Knife: Not Cool

By Janet Oluwapeyibomi Adebanwo

Writing this book has given me the privilege to know more about youth crime, than I ever knew. As a youth myself, i pains me to see other teenagers and youth dying primarily in the hands of their fellow youths. And it makes me feel so sick. So one of the reasons for writing this book is to reach out to the youths out there so that they can change for the better. This book is written to show the youths that taking people's lives is something that is evil and shouldn't be allowed to continue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Sep 20, 2010
• ISBN: 9781453566930

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Copyright © 2010 by Janet Oluwapeyibomi Adebanwo.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2010912762

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4535-6692-3

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4535-6691-6

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4535-6693-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Contents

Introduction

Foreword

Acknowledgements

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

Introduction

Writing this book has given me the privilege to know more about youth crime, than I ever knew. As a youth myself, it pains me to see other teenagers and youth dying primarily in the hands of their fellow youths. And it makes me feel so sick. So one of the reasons for writing this book is to reach out to the youths out there so that they can change for the better. This book is written to show the youths that taking people’s lives is something that is evil and shouldn’t be allowed to continue.

The society is watching the government and the police, and continue to wonder if they are putting in their best to curb this evil and painful crime. Parents are also not seen to be doing enough in their responsibilities towards their children. If children were brought up in the right way, perhaps knife crime incidents wouldn’t be as endemic as we are currently witnessing. Blood is being splattered everywhere, innocent lives are being taken and great dreams and ambitions are being shattered just like that. And there seems to be no end to it in sight.

With this book, I am imploring those out there who derive satisfaction from killing their fellow mates to please halt and think of the agony their action is bringing to families and friends of their victims. To tell them that the act is atrocious and that having delight in taking another person’s life is pure evil and whatever you sow, you shall reap. So my message is: Please Stop! Taking someone’s life hurts. It brings grief to parents and loved ones and makes the society a place where we all fear for our lives. Parents fear for the safety of their children. Youths also fear for their lives because the streets have suddenly become dangerous to walk, even in broad daylight.

The country where I come from, young people live in harmony with one another. This is basically because parents train their children in the right and proper way. You hardly hear of news about teenagers carrying knives and stabbing one another because it is not a culture they are used to. With this I am trying to bring out a point, that parents are the major decider of who their child grows up to become. The type of influence parents have on their children either positive or negative is what primarily determines a child’s future.

As youths we are meant to work hand and in hand to help each other, and not work to destroy one another. Or cause another’s downfall. As leaders of tomorrow we are the ones that are meant to set the pace so that others can follow? And as leaders of tomorrow we are supposed to prepare and build our future from now, and not to destroy our lives from a very young age.

The government have restricted the powers of parents and teachers in instilling discipline in children and students. Myself as a student, it pains me seeing fellow students being rude to their teachers and teachers having no power to punish them. This only encourages students to do whatever they wish having the knowledge that no one can do anything to them.

How shameful is it also to see underage children smoking cigarette and drinking alcoholic drinks. It’s either they copied the acts from their parents or they have no proper parental guidance. And when they are not cautioned at that age they get used to it and find it hard to stop the habit. In this book the negative effects of alcohol and other dangerous drugs are highlighted. The reality is that many youths don’t see it as something bad, because it appears they are left to do whatever they fancy.

And when someone is under the influence of these substances, anything can happen. You can harm and kill at will. But if you put yourself in the victim’s position perhaps you will know how painful it is to be at the receiving end. Parents grieve over their lost ones, and you don’t know how hard it is for them to accept that they are dead. While you feel you have achieved something, you don’t know if you are the next victim.

So what is the way out from all this? Parents should sit up and take proper responsibility over their children and bring them up in the best way possible. Parents and society should also show children the love and care they deserve but still set boundaries for them. The government should give teachers more power in order to control rude and unruly students. The police ‘‘stop and search’’ operation should be strengthened to have more impact. Aside from other deterrents, councils should intensify their recreational activities in order to reduce mischief. And let us all work together to make Britain and the world safe place to live in.

Foreword

This is a book I will strongly recommend to be in every library in the whole of the UK and also to be made available for all works of life, no matter the profession or occupation. This is a book that definitely will transform the lives of youths for the better and encourage parents to take, to a high proportion, more interest in their involvement in their children’s upbringing.

Moreover, this is a book that gives encouragement and hope to all parents, irrespective of where you are as a parent.

The author’s writing style is worth acknowledging, including the following:

1. The clarity of points

2. Facts entailed

3. The figures

4. Detailed Information

5. Categories of topics

6. Ability to suit and reach a wide range of audiences

7. Excellent use of vocabularies

8. The propositions and solutions

This is a work whose usefulness surely surpasses the age group of the author and serves as a solution to the problem we all encounter one way or the other in handling our young people. A must read for all categories i.e. people in authority, world leaders, law enforcement agencies, parents, school teachers, youth leaders, social workers, etc. The wealth of facts and information contained in this book is invaluable and cannot be faulted.

This makes it very clear that undoubtedly we all have a responsibility to put an end to knife killing and untimely deaths that we encounter daily in our communities.

I would highly recommend that this book should be used as manual to reprimand youth in prisons, schools and colleges, and other youth institutions with its particular reference to peer pressure and its generational effects, and shattered dreams. The role model section of the book is especially inspiring and instructive.

My question therefore is: Who is your mentor? Clearly this book has intensely sharpened our need of having mentors in our