Dark and Cloudy Days for Golden Youth
They see themselves as Sunshine Coast royalty – surly surf rats accustomed to the admiration of their peers and the local bikini brigade.
They move well in the water, effortlessly performing 360s and slides. But on land many are monosyllabic, slouching through life with their tongues tied and bum cracks exposed, wearing the ability to surf and score chicks like a badge of honour.
Maroochydore court is full of them.
One long Friday, more than 30 teens and associated youths appeared on drink-driving and assault charges.
Before a thin-lipped magistrate they arrived in thongs and board shorts.
In the back of Court Two the gilded youths slouched and scuffed, shrugged, smirked and scowled, texted, talked and admired one another's tatts.
In unironed surf wear they reclined, put their feet on seats and generally relaxed.
Despite the formal nature of the setting they felt no fear, superior in their surf-god status and secure in the knowledge they wouldn’t be sentenced to anything serious.'
“I don’t remember none of it” says a teen charged over drunk and disorderly conduct, obstructing the police and unlawful damage. “I don't remember nothing.”
He shrugs, tilts his sun-bleached head to one side and pouts. Cops a $4000 fine and two years to pay it off. Smiles and leaves with a smug blonde at his heel!
His replacement steps up. A 19-year old on drink-driving and disqualified-driving offences. Then there's a third, up for assault, and a fourth who answers his mobile while addressing the magistrate. “Yeah, yeah I'm in court right now." he sniggers. “I’m up for D/D, ya dickhead.”
He hangs up and looks, over his shoulder, flashes his teeth at his equally youthful friends and laughs at his own audacity. He cops a conviction, 12-month suspended licence and a $1200 fine.
As the day goes on the magistrate tires, worn down by the recurring offences, lack of regret and legal representation. Few surf rats seek a solicitor.
One after another, for a grand total of six hours, they present, chains hanging from back pockets, and caps on in court.
But they're not all surfers. Other offenders nabbed over the weekend include a weedy Goth and a former used-car salesman. The latter appears on his sixth drink-driving offence and is forced to forgo his licence.
The man’s ID joins a growing pile next to the police prosecutor, a man who looks jaded by the legal system.
For most people, just one day in this courtroom is too much. While some cynicism is healthy and independence to be admired, this is different, darker.
The avalanche of arrogant adolescents is abhorrent, their so-called good looks, and languid charm laughable.
Comment
The above article is only one of a constant stream that details a lack of respect for those in authority. Recently, offenders were reported spitting on the police who tried to intervene as a consequence of their inappropriate behaviour.2 Teachers were attacked in classrooms3, and some are reported taking self defence courses to protect themselves from classroom violence.4
ENGAGE suggests that neither legislation nor punishment alone can achieve a change in attitude within these self-indulgent youths. Perhaps their education should not only provide a value system taught in the classroom, but also grounds for the motivation necessary to uphold these values in a real world context of challenges, hurts and pains.
The following quote by Simone Weil5 would appear to summarize where our main focus should be:
“Education – whether its object be children or adults, individuals or an entire people, or even oneself – consists in creating motives. To show what is beneficial, what is obligatory, what is good – that is the task of education. Education concerns itself with the motives for effective action. For no action is ever carried out in the absence of motives capable of supplying the indispensable amount of energy for its execution.”
In order to achieve social harmony, education from all its various sources, whether parents, extended family or schooling and even media should equip children to live in community with an attitude of respect and care for the wellbeing of others, in contrast to self-indulgent arrogance.
Sadly, if role models, affluence and the influence of media contribute to an attitude of individualism outside the confines of community, the type of attitude depicted in the above article and its associated behaviour will only continue to detract from the wellbeing of society.
The question that remains to be answered is “What is necessary to change this attitude?”
1 “Dark and Cloudy Days for Our Golden Youth” by Lou Robson, Sunday Mail, 9 March ‘08.
2 “Offenders spitting on police to infect them” by Shannon Molloy, Brisbane Times, March 1, 2008.
3 “Teachers put lives at risk”, Herald Sun, 7 April, 2008.
4 “Teachers need self-defence”, by Bruce McDougall, Daily Telegraph, 18 March 2008.
5 “The Need for Roots” by Simone Weil, Trans Arthur Wills, Routledge, London, Reprint 2006.
2 Quoted from 'Call off the lynch-mob', by Matthew Parris, The Times, London.
ENGAGE welcomes suggestions for topics to be included in these discussions and would consider offers to host such forums by community groups.