The Riots

To know exactly what to think when your capital city is torn apart is a difficult one. And there are numerous voices out there telling us what to think and feel, and how to come to a conclusion grows increasing hard.

On one hand we have the opinion of our government and the police saying that the events are simply the work of gangs that display ‘sheer criminality’ (the new buzz word). But nothing happens without a cause and the idea of being lectured to by the Met and the MPs on criminality, after the hacking scandal does reek of hypocrisy. One rule for the rich and another for everyone else.

But do the MPs and the Met have a point? After watching Channel 4 news last night the idea of sympathising with the vandals and criminals can only stretch so far. If they were targeting the political buildings, or Scotland Yard, or marching on Buckingham Palace, perhaps the ideals of anarchy could be upheld, but this is not a revolt against the powerful. Rather it is small businesses, people in their homes that are attacked and scared. Once more the poor are suffering and the powerful escape.

Sympathy ceased when those texts were released by Blackberry, highlighting ‘the fun’ these youths were having, any explanation of a poor background, or living near the poverty line starts to look more like an excuse for bad behaviour. Rioting might just have a basis if there is a cause, stealing is just stealing and there is no way to play or view that nicely.

I cannot know what these youths might have gone through, and I am sorry if they have suffered because of the society in which we live in.

But we are not in Somalia and we are not in Syria. In Egypt they laugh at us – their protests were for a fair government, whereas ours’ seem to be for trainers. The properties of the West once more are shown to be somewhat out of kilter with the rest of the world. Our government is flawed, our social mobility is rigid and unfair but this cannot condone the actions of the mob. Change should and hopefully will come to Britain but how on earth is this going to help?

I applaud London’s reaction, when people took to the streets to clean and protect themselves it was deeply moving. I find it fascinating that Mr. Clegg has been booed in Birmingham – finally. And Boris’ shocked face after being handed a broom was priceless. He clearly had no idea what to do with it.

But what are we to do? Rioting has come to Britain, and it could possibly continue. The prisons in London are full, and 16,000 police cannot stay on the streets of London indefinitely. It is easy to dismiss this as ‘criminality’ and in many causes it could very well be true, but the solutions that we find to deal with it will prove the making or braking of this country. How we chose to move on, how we deal with the youths of these riots (and their parents) will define us. And they cannot all be locked away.