Bring back National Service??????

[keyholekatebaron]

I had two brothers who did 2 years in Germany National Service when I was young. I can't see many youngsters even passing the entrance exam/medical nowadays can you? Kate B.

[roxie_09]

maybe, if a young person (<18) offends more than 3 times, something should be done, as many of the youngsters appearing at court were too young to be sentenced. Not sure what could be done though, or maybe suspended sentences for when they are old enough to suffer the consequences? x

[bookbinder]

I did my National Service in the Army between 1960 and 1962. The question of using NS to instil a bit of self-discipline into young men was current then. I was told, by an officer, that the purpose of NS was not to straighten out potential bad boys; it was there to provide a defence force for the country. It did me some good, however. Not that I was a bad boy, just the opposite, but I learnt how to accept other people's faults and how to get along with them. By the way, there was no entrance exam for National Servicemen. An entrance exam implies that the candidate actually wants to join, but I and my mates were all conscripts, so nobody asked us for our opinions!

[New Judge]

We have professional armed forces in this country made up of people who want to be there and in many fields their skills and expertise are the envy of the world. The last thing those organisations should endure is the burden of thousands of scroats who cannot behave themselves infesting their ranks and lowering their standards. There is enough of that in schools. Furthermore, Army (or Navy or Air Force) life is not for everyone and there is no reason why someone who is doing well at, say, a plumbing apprenticeship should be dragged away from that to serve time in HM Forces.

That said, some form of “boot camp” discipline could well be of benefit to society for those youngsters who have shown they cannot behave. It would be far more beneficial than the “Referral Orders” to which, despite Mr Cameron’s powerful rhetoric, most of those under 18 will be sentenced. It is unlikely to cure them of their ways, but it will be deeply unpleasant for them whilst they’re there and will give the rest of us a brief respite from their despicable activities.

We must remember that the events of the last week are just an extreme version of what goes on in many towns week in week out. There is a sizeable (and growing) minority of children who have been brought up to believe that the world revolves around them and they can do as they like without being stopped and without fear of punishment. Up to now that belief has been well founded and it will continue to be so unless at least four things happen:

1. The police adopt a more robust attitude towards their misbehaviour (no more “cautions” for serious offences, all sections of the “community” to be policed equally).

2. The CPS stop “under charging” and refusing to proceed unless they have virtually 100% chance of conviction.

3. The justice system is streamlined. (Justice delayed is very often justice denied and many of those charged following the riots will not face trial until well into next year if they plead not guilty).

4. Sentencing guidelines are revised. Magistrates and judges are legally bound by these and it is no use Mr Cameron suggesting that they will suddenly somehow be ignored to give him a good bit of press coverage.