No More Victimhood

NEWS & POLITICS | FEATURE | Knife crime statistics are rising, but why?

Knife crime in London has reached epic proportions, and not in a good way. Is it too late to suggest that it’s an epidemic? Because it just might be.

According to the BBC, knife crime is at its highest level since 1946 in England and Wales. There have been 245 homicides by knives or sharp instruments as of March 2018. One in four victims were men aged 18-24, and 25% of victims were black. Not that race should have anything to do with it, but I do fear for my community.

Have we really set the bar so low for ourselves that we consider good parenting and environments as the exception, not the rule?

As a young man of Caribbean heritage, the stats show that I am disproportionally more likely to be killed by stabbing than any other community. This is worrying, for me and my Afro-Caribbean brethren.

Being brought up in a conservative Christian household, it was pretty straightforward for me when it came to right and wrong. Putting the religious beliefs aside for a moment, there were good, wholesome values that were instilled into me from an early age. It’s something that I’ll carry to my grave. It’s part of me now; I couldn’t ignore those values if I tried.

Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that not everyone has had it as good as I have, but then I think, have I actually had it that good? The values are one thing, but the environment I was brought up in wasn’t as good as it should be. Single parent household.Merciless bullying during secondary school. I did have a relationship with my father though, which is important to mention.

I question all of these things because I refuse to set the bar so low for myself. Yes, I grew up in church. Yes, I had values instilled into me. Yes, I had a community that loved and cared for me. Yes, I had a relationship with my father (which is vital; knowing who he is isn’t the same). But, I don’t see these things as particularly praiseworthy or something that I should be disproportionally thankful for. I expect my parents to instil values in me. I expect to have a relationship with my father. These are not things that should be so rare that people should be jealous of me for having them.

Have we really set the bar so low for ourselves that we consider good parenting and environments as the exception, and not the rule? Because if we have, we’re in deep trouble.

Ultimately, in my opinion, it’s all to do with your mindset. As much as I agree with the fact that other factors can have an effect on a person, there is always a choice. Everybody has a choice. Everybody is in control of their own destiny. You do not have to allow yourself to become a victim of your circumstances.

The reason why we admire people like Oprah Winfrey because, despite adversity and all the odds being stacked against them, they persevered, hung on and made something of themselves. That’s how we grow as people.

Success cannot be enjoyed without failure. At some point in our lives, we will fail. We will make mistakes. We will stumble. We will fall. It’s inevitable. Our true strength is in our determination to pick ourselves up, and keep going.

If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.