So another day, another kid dead HERE . This time last year, in fact almost the same day a year earlier, a child was shot in Liverpool. A young boy of 11. Rhys Jones was shot dead whilst playing in a pub carpark. Initially all the NEWS REPORTS had the same 'FACTS'. The young boy was shot by a teenager on a BMX. Underlined and highlighted BMX. It emerged later that noone actually knew what kind of bike the shooter had been riding and in the re-constructions the gun man was riding a mountain bike. Obviously the reporting of the crime was somehow biased but why? Are we as BMX-ers somehow part of an underground mafia that Im not aware of? Indulging in murder and organized crime in seedy bike shops? Well this past weekend a young man, well a fucking kid of 14, Shaquille Maitland-Smith, was stabbed to death. Nothing new for London then. Another weekend another child killed by these idiots. This killing however had something the others havent, a BMX gang! EVERY news report Ive heard, read or seen has had a refference to a gang on BMXs. SUN ARTICLE. With irresponssible head lines like "'I cradled my dying son as knife attackers fled', says mother of Army cadet, 14, stabbed to death 'by BMX gang'" how are we supposed to regain some sort of respectability from the 'mainstream'? We gained alot of ground this year with BMX in the olympics only to lose it to headlines like this. Once again we'll be viewed as pests, criminals and vandals. It intimidates people enough that we fly down the main road in a manual, weaving through traffic, we dont need bad press like this as well! SO why was the fact that they were riding BMXs relevant? Would the headline have read 'Boy, 14, stabbed by kids that use bus'? Or 'Boy, 14, stabbed by gang who use trains sometimes'? No. I dont think it would. the fact that so much emphasis has been put on the gangs mode of transport baffles me. Id love to know why thats so important. Maybe someone will tell me in the comments. Feel free to link this rant to any of the news services covering the story, maybe they have an answer. Til then I guess we'll all have to put up with being looked at as thugs and murderers. Is it not a blatant act of discrimination?

Once again as stated before our Condolences go out to the family and our thoughts are with you at this time.

ANY dick head comments will be deleted.

Just wanted to say thanks to those who have checked the site from links posted on DEFGRIP. So if you were/are involved in the Nike debate feel free to throw a comment up and have a good look around the site.

BUT beware of BMX MURDERERS. Expect a salt post how fucking retarded the coverage of this has been. Still, no kid should die on the pavement.

20 Negative's collective thoughts are with the family.

Please?

Found this picture and it brought back a load of good memories. Red Airwalks FTW!

*Image from 23mag*

Bring back muddy weekends in fields in Hastings.