Earlier last month I learned of a device that targets people under the age of 25. With three children all falling into this age group, its indiscriminate nature bothered me. I emailed Home Secretary Alan Johnson, no joy. I asked my MP to ask Mr Johnson to speak to the inventor of the device, nothing. Getting in contact with the inventor directly brought more joy.
Howard Stapleton seems like a lovely man. Inventing the device after his daughter experienced problems shopping, Howard has been trying to get legislation for the device ever since. He has described the experience as akin to banging his head against the proverbial brick wall 
Rather than taking umbrage at my calling his device a weapon (I think I had my tabloid journalist head on the day I wrote that title 
) Howard has kept in contact over the last few weeks as he’s met with MP Natasha Engel. She has promised to make an appointment to meet with the Home Secretary but in the meantime, a petition has been set up calling for the legislative use of The Mosquito.
As outraged as I was at the device, it is not going to go away. Therefore, it is far more important that we get behind Howard as he attempts to work with the powers that be to ensure this device is used safely and fairly.
The petition is open to all UK residents as well as expatriates and people in the Armed Forces.
Please read more information about The Mosquito if you haven’t already done so and then head over and sign the petition. You’ll need to check your email after entering your details in order to click a link (to prove you’re not a robot I guess ) but it’s very quick, easy and painless.
If you don’t live in the UK, you can still help. There are reported to be over 5 million people in the UK using Twitter. I don’t personally know them all but by using the principle upon which Give A Brick is built (Give A Brick and then tell your friends) we can have a pretty good shot at getting this petition in front of lots of pairs of eye balls. Given the youngish demographic of the people who tweet in the UK (under 35) and the fact that The Mosquito is targeted at the under 25 age group, I suppose this makes our chances of success even greater.
Therefore, please sign the petition and then tell your friends. And if you can’t sign the petition, skip straight to telling your friends Thank you 
To make life even easier for you, I’ve included some sample tweets for you to copy and paste
- Sign the UK petition for legislation of The Mosquito, a device that targets u25s http://su.pr/8rBcP6 #mosquitopetition
- Sign the #mosquitopetition to protect our under 25s http://su.pr/8rBcP6
- Are you under 25? Sign the #mosquitopetition today: http://su.pr/8rBcP6
- The #mosquitopetition needs your name. Be heard by number 10: http://su.pr/8rBcP6
- Think all folks deserve fairness? Find out more and then sign the #mosquitopetition if you agree http://su.pr/8rBcP6
- Sign the #mosquitopetition Be heard by @DowningStreet Protect our U25s http://su.pr/8rBcP6
Hello,
I am the Commercial Director of Compound Security Systems, the company who invented and manufacture / distribute the the Mosquito.
AS you mention, we have been trying for 3 years to get legislation for the use of the Mosquito so that the police and councils in the UK can use the device without fear of legal retribution. This will allow us to remove the device from sale to the general public.
Here’s hoping that Natscha Engel has the clout to acheive this in conjunction with ourselves and Oli Phillips of the UK Youth Parliamnet, both of whom we met at Portcullis house last week in Westminster.
Twitter: GiveABrick
Hi Si,
Many thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I certainly hope that Give A Brick can help in some small way to raise awareness and signatures for your petition.
Best wishes,
Eleanor
Sweet, petition ^_^ Been looking forward to this one appearing; off to Twitter we go.
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Webcomic Day 3 – Final Introduction =-.
Twitter: paulworswick
Eleanor,
Where have I been living? I’d never even heard of this until I read this post. Thanks for making me aware of it. I’m going to read more about it and get informed.
Regards
Paul
.-= Paul´s last blog ..Rocky Road =-.
Twitter: GiveABrick
Don’t worry. Until I wrote the piece last month, I wasn’t aware of it either. I’m sure like me, you can learn quick
[...] met with an ITV Wales journalist yesterday afternoon and told her about Give A Brick helping with the campaign for legislation to control the use of The Mosquito. It’s not as grand as it sounds. She was filming in a street I was walking along. I seized [...]
[...] it tickled me somewhat to watch a lone ranger today join a team. Regular readers will remember the conversation I had with a journalist last week about Howard Stapleton’s Mosquito device. For the last three years he has been something of a lone ranger as he tried to get legislation [...]
Eleanor,
I’ve heard of this product and I’m torn about it. As the mother of a teenager I resent all the ways it can be misused. But as someone who lives a few doors down from a corner store where all the teens stand around aimlessly I sometimes wish I had one… If the fight for legislation is all about walking the fine line between those issues then here’s hoping your campaign works!
Yours,
Megan
.-= Megan´s last blog ..How I Became a Woman =-.
Twitter: GiveABrick
Your comment is reason why a full out ban is impossible. You’re right though. With the proper control in place, this device could be used to break up any antisocial behaviour, regardless of age.
I’ll keep you posted