Another Bonfire Night has come and gone, with yet more disorder around the country.
Today one of our readers asks how we got to a state where “two to three dozen recalcitrant wee laddies hold the powers of the state at bay" over the misuse of fireworks.
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Stuart Brennan of Glasgow writes:
"My goodness! We have, across the country, perhaps two to three dozen recalcitrant wee laddies holding the powers of the state at bay over the misuse of fireworks. So, how did we reach this state of ridiculousness?
Well, one must accept the role of the media here, in hyping the misuse of fireworks as the latest moral panic. There is the role of social media too, where the mock-outraged post and recirculate absolutely anything that suits their stance, arguing frenziedly that things are surely getting worse. There is the role of politicians, who knee-jerk into reacting to the media/social media frenzy, and pass laws/regulations which cannot realistically be enforced, due to lack of resources caused by other policies that these self-same politicians have implemented. There is the two-generations-in-the-making erosion of police powers to deal quickly and effectively with recalcitrant wee laddies, allied with the strengthening of the rights of said wee laddies to do exactly what they want with impunity.
And how do they reward those politicians, do-gooders, social workers and the like, who won them these concessions? Do they fall to their knees and thank them profusely? No, of course not. They flip them a V sign, and fire a Roman candle in their general direction, then post a video online of them doing so, thus encouraging their peers to do the same. And so it goes on.
It strikes me that the more professional politicians, social workers and the police try to become in dealing with a perceived issue of the day, the less professional is the response. I fully expect that on November 6 next year, the perceived issues around fireworks will remain unresolved, and the same stories will appear in the media. Watch this space."
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