I've always had enormous faith in the power of humanity and an unerring belief that this will eventually shine through in everyone. Over the last 4 days this belief has been tested and I like many have been made to question and re-evaluate it. As everyone now knows the riots in London and across the rest of the country have been appalling, distressing, heartbreaking and extreme I've heard many pundits and commentators question the underlying reasons for the disturbances, I don't think that now is the time to pick apart our society (elements of which are broken), the time for this is in 3 to 4 weeks time. Besides, however broken society is and however cross people are with the government, the lack of opportunity ... the roadworks, or whatever the hell they're angry about, what sort of person would loot businesses and destroy their own community.
These people must be completely ignorant if they think that the last two days have done anything but made the streets of London a much worse place to live in the coming months. But that's exactly what they are, I heard one girl when questioned about why she was looting say "we're cross with the rich innit, and the government, the Conservatives ... is that right? I dunno" that comment summed up one, how foolish and incompetent these individuals are and two, they're not rioting for a cause, they're rioting for gain.
Bizarrely, (as he stayed on holiday for too long) I think ol' DC has come out of this whole scenario quite well, his speech's both yesterday morning and this were rousing and though I've no political allegiances whatsoever (I don't believe in partizan politics) he left me with a sense of pride. I hope that it's not all talk and the punishments laid out to those individuals who are identified are heavy and they regret their actions for years to come.
More than angry the events made me so so sad, how can anyone torch and steal and so obviously enjoy it, there are evil evil people in the world, both far from home and on our doorstep, that much is abundantly clear! Furthermore the fact that it looked like police are terrified of taking the action which was necessary in the circumstances as they knew the force may not stand by them and the fact that the thugs are not scared of the all too soft arm of the law are two of many effects of our justice system being completely the wrong way round, for this there are many consequences!
One final shining light was that amidst all the troubles yesterday morning I got in the car to go to work to hear a story about the rise of the swan population on the Today programme, how British to report on something so trivial amongst all the chaos. Right, it's getting towards my bedtime I'm off to make a cuppa and sit down with my book, probably as far away from a rioter as anyone could be :)
S269
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