Blair slams black gang violence
TONY Blair last night blamed black yobs for a recent spate of knife and gun murders — and urged their families to help sort out the problem.
He
ACCUSED black parents of turning a blind eye to their lawless teenagers, saying families and communities had to speak out against gang mayhem.
And he
WARNED it was dangerous to pretend anyone other than black thugs were behind soaring violence.
He added: “We won’t stop this by pretending it isn’t young black kids doing it.
“The black community — the vast majority of whom in these communities are decent, law-abiding people horrified at what is happening — need to be mobilised in denunciation of this gang culture that is killing innocent young black kids.”
The PM spoke out as a second teenager was remanded in custody charged with the murder of 14-year-old Paul Erhahon, who was stabbed to death in East London on Friday.
Paul is the seventh Londoner under 16 murdered since January.
Mr Blair delivered his hard-hitting message as he delivered the Callaghan Memorial Lecture in Cardiff.
He slammed black parents for failing to impose discipline on tearaway kids and said it was wrong for them to use poverty as an excuse.
He said: “Particular youngsters are being brought up in a setting that has no rules, no discipline, no proper framework around them.
“We kid ourselves if we don’t deal with this problem in any other way.”
Mr Blair insisted tougher penalties for knife and gun gangs and a zero-tolerance police crackdown were vital.
He added: “With knife and gun gangs, the laws need to be significantly toughened. Ringleaders need to be identified and taken out of circulation.”
His comments clashed with recent claims by West-Indian born Home Office minister Baroness Scotland that blacks were no more involved in gun crime than anybody else.
Last night Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: “We welcome the sentiment but after ten years in power the public will wonder why it has taken so long for him to speak up.”
The Commission for Racial Equality said: “The Prime Minister is right — this is a serious problem. We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it for fear of sounding prejudiced.
“It comes as no surprise that some young black men become involved in gang cultures. They do so because they feel they have no choice.”
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007160707,00.html
MESSAGE: He is only stating what the BNP have been stating for years yet the BNP were slated for it....