Thursday, 23rd February 2012
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| Editorial comment January 28, 2012 |
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By Coen Lammers The skatepark in the heart of Ashburton appears to have become a mixed blessing for the community. When it was first opened, it was welcomed as a major step to stop bored children and teenagers loitering around the streets of Asbhurton and muzzled the ancient complaints that the town had nothing to offer the youth.The skatepark has been a terrific initiative, offering a focal point for a generation that increasingly prefers to play computer games, surf the internet or watch television rather than join the more traditional sports clubs. Many of the younger groups prefer to do their activities on their own terms, in their own time and without any structure or adult interference. Creating a skatepark has been a wonderful way to reach those youngsters, get them off the couch and physically active, without forcing any structure or commitments on them. The number of youths zooming around on their boards, bikes or scooters on West Street, proves the ongoing attraction and success of the skatepark. It is therefore a crying shame to read the comments from parents and children that the park's future is threatened by violence and rubbish. As often is the case, the people causing most of the problems are small in numbers and often not even involved or interested in using the facility for its intended purpose. Some youngsters keen for a scrap, simply take their anti-social behaviour to the skatepark, intimidating younger children, throwing stones at trains and abusing any adult who is courageous enough to confront them. These thugs – and that's all they are, whether they are eight or 18 years old – cannot be allowed to run roughshod over the wider community. Council and police at this stage wash their hands of any responsibility, arguing that they can only act on specific complaints, but that is simply not good enough. The community must take its share of responsibility to confront any violence and nip it in the bud, while the authorities need to look at solutions that will give parents the confidence that their children are in a safe environment. If not, the park will die a slow death and become a gathering place for bored youths looking for trouble, which was exactly what the skatepark was intended to combat.
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