‘Blot’ no longer (From Malvern Gazette)

‘Blot’ no longer

12:54pm Friday 28th September 2007 in Letters

AT first glance at Graham Scaifes' letter (Your Letters, September 7), I believed I would support his view on dying Malvern.

However, when he placed young teenage mothers' among unpaid car tax discs and litter as blots on the landscape', I found it extremely offensive.

Young mothers have been unfairly discriminated against and used as scapegoats' and folk devils' for many, many years. This has promoted moral panics', resulting in extra negative media and political attention (as has often been the case with asylum seekers).

I personally became a mother at 16, and faced daily, rude, offensive unfounded snobby remarks. What do I do now? I expect people such as Graham would have already decided that in their minds, thanks to whatever totally unrepresentative television show they had seen on the subject.

Well at 20, I am now undertaking my law LLB degree at a prestigious university. During my time as a young, teenage parent I met many other intelligent, hardworking young mothers.

Plenty of them work, or stay at home, some with or without husbands or partners, as all round brilliant parents making the best of what is a very hard job at such a young age.

I am not suggesting that all young parents are perfect, but in the same light there are many mature' parents who are not. My point is that it is clearly no longer acceptable to presume the worst of a specific group based on a prejudice, and especially to advertise these views! For example, I'm sure Graham would not make a similar conclusion of an ethnic minority group.

There are problems in Malvern with drugs and crime, but the only way this can be solved is when the more old-fashioned' members of Malvern throw aside their prejudices and allow for activities and facilities for young people, rather than just dismissing them, or protesting against them so as the youth of Malvern have something to do, other than roam the streets.

But people with similar views so commonly found in Malvern need not worry, as I will be going to university in the south and will therefore no longer be such a "blot on the landscape".

E BRADSHAW, Malvern.