then that was why they were interviewing me. They had a good sense of humour, meaning they laughed at my jokes and were clearly very intelligent.

But then as these were trainee doctors, that's exactly what you'd expect.

At the end, on the way out, one of them spotted my wife's piano, he asked if he could play it. Despite being slightly surprised, we said yes. He played a decent Chopin.

I'd enjoyed their visit. However can they be seen as typical of their generation? These were well educated and seemed well brought up. What they weren't were gang members, dropping out of school, partially educated, with few positive adult, male role models.

Now my experience of inner city gangs, dealing with drugs, violent and disengaged from the wider world around them, can only be described as nil. But why should these kids be seen as typical of their generation? I ask because so much of the press seems to suggest that they are.

I despise our press. I have direct experience of events and people that the press have reported on and any correlation between the report and the events appeared to have been accidental. 

The media in this country lie. Without thought or concern for those they are lying about. 

The last people I'd suggest to have any right to criticise our young.

About 3 to 4 years ago the BBC broadcast a small series of documentaries about my son's school. One episode 'starred' a single black girl and the appalling racism she faced. Isolated and alone she wept into the camera about how hateful the white kids were to her.

The reviewer in the Guardian expressed his outrage and wished vengeance for this poor girls treatment.

It was all a lie. The BBC lied and lied again. 

This 'victim' of white supremecy was not friendless and isolated. She had a gang of friends that caused trouble. 

She was also very quick when in trouble to cry 'racist'. 

At the end of the programme the BBC stated that since recording the programme, she had been a model student, engaged with her work and avoided trouble.

Well if you don't take into account the two weeks suspension for attacking a pupil, stealing another one's glasses and then screaming at the teacher who tried to sort things out that she was a slut then yes I suppose she could be seen as a model student.

The BBC, lies and lies again.

Generally however, almost without exception, the young I know are anti racist. And not in a BLM outraged way. But just in a quiet way, wanting to get on with life. Judging people by what they are, not what they look like.

But still you hear the criticisms. They are lazy. They are entitled. They hate our history. They are irreligious.

Well let's look at the world we are bequeathing them. 

They will need to be both lucky and well paid to be able to buy a house. Our chronic housing shortage is making housing unaffordable for the majority. 

Lazy? Not in my experience they aren't. Hard working at school and keen to succeed. The requirements for university are a lot harder than in my day.

Entitled? Well as we've decided to saddle so many of them with massive debts to get through university, they may not unfairly feel that this gives them some right to certain expectations of being listened to and treated.

They are definitely less likely to believe in God or go to church. But then considering the history of child abuse and the lack of concern shown by the church to repair the damage and show genuine contrition, whilst helping the victims to obtain justice, it's hardly a surprise. Rather we see more lies and further desperate attempts by the church to save it's reputation, by refusing justice and sharing what it knows.

With nothing having changed in the last 30 years.

No wonder so many reject the church.

Then there was the reaction to COVID and how we damned a generation of youngsters by stunting their education, damaging their life experience and ignoring their needs, in reaction to a virus that didn't represent a threat to the vast majority of them. 

The teaching unions showed how genuine their concern for our young was. 

They weren't.

But still they are in the main polite, respectful, generous of spirit and helpful. They still look to the future with hope. They still want to make a difference. They work hard and in the main only want to be treated fairly.

At least this is my experience of them. I wish them well.