This week Newcastle’s media has been full of stories about alcohol-fuelled violence in or near local venues.

At several suburban hotels over the weekend, violent situations have left people injured and, in the worst case, in a coma in hospital.

What possesses people to behave this way?

Is it just brawn over brain? If a person doesn’t have the intellectual capability to articulate their argument, to clearly and convincingly verbalise their point of view then they only have one alternative – to use their fists, feet or other body parts to inflict harm?

If this is true, it’s a sad indictment on humanity that, after millions of years of evolution, the most ‘advanced’ being on this planet has to resort to harming others because of a disagreement.

What’s really sad is that the most harmful effect of violence, notwithstanding people who suffer life-long or life-ending injuries, is that we all will suffer because of these cretins.

For example, there are many Novocastrians who tell stories of going out in Newcastle in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, wandering around the streets in the wee hours and being safe. Apparently there was violence but it was more rare and nowhere near as spiteful. Punches may have been thrown but that was the end of it. Was there ever a situation that a guy was knocked to the ground and then his head kicked or stomped on so that, if he lives, he bears the scars of this savagery for the rest of his life?

Since then, Newcastle’s once bustling night-time economy has become a mono-culture ghost town. Many people fear going out at night in the city. Pubs have closed. The live music industry has been decimated. Consumers have much less choice.

Due to the inability of these moronic cowards to control themselves, the government and police felt it necessary to impose controls – on all of us! Lockouts, restricted trading hours, no shots after 10pm, no glass!

So, the way I see it, these fuckwits and their barbaric mentality have forced all of us – not just them or me or you – ALL of us to have our freedom restricted. Just because a dickhead wants to punch somebody!

So, if I want to go to a venue at 2am, I can’t. If I want to have some shots at midnight to celebrate an important occasion, I can’t. If I prefer to drink out of glass rather than putrid plastic, I can’t. How ridiculous is that? All caused by people who think that violence is a solution. It isn’t – nor is it the problem. The cretins who make the decision to be violent are the problem.

The worst part of it is that we are all affected by their lack of intelligence. Not only are they dumb, they are incredibly selfish, putting their short-term desire to ‘smash someone’s head in’ ahead of everything else, including their own freedom. How dumb is that?

So, next time you see some of these cretins shaping up to one another, realise that you aren’t watching a fight, you are witnessing them erode our freedom.

What’s the answer?