What has Gerry Adams Done for West Belfast?

[bennydorano]

What is SF's position on this Bill of Rights nonsense? One of the main tenants of it seems to be to increase the age youths can be dealt with as adults from 16 to 18.  Carte Blanche to be a wee tr**p or what?!   Less touchy feely nonsense and more bootings required.

[Minder]

There is quite an industry of community workers/social workers etc in West Belfast and when someone gets a hiding/murdered these groups then start whining that they need more funding to help the disadvantaged and that people need to take into account the socio-economic factors of these people, there is a lot to be said for the fellas in the balaclavas in cases like this and never mind keeping community workers/social workers in a job.....

[tbrick18]

These wee hoods have nothing to fear since the paramilitaries came off the streets. Someone said on Nolan this morning that there were never any of these kind of incidents throughout the troubles as there was always the threat of paramilitary justice. Now that that threat has been taken away we are starting to see the kind of problems experienced in all other major european cities...anti social behavoir (which I think is just a nice way of say criminal behaviour when its young people who are doing it). This same problem exists in major cities all over Europe because of the softly softly approach, the child protection act and human rights issues.

IMO when participating in these types of activity you should no longer be protected under the child protection or human rights laws but should have to accept the full reprimand of the the law. Which leads me to my next point...the main reason as I see it for these wee hoods bahiving like this is that they know that there will be no consequences, either at home from the parents or from the justice system. What can the law do to minors who step out of line? An asbo? A slap on the wrist? A stay in hydebank? Do you actually think any of these hoods hold any fear of these consequences? Not a chance...and couple that with parents who dismiss everything as "auch sure they're good kids just out enjoying themselves" and this type of behaviour is always going to happen.

Neither Gerry Adams or God himself could make any difference to this until there are measures in place which put the fear of god into these scumbags (and their parents). Untill then, you will see more and more of this carry on.

Bear in mind, this issue is not unique to West Belfast....the same thing is happening up and down the country in every small village and town...Gerry Adams cant be held responsible for all of that, but it exists all the same.

[ardmhachaabu]

Never let it be said Take Your Points!

[Muzz]

Although you may have a point Take Your Points...I ask you the question - Where would our Irish Sports be or our Culture without that "armed struggle" or Sinn Fein?

Blaming one man or a party for the little shits running round terrorising neighbourhoods all over this island could not be further from the truth...Parents and the Law system we have is the sole blame...If Parents cannot control their children then the Law System needs too!!!  Make the parents responsible.

[Square Ball]

Agree that the parents need to be made accountable for the actions of their thug children. This problem while rampant in ceartin areas and as as already stated is in all parts of the country, what can be done?
On the radio a few weeks ago they spoke to a few residents of Ballymurphy, one said they could take the war, it was the ceasefire they couldnt take, they felt far safer during the troubles than they did now. Sorry state of affairs that

[theskull1]

Agree that the parents need to be made accountable for the actions of their thug children. This problem while rampant in ceartin areas and as as already stated is in all parts of the country, what can be done?
On the radio a few weeks ago they spoke to a few residents of Ballymurphy, one said they could take the war, it was the ceasefire they couldnt take, they felt far safer during the troubles than they did now. Sorry state of affairs that

Vicious cycle isn't it. The parents were dragged up, and have simply picked up their parenting skills from their own upbringing. Hard to know how you break the cycle

[clarshack]

just watched death sentence and i tell you what, there's a few places in this country that could do with kevin bacon.

[ONeill]

Vicious cycle isn't it. The parents were dragged up, and have simply picked up their parenting skills from their own upbringing. Hard to know how you break the cycle

I think you'll find the majority of these "thug chilldren" do not have a homelife with the stabilty of double 'parenting' as you or I know it.

[Shamrock Shore]

...well he gave us the roads.......

.....and the aquaducts

[Pangurban]

Its a simple truism...If people wont discipline themselves, then they have to have discipline imposed on them. Where the parents are inadequate or uncaring enough to fulfil that function, then society must fulfil the role for the greater good. The weakness is not in our current laws, but in the refusal of magistrates to implement them. By not doing so they are not only failing society in general, but the young perpretators in particular, who are not being corrected and taught better. As an aside, three studies in Britian and two in America found that as the numbers of community/social workers increased in socially disadvantaged areas, so also did the level of crime and anti-social behaviour. It appeared that the increased level of advocacy provided greater justification and excuse in the Eyes of the perpretrators

[pintsofguinness]

There was someone on the radio yesterday, a so called expert no doubt, talking about the incident in Dublin on St Patrick's day and the little thugs burning cars - they said that we needed to look at the reason why these people burned cars to get attention - this is the biggest problem in our society.  This sort of shite talk!

[Minder]

Newton Emerson puts it well in todays Irish News . . . . .                        " Following the murder of Frank Mc Greevy, Gerry Adams told Radio Ulster's Talkback that anti-social youths in west Belfast feel "alienated". What is the basis for this community workers cliche? Mr Adams is referring to people who around in groups of 20 or more and act like they own the place. It is everyone else who ends up feeling alienated. "

[Doogie Browser]

Adams thinks he is back in the mid 80's, his pathetic attempt at blaming the PSNI is typical of the SF 'not us guv' mentality.  Whilst I always vote for them in elctions I do think they try and patronise their electorate with spin and rhetoric (much like all parties really).  They are very arrogant and never find fault with themselves, one thing I am sure of though, the murders of Frank McGreevy and Harry Holland were not the fault of the PSNI or the shinners.  These murders are a sad relflection of society nowadays and as someone has already said since the ceasefires these local scum bags have no fear of the paramilitaries anymore.  So for years whether we liked it or not these guys controlled these areas and as a result now they are gone there is a massive void and that is where Adams & Co must understand, it will take the PSNI time to fill this vacuum, it cannot be cured overnight.  Areas like West Belfast, South Armagh, West Tyrone to name a few may even need as much as a generation before effective Policing can be accepted as the norm.

I was frankly disgusted he attepmted to place some responsibility on the cops, local hoods are sumbags whatever area they are from be it the Falls, Braniel etc and all our towns are overrun with mini-spides everywhere now. 
Proper legislation must be the way forward, give the Cops more powers to arrest and detain regardless of their age.  All this talk of Bills of rights is well and good but when our communities are no longer the havens they once were then drastic action is needed.

[Down Gael]

These attacks arent just happening in West Belfast. Should we blame this attack on Eddie McGrady?

The brother of Down GAA legend Paddy Doherty is in a critical condition in hospital after being the victim of a vicious assault.

Francie Doherty (62), brother of 1961 Sam Maguire Cup winning captain Paddy Doherty, was attacked in his home in Ballykinler over a week ago.

Mr. Doherty is on a life support machine at Antrim Area Hospital following the brutal attack at his Commons Road home in Ballykinlar on March 16th last.

GAA legend Paddy hit out at his brother's attackers saying they "had a sin to answer to." "My brother had his own problems throughout his life but he never hurt anyone.

"They have left him in a bad state. He didn't deserve this."