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Posted on: January 31st 2020
Youth Politics
You're not to be so blind with patriotism that you can't face reality. Wrong is wrong, no
matter who does it or says it.”
â Malcolm X, By Any Means Necessary
Debating is my passion.
Ever since I was a mere toddler, mumbling words incoherently at every passer-by, I knew that I loved to talk. Talking is likely one of my favourite activities. Similarly, to many of you, who I presume enjoy talking as well, I realised the importance of speech at a very young age. A single change in inflection or intonation can completely change the meaning of our words and therefore our message. On the 8th of November 2019 I had an extremely clear message. This message was one of serenity, togetherness and unity towards our common enemy – the knife crime epidemic that has seduced those that this government and this social climate has simply forgotten.
I’ve spent roughly 6 years in youth politics, educating myself on the struggles facing all young people; those from different socio-economic backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations and many different avenues of life. One recurring issue that I’ve seen transcend strata is youth crime. Whether people embark on this painful and enduring journey due to poverty or general peer-pressure, the outcome is always the same. We cannot be ignorant to this and my speech at the House of Commons aimed to tackle this damning issue – stripping it down to its very core.
Fortunately, I was given this platform, by the UK Youth Parliament in concordance with UK Parliament, to make this speech and raise awareness for this issue for which I am eternally grateful. Unfortunately, however, raising awareness is simply not enough. This message cannot fall flat on deaf ears. The Government, and society, must act.
If anyone would like to listen to the speech, it can be found at this link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=197&v=QZzTY1azJ-U&feature=emb_logo) or by searching up ‘UK Youth Parliament – Afternoon Session 2019’ on YouTube.
Elia Yousf, Youth MP for Harrow
