Built into ordinary people (the majority of us) is a set of principles. These prevent us from committing criminal acts. We need neither fear of being caught nor of retribution as a deterrent. We acquire these principles, as well as self discipline, in childhood in a normal family. Very regrettably, our society in the last 40 years has systematically derided and attempted to destroy the normal family, advocating its replacement by a ‘menage’ of various sorts in which children grow unsupervised and with no examples set for them. We revel in the misfortune of having no father in the house, which may sometimes be chaotic and drug ridden. 

We now reap the harvest of our folly. We have managed to produce a generation including a proportion of undisciplined, selfish, knife-carrying individuals, totally lacking in self control. They will thieve, or murder as the urge takes them. More policing will help, but will not deal with the root of the problem. Nor can we expect the schools to solve this problem for us. Bring back the responsible father and mother in the home and give them the means to survive on adequate wages for a good day’s work, together with the time and space to bring up our children.

Hubert Porte

Madley