ANOTHER DEATH MARCH

Today David Idowu’s family led a march of 300 friends, family and neighbours to 10 Downing Street. Another Nigerian lost to a knife crime on the streets of London echoing the loss of Damilola Taylor. But a 14-year old? Top of his class David was due to give an anti-crime related speech only days before he was brutally knived. It seems these days, not a day goes by when some teenager or pre-teen is stabbed or shot on the streets of London. Youths killing youths and though politicians dwell forever on it, no solution has been found yet. It’s epidemic.What makes even less sense in this particular case was that David was killed because he was wearing his uniform.

So why was I so affected by David’s death? Perhaps because he is the cousin of a close friend of mine.I cannot even begin to think of the pain and horror he must have faced in his 2-week battle to live after he had been stabbed. I do not want to try to imagine how his young heart felt as it took the plunge of the cold metal. But I’m sure it didn’t feel like a day at Legoland.

Everyone knows these cases are peculiar to the black community in London. There are whispers everywhere that this is what immigration brings to a society. Even though I know many blacks are honest, decent people, slowly, I’m beginning to agree.

Jean, Guest author