So as of today, going to university is now going to be almost compeletly identified with accumulation of a stupid amount of debt instead of the wonderful oppertunities it can bring to your life.
No doubt you have seen the reports of the violent protests by students in London today, it appears to me that the violence is the only thing the BBC are telling us about. But there was quite a bit of peacful protest going on and some of the 'violence' could at worst be described as minor anti social behaviour. So a few iconic statues were vandalised, windows smashed a few bonfires lit and grafitti everywhere, these actions are the only way some young people have of getting the attention of adult society.
Some violence did occur and has occured on previous protests but given the amount of people involved in these protests it has been a small proportian who have been involved in the violence. Infact there have been reports of intervention from other young people.
'a group of students, so young as to still be in school uniform, surrounded said van and persuaded the half-hearted and under-equipped would-be attackers to leave the thing alone.
As far as I am aware it is still there with a new gloss of grafitti and various swear words. But it has not been burned.'
this comes from the channel 4 news pages witnessed and written by Alex thomson
It is an age old question, ever since people have began to demonstrate for what they beive in there has been those who feel peaceful protest is the only way to be taken seriously and those who frustration boils over into headline grabbing violence, but who does the most good for the cause? Some belive that peacful protest is to easliy swept under the carpet and ignored by those in power and so the only way to show them how outraged and serious you are is to attack them, or other significant symbols of power, by force.
I'm a fence sitter on this one in so much that i feel that when people become violent it is a loss of control and you lose the upper hand and are portrayed as nothing but a mindless thug, however small acts of anti social behaviour can have a desired affect of letting people know just how annoyed and frustrated you are without causing anyone any physical harm, grafitti being a prime example. By far my favourite act of the day which has been reported was of people throwing christmas baubles full of paint at police, with all there riot gear on its not going to hurt them and its a seasonal variation on eggs.
In the end though the whole process is frustrating because quite clearly peacful or violent, parliment voted to ignore the millions of young people across the country who have stood up and shown there views on tuition fees. those who were old enough to vote and chose the lib dems on there defence of education stance now feel even more betrayed and untrusting of our democratic system.
'The Liberal Democrat U-turn has radicalised them. They tried the parliamentary route. They voted for the Lib Dems on the basis of fees and it achieved nothing. No wonder they're not interested in having Labour do the same thing to them.'
http://www.politics.co.uk/comment/education/comment-eyewitness-at-the-parliament-square-demo-$21386187.htm
So what is the next move, what do you do when you feel powerless and that no one is listening?
