I found in research to this project that much of the suspicions against youths are assumptions. The elderly establishments use their media and accusations as weapons against us. The local newspapers are the definite worst for generalizing teens or youths. They simply describe us all as "hoodies", because of our attire. What difference does clothing make, "Cardiganies?" This is a huge, and ridiculous generalization used by far too many local newspapers. I once read a passage from the Evening Post, a local Portishead newspaper. It explained how after a Friday night the large sculpture of a boat was taken from an island coming into Portishead. The whole article explained how they found the sculpture, and how there was no evidence leading towards the people who took it. Yet, at the end of the article, it said, "It is believed to be youths". They had just said there was no evidence! How in the name of Christ can you be pointed towards youths! It is a large possibility, but there are obviously other options. I couldn't understand how they could come to a conclusion of youths. Were we the scapegoat? Were we the fall guy? It doesn't seem very brave or justified to spring the blame on to the town's young. In fact it almost seems as if they want people to dislike the youths.

Youths aren't the only vandalisers, so why paint us all with the same brush? Talking of painting, a while back, two middle- aged men, past their best and unable to even enjoy the piss-ups of life anymore, were walking back from the Prince Albert pub in Trafalgar Street, in Brighton, drunk, and disorderly. They were reported to have painted over Banksy's policemen graffiti art- vandalism at its worst. To deliberately paint over a brilliant work of art is appalling. And yet, after this, youths are still speculated as vandals, and rebels, and something to be avoided.

These middle-aged men and women are people who hate their jobs, their lives, their existences. They're the party-poopers, they're the ‘MAN', and they're the people we don't want to become. You can pretty much count that these people all wanted to be someone else when they grew up, do something else, turn out as something better—but didn't.

But a thought just occurred to me; and I can hear the gasps of my readers as I say this, maybe, once upon a time (in a Galaxy far, far away!) they were very much like we are today; rebellious from time to time, hating their parents, fighting authority. But the inevitable happened, they became their father! I know it's easy to think they were just born an old fart, and conformed with society until they got a job to complain about, but chances are, they were the ‘us' of their day. But if that's true, why do they treat their bright, shining and ambitious youths so unfairly, when, surely they could relate to them so easily? The truth is there is no reason.

They declare war on us, which is pretty stupid as we are young, fit and strong and will always kick their ass. For sure we'll live longer.

But if the above is true, in the end, all us youths who think that we are being unfairly treated will also grow up, grow out of it, grow to the future, and maybe, just maybe turn into their fathers.

So I'm putting away all of the mirrors in my house because I know I'm not going to like what I see.