Children learn initially by coping what their parents do. If you are swearing and dropping litter around and about where you live, then your child will grow up to think that it is the correct way for them to behave as they literally will not know any different. If you act in the way that you would like your children to act when they are older, then you have much more chance of being able to teach them the correct way to behave.

You also need to look at the things that you’re letting them watch on the television. It has been widely documented that children copy the things that they see on the screen; particularly if the person doing the actions is not punished for the things that they are doing. This means that they think that their own behaviour will go unpunished, too, if they should choose to copy the kinds of things that they’ve been seeing.

In addition to my previous point, you should always make sure that you punish your child when they misbehave, and also make sure that you are consistent with your punishments. If you say that an action will result in a punishment, then you must prove this to be the case should your child choose to do that action anyway. If they learn that they can get away with things, their behaviour will get out of control.

You are the people who will teach your child how to behave, so you only have yourself to thank when they turn out to be lovely and polite young men and women.

                                               1952

Jimmy was out of breath he jumped his back garden wall with ease. Jimmy froze to the spot a tall Policeman was waiting in the middle of his garden his pointy blue helmet could be seen by everyone he stood erect but motionless his royal blue police uniform was immaculate. Jimmy froze and dropped the bottle of mixed sweets,

“Pick that up son and walk over to me!”

Jimmy was shaking in fear his hands trembled, but he did what was asked!

“Did you pay for these sweets Jimmy?”

Jimmy tried to think of a lie but none were forthcoming, Jimmy spoke with a trembling voice,

“No officer I took them, I’m sorry”

The immaculately dressed police officer removed his helmet and walked towards the boy. His right hand moved swiftly and he caught Jimmy around the head with a smack! P.C. Baines spoke,

“Now what are you going to do with these sweets? Jimmy was crying, his head hurt and he felt so ashamed of himself he replied,

“I’m going to take them back sir”

P.C. Baines replied,

“That’s a start boy and then you are going to apologise to Mr Hardy the sweet shop owner, and I’m going to walk you there myself”

All the street could see Jimmy walking down to the highroad towards Mr Hardy’s shop! Jimmy’s cheeks were scarlet with embarrassment!

                                                   2011

Jimmy ran as fast as he could and jumped over the rear garden wall. He let himself into the house with his own key. Jimmy turned on his Play Station 3 and played Tomb Raider 2 he opened the jar of sweets and greedily munched on the sugar filled delights. Mr Hardy rang the police and two days later a patrol car arrived and took the details of the robbery. Mr Hardy provided CCTV evidence to back up his claim of being robbed.

P.C. Baines Jnr knocked on Jimmy’s front door two weeks later he sat down on the leather sofa and spoke to Jimmy’s father and mother,

“Jimmy will have to go to court on the 17th of the month he will most likely get an ASBO (Anti Social Behaviour Order) his name and picture will be on lamp posts all around the high road his will be banned from the area!”

Jimmy’s father spoke,

“Can’t we sort this out officer he is only 10 for crying out loud!”

P.C. Baines sucked in his breath then said,

“Little Jimmy has broken the law! Theft! If he was 14 or over he would be in a young offenders facility he is lucky to get away with an ASBO”

Jimmy’s granddad who was visiting said,

“In my day the copper would clip you around the ear make you take back the sweets and that would be that, this is all a waste of my money yes me the tax payer!”

You decide with is better, 1952 or 2011?

Lord Banks

For those of a Politically Correct sensibility; this is an exercise in Cultural Relativity. Let it be understood that each issue will be presented in a sensitive manner, while the “Spartan Response” will be based on historical truths about Spartan culture and mores, which were just as valid within their own historical context as our modern attitudes and beliefs. This piece advocates nothing, and seeks to make a purely objective comparison of modern vs ancient responses to the societal issues covered here.

Immigration

Modern Issue: Many people in England are concerned about immigration, for various reasons; on the one hand, it is a certain fact that the UK depends heavily upon immigration for labour. On the other, it is equally certain that England is the most overcrowded country in Europe. The complaints of the political Far Right have become increasingly convincing to the native population in direct proportion to the increase in overcrowding over recent years.

Spartan Response: Organise a cull. The wise and noble Spartans maintained order in their labour force by arranging an annual slaughter; literally declaring open season on the slaves, and butchering them in the streets.

“Ladette” culture (female binge drinking)

Modern Issue: Increasing numbers of young women in England are emulating male drinking habits, leading to health problems, increased sexual promiscuity, and confusion on the issue of date-rape, e.g. while it is clearly rape to spike a girl’s drink in order to have sex with her, is it rape to take advantage of a girl who became voluntarily intoxicated? Opinions differ.

Spartan Response: What’s the problem? Drunken girls running wild in the street just makes it easier to rape them. You see, in noble Sparta, rape was the preferred form of introduction between men and women.

Disabilities

Modern Issue: In order to achieve equal opportunities, the disabled community have been forced to maintain a constant battle for recognition and positive action. Among their successes has been the introduction of legislation preventing discrimination against disabled members of society, and the requirement for access ramps and other facilities to enable disabled people to fully participate in soiety.

Spartan Response: What disabled community? In glorious Sparta, malformed children were killed at birth.

Contraception & Abortion

Modern Issue: Contraception and abortion present many moral and practical questions to modern society; traditional Christian morality is put helplessly at odds with the practical requirements and technology of the modern day.

Spartan Response: Between the killing of unwanted babies and the regular culling of excess slaves, noble Sparta avoided overcrowding without any moral dillemma. The opposite problem, of under-population, was easily solved by institutionalized rape.

The Youth of Today

Modern Issue: The problem of “ASBO youth” or “hoodies” running amok on England’s streets is a concern to a great many people, one that the authorities seem ill-equipped to handle. With falling standards of education, rising drug use, gang-membership and increased crime among the younger generation, English society is well embarked upon a crisis that can only get worse in the near future.

Spartan Response: So what? The problem is the modern desire to suppress rather than encourage such youthful exuberance. In beautiful Sparta, it was an essential part of every young man’s education to spend a period of years living by his wits on the streets or in the wild, stealing food and clothing, defending himself with knife and fists, raping slave girls and generally learning all the essential skills that a young man needs to be strong and successful. Instead of worrying about the young and trying to control their behaviour, modern parents should put their despair aside, throw the brats out into the street to fend for themselves, and welcome them home in years to come when the boys return as men.

Ah, Noble Sparta! Light of Civilisation!

2.       They criminalise otherwise lawful actions. This means that even though you may not have broken any laws, you may still face a prison sentence should you breach the terms of your A.S.B.O..

3.       There’s very little, if any at all, restriction on what may warrant an A.S.B.O, with only 3% of all applications being turned down. There was even a report of one woman from a small village receiving an A.S.B.O. for hitting her son on the arm with a leek.

4.       Statistics show that over 50% of people issued with A.S.B.O.s are suffering from some kind of substance abuse or psychological disorder, this being the likely cause of the anti-social behaviour. It would be more effective(and ethical) to provide them with the support and care they need to recover than to slap them with a penalty.

5.       Following on from my last point, a massive 38% were issued to young people with serious mental disorders ranging from ADHD and autism, to clinical depression and psychosis.

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http://www.triond.com/rw/200287

Please leave a comment with your view to this and if something should be changed.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t go about the place smashing up streets and screaming after twenty pints of carling.  However, isn’t there a case for improving the drinking culture rather than clamping down like this?  Investment in beer gardens, campaigned to encourage long drinks, and nicer pub environments may well help.   

Why not put forward public money to help pubs expand outside?  Then just add some German style purity laws to get rid of the poor quality pig swill people drink.

Some structural changes would make sense too.  If your venue sells alcohol, then there should be a volume limit, as high volumes encourage heavy drinking.  The minimum number of seats in a venue as a percentage of the capacity should be increased.  People drink less when sitting down.  The government should increase the cost of alcohol, and subsidise mixer. 

With some structural changes the government could make it so, outside drinking is cheaper.  Long drinking is cheaper, sitting down is easier, and talking is easier.  This would cut down drinking to excess, without the need to ban.

Having almost finished a car park in the center of Stockton, I was approached by a guy who explained that he was part of the ASBO team in Stockton Borough Council. ASBO, for those who don’t know, stands for Anti-Social Behavior Order; basically it is a legal restraint or penalty imposed on someone who has deemed to be anti-social. What exactly is Anti-social? Ah well, there has been no clear, legal definition.

The guy asked what the leaflets were for, when I explained that they were for a play to be staged at a local theater, he referred to the content of the leaflet. It reads: Stockton-on-Tees. Beware! He claimed that it might un-nerve people in this age of terrorism.

The two people I spoke to while putting out the leaflets were quite interested in why they were there. Neither of them were fearful of it being a terrorist plot. They made no comment that what I was doing was anti-social. One woman said that it was a good idea to use as reminding people about car theft!

The ASBO guy and I waited until a “law enforcer” came along – note: Not a policeman, but a law enforcer. I don’t even know what they are or to which governing body they have to answer to. He took my details and gave me a sheet explaining that I was being fined under section 87 of The Environmental Protection Act 1990. On the form, he wrote that I had committed an offense by “Disposing litter”. Since when were leaflets, litter?

The guy told me that they “catch a lot of people this way”. I pointed out that the council had put up no notices advising people that they are not allowed to distribute leaflets. He agreed that it wasn’t fair. I guess it’s just a way of them sneakily trying to get money out of us.

After issuing me with the notice, and after I had commented on proceeding throughout, he then advised me my rights, which include the right to remain silent. Surely, he should have advised me of that before I spoke to him.

Back home, I phoned The Environmental Enforcement Section of Stockton Borough Council and asked how I can distribute leaflets without incurring a penalty notice. I was told, “The best way, was to not do it.”

“Are you telling me that I can’t distribute leaflets at all?”

“Hold on.” She then went off the line to ask advice.

What followed was a series of questions by me to which the girl at the other end had to keep cutting me off to ask what her response should be. In the end, she advised me to contact the “Care in Your Area” part of the council.

“How do I contact them?”

“Hold on” When she came back on she said, “You need to phone them up.”

“Do you have the number?”

“Hold on.” She cut me off then came back on the line to say that she can put me through.

The “Care In Your Area” people promptly advised me to contact the Environmental Enforcement section – where I had just come from.

What is most alarming about all of this is that fact that there seems to be no defined interpretation of the law. This is just local authorities slying imposing their own understandings of legislation and stealing money from people’s pockets.

Its nasty and its unfair. Of course, I won’t be paying. I was not disposing of litter – which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as rubbish. My leaflets were bought for and utilized for their exact purpose. That is not litter. I shouldn’t be fined anymore than Tesco should be fined for it’s packaging that other people might drop as litter.

Now its some months later and after many emails to Stockton Borough Council to find out what is going on and demanding my day in court, I have heard nothing from them – not a single word. I have been denied my day in court and the opportunity to advertise a cultural event in my local town, and I have received no compensation for the cost incurred in printing leaflets which I was stopped from using.