Unprepared for a world of dangers

WHEN I read in the written media or see reports on television that yet another young person has lost their life in an unnecessary, sometimes bizarre, but always a tragic way, I despair.

They plunge from hotel balconies, are hit by trains and involved in high speed car crashes.

They choke on their own vomit, ingest highly dubious substances, go swimming in cold uncharted waters, even drink themselves to death while videoing the event... and the list goes on and on.

And how often do we read that a young person, often worse for drink, has lost their life after somehow becoming isolated from friends in the early hours 
of the morning and has attempted to make their way home choosing what appeared to be a highly risky route?

I have come to the conclusion that we, as teachers, parents and carers of young children do nothing to prepare them for the dangerous world in which they live.

And it is a dangerous world, with death always lurking just round the corner, waiting to grab the unwary.

The most worrying feature of these reports is that many 
of these young people are said 
to have been highly intelligent, and yet they lacked the most basic life skill of all... that of 
being able to appreciate the potentially dangerous situation they were in and take the appropriate action required 
in order to keep themselves 
safe.

From: David W Wright, Uppleby, Easingwold, North Yorkshire.

THE report concerning the “pre-loading” on alcohol (The Yorkshire Post, March 17) by young revellers in York and the tragic death of the student 
Megan Roberts, and the subsequent remarks made by Jane Mowat of Safer York Partnership and Julia Mulligan and their calls for an urgent “river safety summit”, are 
surely missing the vital point about personal responsibility 
of the revellers and their 
attitude to the obsession of boozing.

The installation of CCTV cameras along the River Ouse plus Street Angels will not stop the irresponsible behaviour particularly of the students, 
but one must ask from where do these students and young people get their money to spend on alcohol?

Years ago “young people” 
and particularly students were short of cash but were apparently more careful with their behaviour and hard-earned pocket money, but they were 
not bombarded with “cheap” booze and drinking at all 
hours – plus an apparent 
lack of self control and 
sense of personal responsibility.

No fast track to leadership

From: Keith Sturdy, Grimbald Road, Knaresborough.

I NOTE with interest that West Yorkshire Police is in the throes of recruiting an untrained Superintendent from another sector. I cannot see the reasoning behind this because policing is a skill that takes lots of years to acquire, particularly in the higher leadership ranks.

I also note the hundreds of thousands of pounds that have been spent, and are still being spent, enquiring into the policing events at Hillsborough. For many years in the police there has been the fast tracking of officers to the higher ranks, not always successful from what I have seen. Don’t the powers that be ever learn from past mistakes?

Roads a factor in bike deaths

From: Andrew Iveson, Ripon.

AS a biker in the age bracket you mention (The Yorkshire Post, March 19), it is an easy opt out to lay the blame with motorcyclists for accidents.

If you take a ride around North Yorkshire from the perspective of a two wheeled road user, you will find, other than the tour route, most roads are full of potholes, breaking up road surfaces and rutting.

Little wonder then that most accidents are caused by a loss of control. Where is the responsibility of the highways staff at local councils in keeping our roads in a fit-for-purpose condition?

Crimea’s 
free choice

From: John Fisher, Menwith Hill, Near Harrogate.

THE British government is criticising President Putin because he is supporting the decision of 95 per cent of the Crimean population who want to join Russia.

If this proportion of the population have voted of their own free will, then the position of Britain opposing their decision is untenable.

I would like to remind the Prime Minister that under our fantastic democratic first past the post system of electing governments he can only in his wildest dreams imagine the support of 95 per cent of the electorate. Over time British governments have been elected with the support of less than 40 per cent of the electorate and had this been the case in the Crimean referendum Putin would now be regarded as an evil undemocratic dictator.

The people of Ukraine who do not want to join Russia should given maximum support and protection by the countries opposing Putin But listening to David Cameron, a supporter of our totally undemocratic voting system, criticising a president who has polled a 95 per cent vote, is sickening to say the least.