Persuasion and Influence Speech: - Mandatory Army Service 16 – 18 year olds

Attention Step

We as a nation have become soft! We have a youth culture of violence. It has always been there. Mods, rockers, skinheads, vandals and joy-riders. The only real difference now is that the age of offenders is much younger and they seem to enjoy a greater immunity from punishment.

Why is this? The introduction of Trash Culture is specifically British and has become the mainstream culture across the United Kingdom. Out with discipline, in with binge drinking, smoking, stupidity, the active hatred of intelligence & responsible behaviour, fashion-conscious youths, ignorant uneducated adults, misbehaviour at school, petty crime, organized crime, violence, homophobia, racism and xenophobia. The beast has been unleashed!

If our culture encouraged us to be citizens rather than consumers then these kinds of issues wouldn't arise with such dreary frequency. Responsibility for one's actions within a society framework is something that can be taught and integrated into behavioural norms. Is it really the childrens fault? How can an undisciplined generation bring up a disciplined one? Are we truly the great nation we think we are?

Need Step

The amount of young people engrossing in this trash culture is rising. In a national survey, conducted by the Home Office, on problem behaviour among young people, one in ten eleven year old boys and almost a quarter of sixteen year olds said they had carried a weapon in the past year. One in five sixteen year old boys admitted attacking someone intending to hurt them seriously. More than four out of ten students in Year 10 (14-15 years olds) and over half in Year 11 acknowledged 'binges', where they consumed five or more alcoholic drinks in a session. Three out of ten boys and one in four girls in Year 11 (15-16 year olds) said they had used cannabis at least once.

Discipline throughout children’s lives is withering away. Smacking was outlawed in the 1980’s and since then teachers have struggled to cope with problematic children in the class room. Headmaster Paul Council from Wilson’s Grammar School said “The classroom has become a battle ground.” Threatening children with detentions or simple raising your voice does not discourage children from behaving badly.
Satisfaction Step
How do you battle against this? How can you issue discipline without it being challenged? Future generations need mandatory army service. I propose that children who are 16 – 18 years old must complete at least one year. Children who are currently attending school can postpone their service until they have finished their secondary school studies. Children who leave school at 16 must enrol for army service for at least two years.

Why will the army service help? Diversity - Service helps different people come together and realize the true nature of an all-inclusive society. It helps them understand the problems of other classes, professions, cultures, and educational levels. Home Office statistics also show that racist incidents recorded by the police, in this country, have increased by 7% in 2005. Children are frightened of what they don’t know, the army will give them a chance to work in teams with people from a variety of cultures and religions. Make their own opinions on them not live off past stereotypes.
Careers - The army provides a future for children who do not know where to turn too, who don’t know what they can achieve. They can find where their strengths lie. Logistics, Human Resources, Administration and Finance, Engineering, Linguistics are but a few careers available for the children to choose. It provides them with a future and abright one at that!
Exercise – An Article released by the Daily Mail in 2006 suggested the UK will see a 14 per cent rise in obesity by 2010. Children have become inactive, would rather play there playstation then go down the park with their friends. Would rather sit on their computers or laptops, then go to the gym. The army will keep the children active and ingrain it into their nature. Discipline – The army is an institution of discipline, it runs on discipline. Bad behaviour will not be tolerated. Bad behaviour will be punished. The children will learn right from wrong, to stand on their on two feet, to be independent.
The army will provide every child in Britain with common ground. It will unite a nation.
According to the Journal of Scandinavia in Criminology Norway, Sweden and Finland boast the lowest youth crime rate in Europe, they have integrated this Mandatory army service into their culture. They use the service as an ideal tool for teaching population basic, important skills such as first aid, wilderness survival and discipline. In Finland, acquiring a reserve military rank is considered by people a valuable asset for a manager position in civilian work, carrying prestige comparable to education, work experience or recommendations. We should turn to our allies and use them to set an example.
Visualisation Step
Close your eyes and imagine tranquillity. A world where you could walk past a group of children without fear. Imagine a world where children respected the elderly, opened doors for them helped them. Imagine a world where you could talk to children without them cursing or swearing. Imagine a world without the constant flash of blue neon lights and spilt blood! Imagine! Just Imagine!
Action Step
We are apart of this culture, now we must change our culture! Something needs to be done before the streets of Britain become overrun by anti social behaviour. Before control is handed to the young! Before chaos rules the streets! We must teach the next generation to bleed as one. Not make each other bleed.

References

Home Office Statistics on UK youth culture, 2006

Daily Mail, UK, December 10th 2006 “ New Scanner shows hidden fat”

Journal of Scandinavia in Criminology, 2006-12-13

BBC News Education Website
And thats what really grinds my gears!