Hey Ma…

Ha Ma Album Cover

This picture opposite is the Album cover for the new James Album.

As Quoted:

“On March 13 2008, the tabloid publication the Sun printed an article entailing a ban on the use of the album art on billboards, relating to fears concerning the baby and the gun images found on the album’s sleeve. While the ban still remains, the band are still refusing to change the album cover.

Later, Darren Hughes, the designer of the album art, went on to issue a statement on the ban:

You need only to have a passing acquaintance with the headlines to be aware of the unfolding horror show of gun culture amongst kids in the UK. Whilst the media are quick to show condemnation and, in the governments barricading of not just our airports but now our train and bus stations and schools with metal detectors, armed police and dogs, their strong armed ‘climate of fear-inducing’ response.

But we seem less able, less curious to raise the vital question, as to what has brought our country, our culture our kids to be so taken with guns?”

This last quote sums up what our problem is. You can ban stuff like the album cover above, but really along with all the stops and searches being carried by the police, the metal detectors the emphasis on punishment, punishment and more punishment, all this skirts around two issues.

1. People who carry firearms and indeed Knives know the risk if they get caught, but it hasn’t stopped them from doing so,

2. Why are they doing this?

The root causes of these issues are social and cultural.

If you are looking to reduce gun/knife crime by bringing in tougher sentencing then you really are looking in the wrong place.