Yet again, Melbourne's seedy underbelly has laid down, rolled over and beared its pink and lively surface to the greater community in a shock morning episode that saw a train service delayed by 25 minutes all because of an idiotic - and I will use the term as it bears so much relevance - and his wilful use of a murderous weapon.
Was he intending on murder? Who knows? Was it a scared little show of defiance as a result of the morning's altercation? Most likely, but who knows? Uneducated children's perceived necessity to carry knives as a means of settling arguments in this case, as well as any other run-in with fellow individuals screams evidence that demands action by local, state and federal Governments in Australia to finally 'pull their finger out' and make a move against the use and carrying of knives.
Legislation may be and has been tossed back and forth in Parliament and laws have been passed, with no real effect.
Melburnians who pay attention to news and local happenings would be more than well aware that knife and weapon-related violence is still alive and well in Melbourne, with gross, abhorent and overtly violent displays of its existence often seen in public.
Yes, while these attacks and episodes consist primarily of a 'wrong place, wrong time' circumstance, the fact that we cannot walk the streets of our own city without fear of a crazed/drugged/unnecessarily violent street thug pouncing on us in demand of money, or worse still, nothing at all, only to have a near run-in with death is far beyond concerning.
But what remedies are available to our governing bodies or we as citizens who want a stop to this rubbish that makes itself ever-present on our streets and in our public venues?
Recently, many segments on kife use, knives in general and the possible technices and adoptable methods of control we can utilise in Melbourne to control said aspects of society have been created.
However, despite majority of the Melbourne population's desire and overwhelming cries for something to be done, we see no result.
If other victims that are vindicated against in Melbourne are able to ban togehter in defiance of the injustices against them, for example Vindaloo for Violence, surely we as a city's population can do the same for a wider, equally as great cause.
Exactly my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI've often wondered when the Melbourne government would do something about the problem's we're all facing with idiots and their knives.
I live in the central CBD and admittedly, while I've never run into any problems, it's always on the back of my mind.
The VIndaloo for Violence campaign you mentioned was pretty successful, too. I went with a few friends to a restaurant that was packed to the rafters with people in support of it, so I think if one campaign can manage to get that much support for one cause, something like the knife problem can too.
Good work.