London Riots

[Rock chick]

Martin Luther King said:

"When you cut facilities, slash jobs, abuse power, discriminate, drive people into deeper poverty and shoot people dead whilst refusing to provide answers or justice, the people will rise up and express their anger and frustration if you refuse to hear their cries. A riot is the language of the unheard."

The news is utterly heartbreaking to watch today - looting, rioting, buildings and cars being set alight...all the people who have lost their jobs, homes, businesses, police and public injured...

Obviously there are a lot of opportunistic mindless little bastards out there, their actions unrelated in every way to the fatal shooting by the police in Tottenham, who haven't the slightest thought for the carnage they are inflicting on their communities. And I think that this post-Facebook-Twitter-BBM environment also has a part to play in the spread of these events.

By why now? And why do all the rioters appear to be youngsters?

Like all kids, they probably don't have any conscious reasoning for behaving they way they have, but we don't have torching, rioting and looting every year. There has to be a context.

Simply, many of these kids have lost their future. EMA no longer exists, youth services have been closed all over due to cuts, Schools Sports Partnership has been ended, they can't afford to plan a university future...and God knows how many of them will get jobs. It doesn't mean that their behaviour is remotely acceptable but I wonder how much damage has been done by promoting a society where unless you are successful or wealthy or conspicuously consuming, you're worth nothing.

Sky news is being very critical of the police, but it's hard to see how there is enough of them to go around, and it's foolhardy to send in half a dozen rozzers to confront a crowd of weapon-carrying rioters. And the prority has to be protecting people rather than property.

Good to see that Cameron and Johnson have decided to cut short their holidays - a day late and a dollar short as always.

My poor London 


 

[RichardAKing]

Like, as one would say on Facebook

[momkat]

beautifully written, RC, and so sad to watch this happening ..

[tzara]

Terribly sad, and it must be so frightening for people getting caught up in it. I have to admit I couldn't watch it on the news last night - so distressing.
As always Carol you write so eloquently.

[Pat Kennedy]

My lovely Manchester bearing the brunt tonight -not as bad as London's ordeal -but bad enough.

Well said RockChick.

Stay safe everyone.

[Pat Kennedy]

Double post deleted.

[Susie-J]

Aside from the yob element (who are the ones who stir up trouble anywhere regardless of 'reasons') - perhaps some of the blame lies with the ad men who tell us to buy into the 'lie' of the perfect existence with their products/lifestyle etc. It's like pouring petrol on a bonfire - filling people with a mistaken sense of entitlement.

But lack of good parenting and discipline in education must also accept responsibility - how we resolve that is beyond me - it's a bit of a 'Pandora's Box' scenario!

[Pat Kennedy]

A reporter in Manchester spoke to some of the looters, one of whom replied "I might get shouted at, or grounded, when I get in".

Beggars belief doesn't it?

[Linda L]

It is just beyond belief watching this from my side of the world.  I truly hope it ends soon and all the BTZ friends and families are safe.

[rockrebel]

It's the 'broken Britain' that Cameron tore to pieces

[clashcityrocker]

The whole thing is depressing beyond words and it’s impossible to take any positives from recent events. We’re now in the unthinkable position where the BNP and EDL have taken the moral high ground. Apparently Nick Griffen has attracted several thousand new Twitter followers over the past few days. How on Earth have we, as a Nation, allowed this to happen? Just as it seemed that the BNP seemed to be in terminal decline, it appears that they have been handed a lifeline by the very communities they oppose.

It’s difficult to rationalise the acts of wanton violence and ascribe to them any motives other than mindless opportunism. However, in my view it is essential to look at the broader picture in order to draw any worthwhile conclusions, other than the lazy and reactionary “let them do National Service”; “bring in the army”; “shoot the looters on sight “ brigade. We now have a culture where instant gratification and entitlement are social norms, yet we have largely withdrawn the legitimate means for many of our young people to achieve the lifestyle advertisers encourage them to aspire to. Communities have increasingly become more insular and with the spending cuts imposed we’re now on the road to creating more ghettoes. So many of our young people have little, if anything in the way of career prospects and affordable social housing is denied to those most in need of it. There is no instant cure that is able to fix all societal ailments. But, the nearest thing to a national panacea has to be full employment and decent affordable housing. Employment provides structure, self worth and discipline. It takes certain strength of character to get out of bed to perform an eight hour shift five days a week. Yet I fully believe that there is a dignity in any kind of labour and many a recalcitrant youth has found salvation through the nine to five treadmill. Although it will never happen with this government, those high earners need to accept that social responsibility and obligation are part of the contract they have entered into. How can we expect a seventeen year old youth with no qualifications or prospects to toe the line when MPs and bankers are screwing the system for every penny they can get? And, yes, the issue of real wealth redistribution needs to be addressed.

[Susie-J]

There is absolutely NO excuse for the disgraceful behaviour we've witnessed on TV news reports in the last few days.

I don't think you can lay the blame solely on the current economic situation. This has more to do with:

- a generation  (possibly two?!) being given NO moral structure or boundaries to determine acceptable behaviour, either by parental example or by an education system that does not invoke appropriate discipline.

- a welfare state (designed to be a safety-net for times of hardship) being abused as a 'legitimate' source of income, largely by the feckless and work-shy.

- a judiciary who are incapable of imposing valid and appropriate sentencing for those who commit crime.

- a lack of jobs because work is sent abroad - if we returned to being a nation of manufacturers the employment statistics would dramatically improve.

Perhaps we need punitive taxation levied upon businesses who source production abroad and generous tax breaks for 'backing British' manufacture.

Perhaps we could re-nationalise industry - start-up costs could be procured from limiting politician's pay, for a start! There are too many of them on the gravy-train - maybe a lower pay packet would weed out those in it for themselves, rather than those in it for the good of the country!


Just my thoughts - I have a feeling not many will agree with my point of view - but, as one who lived in what might have been classed as poverty as a child, it gets my goat when lack of wealth and opportunity are used as excuses for riotous behaviour. We didn't have much but we didn't go around smashing the place up just because others had more!

[Nubs]

I concur with Carol and everyone else. I was shocked to hear that RC's home town was targetted, and I can but hope that you RC and your family/friends are all safe and sound.

Being a massive critic of The Government and everything they're doing recently...spending cuts et al, I think that Cameron needs to toughen up and wage war on the rioters/looters etc, and ensure that they don't simply get a slapped wrist in the courts, and be allowed to think... "oh well I got off lightly with that...let's go out tonight and do some more of the same!"  Everyone caught ought to be punished extremely severely.  Bring out the water cannons, rubber baton rounds and cattle prods to boot!  I know where I'd stick the cattle prods!!!

[Susie-J]

  Bring out the water cannons, rubber baton rounds and cattle prods to boot!  I know where I'd stick the cattle prods!!!

Some 'wit' on FB suggested an alternative to water cannons - muck-spreaders! Most of the yobs would certainly do a 'runner' faced with the thought of their fancy sports gear getting washed in sh*t - the added bonus would be that the poor police 'sniffer' dogs could have a rest as their human partners would easily be able to track down the miscreants by their odour!   

[Pat Kennedy]

I had a fear that those arrested and charged would end up at Magistrates' Courts -where the maximum sentence is 6 months - and they'd all get bailed. But it appears that London Magistrates, sitting all through the night to deal with the vast numbers, are sending them to Crown Court -maximum possible 10 years.

Next problem - where do we put the b*stards when they're sentenced?

Manchester is obviously kicking off again as police are advising shops, Nurseries and School Holiday clubs to close. I've just picked up our two.