Mothers act on gun war

Richard Butt
14/ 3/2008

ONE of the perks of my job is that I get to meet some remarkable people.

Patsy McKie is one such woman.

Her son, Dorrie, was shot dead in Hulme in 1999.

For a mother to lose a son in such a way must be unbearable. But Patsy is made of amazing stuff.

I met her with a cameraman in a park in Longsight last week to discover her views about children carrying guns.

A child under 10 is under the age of criminal responsibility and, therefore, more or less untouchable by the law. There have been some – although mercifully few – incidents over the past few years of children carrying weapons for older brothers or fathers in Manchester.

Patsy talked about the responsibility of parents – and of the police. She spoke with authority, empathy and understanding.

Afterwards, I chatted to her and thanked her for coming to talk to us.

What she said then made a great impression on me. She told me that after Dorrie’s death, she felt that fighting against guns and violence had been a calling. She felt that was what she’d been put on Earth for.

Patsy helped to set up Mothers Against Violence, a group that takes a stand against gangsters and which advises the police.

I looked at its website, and found Patsy’s own words and description of why she became so determined to make a difference.

She says: "You do not raise kids without purpose, and I am convinced that you do not lose one of your kids without purpose, either. For me, my pain and my faith became a window into Manchester society.

"After Dorrie’s death my house was filled with young people, parents and elderly people who lived in the neighbourhood. Some time later, I met with a group of around 15 mothers who were fearful for the lives of their children and who knew either a family member or a friend who had been a victim of gang shootings or other violent acts.

"Out of this, Mothers Against Violence was born."

Patsy is not alone. On its website, other members of the group explain what motivated them to become involved.

Then there’s Carisma, the Community Alliance for Renewal, Inner South Manchester Area. It, too, aims to steer young people away from a life of crime.

On Channel M News, we frequently talk to Erinma Bell, the group’s articulate chairperson. She helped to found the group after a friend of hers was shot 11 times. He survived but her life had changed.

If we want the world to change, we have to get involved – and these women have done exactly that.

Okay, there is still gang violence in Manchester. But Patsy, Erinma and their colleagues are taking a stand.

It’s impossible to measure a negative. We’ll never know whether they’ve stopped any shootings. But I suspect that their influence has been strong. It’s bound to have changed many youngsters’ aims and ambitions.

In Northern Ireland, the first important peace movement – which became known as the Community of Peace People – was also begun by determined women.

They also stood up to be counted in difficult and often hostile circumstances.

Who knows what would have happened without them and their messages?

Richard Butt edits Channel M’s early evening news – every weeknight from 5pm