How dare they!!!

[Debbiedle]

On Saturday evening my kids and 2 of their friends went to the local primary school carnival where they met up and hung around with old school friends from the area.

A brief description of these kids may help you understand the context of this post.
My son: 6 ft 2 is going on 17 and plays lock for an U20 club side (Grade 11)
His friend 1 : 6 ft plays center for U19 A side (Grade 11)
Other friend 6 ft: built like an average 17 year old (Matric)
My daughter: 5 foot 9 (Grade 8)

I phoned them at about 11h00 to say I am on my way to collect them, they replied that I was being paranoid, the streets are full of children and cars and people leaving, we live approximately 1 km away from the carnival, they will walk.

These 4 kids got robbed at gunpoint and one was stabbed! Josh the kid who was stabbed is thankfully fine, but all of them as large as they are, were helpless against 1 person with a gun and a knife!

Carnival/Party in area, lots of pedestrians, kids/teenagers get targeted, asked the time/ for a light /offered a cigarette all in an attempt to suss out what they have with them (either at the carnival or at the gate or just outside the gate) - perpetrators walk away and attack them around the first corner where the traffic has died down.

I am now 48 hours later ready to kill! Enough of this crap!

[Dave A]

I'm reminded of a line "Don't bring a knife to a gunfight" - can't remember which movie it came from.

Debbie, I'm so sorry to hear this. It must have shaken the kids pretty badly too.

I know there have been a few times when I've felt the same way. I remember one time when my wife was a victim of a smash and grab in the vehicle right behind me. I chased the bastard in my car the wrong way down a one way street. The crowd magically parted for the perpatrator, but seemed to be getting in my way and within 100 metres he had disappeared. Rage and frustration are a powerful mix. It all happens so fast the crowd, I guess, can't figure out who's the bad guy in all this in time to make a difference. And of course, the total lack of interest at the police station (we'll never catch this guy attitude) doesn't help either.

I just wanted to

My wife, a couple of years later, still won't drive through that area on her own. And even when she's a passenger with me, she visibly stiffens when I drive through that intersection.

[entoserv]

If we all went around armed to the teeth would it make it any better or worse. Imagine if we send our children out with a gun in their pocket or purse

Our best chance as ordinary people is to be the eyes and ears. The police need to do the action part. If we try I am sure we would do it badly and hurt innocent people. But the police must take us seriously and actually follow up. Sometimes I think they have given up even trying.