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Marcus De Storm takes a journey down memory lane to a time when teens ran from cops, when the worst crime was stealing from your family and the most feared dread was facing the wrath of your Mother when you brought the police to the home.

Mother's Pride • Marcus De Storm To rewind time to a decade that saw attitudes and respect levels that were tolerable, many would think that we would have to go back a long, long way - but they would be incorrect.

The tolerable era was the 1980's; the decade of Cultural Change, Political upscale and the infamous Baby Boom. The 1980's were as much a time of reflection as any other, especially as there was one special feature with that decade as any other before it - Chemical Conscience. Exactly where the downward elevation of ‘Respect’ began was around 1982 - 1984, and according to records during that era, it was found that political stalemates, benefit shake-ups and a more difficult presentation of school exams had brought together a clash of conflicts; jobs were being lost faster than they could be gained, Y.T.S's and Community Programs were dealt out by the benefits as ultimatums and a war was brewing for the British Armed Forces. An almost silent implosion of stress, oppression and state anger exploded into public out cries, strikes and when the stability of the country faltered the introduction of harsher penalties were initiated.

Being a child of the 1960's, or the latter part at least, my earliest memory of the 1970's were of the local Councillor's - George Moody & Ted Heath - calling round the estates on their party campaigns. Of course, by the time Thatcher came into power the conundrum machine was well and truly in motion. People not only lost their jobs, but their livelihoods too, as slowly Public Services were sold off, School's, Prison's and Great Britain now became overcrowded as the nation went to war over a little island off the coast of Argentina - The cold and windy greenery isle known as The Falkland’s.

As Britain struggled through the 1980's, so too did the younger generations, as slowly the parent's became less concerned with their children's dilemmas and therefore tried to drown their problems out in both alcohol and drug's. Political parties promised a more stable country, more jobs, more investment in new businesses, but instead, what they gave was false hopes of the British man becoming successful while multi-million pound corporates became colossal.

As more and more countries were reported to have their own people standing up for themselves as a larger community, it came to pass that one of the greatest walls of oppression was forced to the ground. The 1990's saw many other landmark's in history happen, including the liberation of Kuwait, then later the taking down of one of the world’s worst dictators. All the while a blind eye was given to those of our young – The Jilted Generation.

By anger, bad memories and the ignorance of the younger generations it has come to a point where our children have grown up to shun the once normal hand gesture of friendship, refused to listen to the promises of Parliamentary members who speak of a better tomorrow, and spit in the eye of progress that threatens its communities. While in between there are those who are determined to going it alone - whatever the cost may be.

A remembrance that leaves a bad taste in your mouth is less likely to get the vote of the community as that which would help a community against anything that will take away its very soul.

As a family man brought up in and around Seacroft, Leeds, it has been a bitter pill to swallow seeing The Mighty Tesco rise from the soil of a once thriving Seacroft Town Shopping Centre, to a monstrosity they refer to as "Everything under one roof". Had a new Shopping Centre been erected, the community of Seacroft would, without a doubt be more than the place that it is now - Barren. For those who believe that I have no say in this area where The Seacroft Centre is concerned, then I can assure you all that I do. When my parents were given no alternative but to take the pittance in compensation for closing down their Café which was doing very good trade, not only did an icon of the Shopping Centre die, but a piece of the community soul was ripped away, too.

We are told as children, as the next generation, that we should be seen and not heard! This, as we are now seeing is not the case for the 21st Century; more and more mid to late teens are up front, honest and even more driven in their quest to 'Be heard' and it is this that the present generation of authorities and peers don't like, let alone appreciate. Yet, from the voices of those who have been otherwise silenced, the ideas are leached and taken without a second thought or mention of appreciation. In my own complete honesty, I DO NOT condone the riots disturbances and the destruction several weeks ago in London (September 2011). I can say, however, I'm surprised it hadn't come sooner.

Our Nation - what's left of it - is hanging on a very thin thread. It is from this thread that we can only theorise the future. For a lot of people, of all walks of life, the future looks bleak and as a result of bad investments by our very own government and banks we may not have the stability needed to progress. Without stability we have no hopes of coming back from the recession - as without an economy we cannot live on the hope of the UK getting back on its feet - therefore the rising violence and riots that surround British cities become the very least of our problems.

Direction.

As a concerned father of two six year old girls, it would be fair to say that the country, in which we all live, is not the same as the one my generation lived by during our youth. In its spiralling and somewhat prophesised decline, if I can refer to it as such, Britain appears to have lost something important something needed to progress - direction. Without direction, the whole infrastructure will eventually fail...right?

With more and more companies and organisations around the UK cutting, trimming, downsizing, economising and tightening the purse strings even tighter to beat the recession - yes, I said  the word "Recession"; because let's face it, the word of one Deputy Prime Minister of the newly formed Coalition can't be wrong...can he?

Finding direction for a country may seem hard to many, while to the few who realise the way to go is forward and to build as you mean to go on, then the theoretical fact speaks for itself - Either you want to take Britain out of the mess that it’s in, or you don't. If the answer is the latter, then what is the use of a pretence based on smoke and mirrors?

Political Mechanic Wanted.

When you have a problem with your vehicle, the first thing you do is...call the forth emergency service! Not quite. You contact a motor mechanic because the work that is needed cannot be done by you alone, so the mechanic goes through all the routine which starts with an 'Analysis', then 'Diagnostic', ending with the 'Fix' which will finally have your Pride & Joy running again. So in politics the same principle can be used, just as long as the Mechanics are those of equal intelligence as to know exactly when to call it a day.

Budgeting

When I was younger, my parents taught me to always have a reserve - a spare bit of cash that could see me through hard times of not having any money - therefore the Black Day would be brighter. They also told me that you can always make money from nothing, as long as there is something to show the buyer. This was nothing illegal or degrading it was basically that which I no longer needed being put to better use - Just not my use.

When we look at politics the Budgeting is not about that which we as a nation have no further need for, but that which we need more for a nation. Clarity tells us that we need production; utilities, food, water, justice, policing and defence, because if we lack these basic necessities we become a society that is Lawless and without the ability to replenish strength. Next on the agenda is that which feeds our Generations: Employment, Education, Training and then investment.

Laws will ring true a few home truths with those familiar with the way other people live their daily habits, so the introduction of the Waiver would have to be put into practice; the punishment of each crime must fit each crime at the very source of the meaning.

Regulations will be upstanding, justified and right. Where the act or process of penalization becomes necessary then so too do the Rules and Laws that protect those regulations - regardless of colour, creed or religious background.

Monopolizing & Globalizing.

A wise businessman once revealed that he started his company up on just £75.00, and today he is one of the richest men in the world. His whole attitude toward the UK wasn’t to be better than every other man out there but to be an equal. Sir Richard Branson is a man who has the respect and integrity which has earned him a place within the very homes of millions, though he is despised by many who believe that the “Playing Ball” is not in his British nature, and so, with a little push now and again they chip away at his ideals.

The power struggle of corporate companies brings no quick solution to any country, nor does the hostility purchases that bring a single company to own everything. If there is no healthy competition out there for a fairer trade, then Globalization will prevail and those that look for alternatives will find only that which the company sells…and for a higher price, too. One company that controls everything is TOO much power for one to have and with a single dominance over all that we need in this world there will soon be the revolution and war that our past generations fought to avoid.

We hear the ConDems Leader talk of giving small companies the help to grow, to flourish and to be a great part of the history in our societies. What has happened so far is the fading echo of these words, as slowly and surely more than fifty start-up companies fall to the wayside while from their demise the only winners from their failings are the Inland Revenue and other leach-like departments that take and take again, until nothing is left but the option to close down, sell off and fade away.

Deconstructing: Going Back To Basics.

John Major said it, and so did Neil Kinnock, when in a time before the 2008 recession we were in the black away from the pains of the approaching dark cloud that has covered each and every one of our countries in turn. “We are going back to basics”, they said, while all the time it was neither back or forward that we went. Instead the UK plunged into an abyss that was pre-warned, and yet, we still strode forward to enter the final phase which is now here.

If it was still safe to appoint the plan of “Going back to basics”, then now would be the perfect opportunity to do so, because if we were to stay where we are now without doing anything we would have failed; failed our ancestors, failed our Grandchildren, failed our children who are here to replace us and pick up where we left off – all of this will be for nothing, and so leaving them with nothing, too.

If we deconstruct before rebuilding, clean house and reappoint the positions to those that we know have a serious head on their shoulders, then, and only then will we see a brighter future without the prospects of famine, disease and society segregation expanding on a universal scale. If we can give our next generation something to hold onto for their children, and their children’s children, then we may beat the darkness that is looming and threatening to consume us all in a matter of a couple of years.

From where I am standing the future does not look bright, but for the sake and protection of my family, my children, my UK, I will do what I believe is right by it to make it a proud place to live. For all of our tomorrow’s failure is no longer an option.

© Marcus De Storm October 2011
marcusdestorm@hotmail.com
                                                              
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