Beth Shelley, Booerie Creek.
Recently I read that a section of our local playground was seriously damaged by vandalism. I felt very sad because it was a favourite area for my grandchildren. I didn’t feel angry with those who did it however. I’ve worked in youth services with many young people who didn’t have pushbikes, their families didn’t have cars so they were stuck in violent neighbourhoods with no escape.
The school system failed them but TAFE used to do a great job of engaging them in education. However under recent governments TAFE is almost completely destroyed, funding for support services has been vandalised and some young people have no job opportunities and no hope for the future.
If I looked around and saw that I had nothing and other people had everything simply because of where they were born or their race I would feel angry at the injustice of society. I would feel condemned and outcast by a society that shows no care for me and obviously prefers me out of sight and out of mind. I might want to show how angry I feel and rage against the cold and heartless society that is shutting me out.
As politicians and rich people continue to focus on increasing the inequality in this country we might see more rage from the hopeless and forgotten poor. Please let’s think again.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
