I know this is a few days late, but I was away in Yorkshire on a family holiday. So...
I am appalled by the behaviour of our British citizens that are responsible for the riots that have spread across Britain. Britain should be a country that its citizens are proud of, and the excuses of individual characters whether involved in the rioting or not, are despicable. There is absolutely no excuse for the behaviour of those involved in the looting. If the rumours are true, that the looting is in protest against government action, then these people shouldn’t be acting violently towards their neighbours. The people who work hard to run their businesses, the people who provide the community with everyday services, the people who are struggling themselves to make a living are the people getting hurt, innocent people. It is despicable. I hope the families of those involved in the rioting and looting are ashamed of them, and don’t hesitate to report them to the police if they know that members of their families are involved. This also goes for those who “understand”, meaning, agree with those involved with the violence, theft and arson that has contributed to the destruction in the mayhem and chaos of the riots and looting.
I am also disappointed with the media in their portrayal of those responsible for the riots. “Youths”, “teenagers” and “children” are the most common words that have been used to describe the majority of those that have been involved with the riots. This is an unfair stereotype, and a predictable one at that. While I can admit I have an unfair bias of my distain for chavs in hoodies, it is clear from the CCTV footage shown on the news rather than just the photographs in the newspapers that it isn’t just the “youths” involved, it’s adults too. I ask the media to be more forthright with this reality. This is a common occurrence with the media, and society’s opinion on the youth of today.
This doesn’t mean I deny that no youths are involved, I know there is a small minority responsible, but the way the media have been representing this notion makes it seem that all the youth of today act this way. Now, it wasn’t long ago that I was in that “youth” group. I’m 22 now, and while majority of my family would consider myself and my cousins of the same age, to cousins that are up to 25 the children in the family, I am an adult. It wasn’t long ago, however, that I was in my youth, and in that time, I still had the same stereotype follow me and my friends. In my home town, the shopping centre I used to visit, I would have security approach me to tell me to put my hood down, if by chance I had it up. This was in my college days. Now, I bet if it were a thirty year old with his hood on his hoodie on, no-one would bat an eyelid. It’s not like there are just hoods on hoodies either, raincoats, and other clothing garments have them too. I bet no-one who wears a hat is asked to remove it.
I can admit the thugs involved in the riots and lootings are giving hoodie wearing folk a bad name, but I implore people to not take this as a thought of assuming all people wearing hoodies might mug, rob or attack you. I’ve seen a response from the general public that this is a common opinion.
The problem with the troubled youngsters AND adults is that these particular have either not had a proper upbringing, which cannot, in all cases, be blamed on parenting. While I think in some cases, this can be true, particularly in witnessing poor parenting skills in the general public.
What really needs to be addressed is the lack of power in schools and general public services. Teachers and the police don’t have enough power these days to dish out the force and punishment that is required to shape our society into a civilized community. As a nation, we are too soft. The government urgently need to review and rectify a suitable solution to this ever growing problem.
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