At the end of your tether? You can say that again. I was both amazed and outraged when I saw a picture of our councillor on the front page of the Gazette with the headline ‘Facebook ban over “club them” comment’.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was just a spur of the moment comment after these youths are intent on smashing our town after all the hard work volunteers have done. I must be investigated then and I bet most of the people out there who have said “I’ll murder you” or similar, perhaps to an unruly child or whatever. It certainly doesn’t mean that you are going to do it. It means that you’re at the end of your tether with the situation – a phrase used by many people.
OK, I expect someone will say that they don’t, which is fine. It’s just a generalisation said in the heat of the moment without pre-meditated thought of harming anyone. I wouldn’t mind betting that a lot of us oldies will know where I’m coming from as we were largely brought up with discipline. Our parents would then indeed ‘murder’ us as you might say, and that’s after a right good old telling off!
Where’s discipline when you’re at the End of Your Tether…
The word ‘discipline’ seems to be disappearing from the English language. Not with everyone of course, there are more good people out there than bad. But many, many people have said to me that a good old fashioned course of discipline would have stopped these things before they started. I only had to put a toe out of line and my dad would give me his “don’t dare do that again look” and I behaved, or else.
A lot of parents still have good values. But too many parents aren’t interested in where their offspring are, especially at night. They should be made responsible for the damage and destruction their children cause. Maybe if they are hit in their pockets they might be more interested in what their children are doing.
As for the Facebook ban? He was muted for a few days by the private group in which the comment was made. Not quite a ‘ban’.
A Personal View
Anyway, back to our councillor, who by the way is the best councillor this town has had. He cares about the town and the people where he lives and tries his best to do what he can. He has been a councillor for some years and is a member of the Cleveleys Coastal Community team, Care for Cleveleys, who volunteer to make the town smarter and better for us all.
The council in their wisdom (not) have launched an investigation after a complaint about the Facebook comment. Even though he didn’t say it in his role of councillor but as a private individual, like you and me. As he says, self defence is his constitutional law under the criminal Law Act 1967. He also goes on to say that it was his personal view as a citizen and has nothing to do with his council duties.
He reacted, as we all did, to the amount of wanton damage done by feral youths gathered in big numbers. I think it’s fair to say that we are sick and tired of vandals doing what they want, when people are trying to create a nice place to live.
On the rampage
They’ve torn up, smashed and ploughed their way through the planters looked after by volunteers. Trampled all over the plants on the circle of the clock garden. Then it came to light about the gang of about 40 on the beach at Anchorsholme, threatening and abusing families who were enjoying the evening on the beach. It’s enough to put anyone at the end of your tether.
These youths were seen to carry knives and although the police were sent for, guess what, they did nothing. How used are we to that, I wonder. There have been knives wielded on Jubilee Gardens, two windows smashed in the Jubilee pub which is being renovated, and that featured in the same paper a few more pages in –
There was glass smashed everywhere at Anchorsholme Park. It’s alleged that these 40-50 teens are from Blackpool. That’s the trouble, displace them and they move on. Ridiculous!.
When the council are busy investigating our poor councillor, they want to think about all the good things he has done.
One of the good guys
Where were the council when people repeatedly complained about the drainage channels being blocked on the High Street? Large pools of water gathered on pavements when it rained, making it just about impassable. They were nowhere as usual. He and some other volunteers spent days on their hands and knees, systematically cleaning them out one by one. Doing the job that the council should have done.
He also cleaned all the Graffiti up when the Jubilee pub was closed the first time. Of his own accord he spent days going round the pub cleaning it all off. There was a lot, what sort of impression does that give to visitors! The list is endless along with in the past being awarded two commendations from the police for supporting officers in difficult occasions. He has zero tolerance for knife carriers, thuggery and criminal damage.
Does that sound like someone who goes around threatening teens? I think not. I’m sure that the residents are outraged that the council are investigating him. Maybe we ought to turn it round and investigate the council. I wonder what that would show!!!
Other blogs you might be interested in:
- Pots of Fun
- Tragedy in Open Water
- Ode to a Railing
- My Old Town
- Adventures with Spiders
- Bombarded with Sport
While you’re here…
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