Rioting in UK capital

[Carol]

Hi Carol

I found your post quite touching. Although I was horrified by the behaviour of the rioters and looters and believe many of them were simply opportunistic criminals I do understand the point you are making. The division between the very richest and the poorest in this country has widened dramatically and to some extent wealth and its trappings are flaunted shamefully. A very poor example is set by the highest in the land and very little concern is shown towards the disadvanged by those responsible for dishing out rewards.

Take care.

Julie

Hi Julie,
Thank you for your post. I agree with everything you say.
Love
Carol

[Carol]

Concern yourself with your own country's problems, and let us look after ours.

Graham

Hi Graham,

I am concerning myself with my own country's problems. As I wrote in my post, I'm English myself. That's why I find the hopelessness of so many of my countrymen so terribly sad.

Carol

[Limehouse]

My husband and I were on holiday in England (bed and breakfasting in Minehead) when the rioting happened. I can't forget a T.V. interview with a group of black teenagers who had been looting. One of them was only 16 years old, already with a baby son, from a deprived background, who described how he had gone to a lot of trouble to make himself look really presentable for an interview, only to find he didn't get the job he had applied for. He thought that he had been rejected in spite of him trying his best and what was the use in trying again if he knew the same thing would happen and he would have to go through the agony of rejection again. I can't get this young boy out of my head. I'm certain he wasn't just making excuses for his behaviour. He had looted some clothes, etc. for his little son, as well as some 'nice' clothes for himself.

I think the main reasons behind the rioting and looting are feelings of nobody with real authority (various Prime Ministers and their Cabinets) caring a jot for the people in the deprived areas, in spite of promises and promises and promises being made over the years. If a young person hasn't got any sort of a future to look forward to except more of the same - extremely bad housing, unemployment unending with no hope of anything better, is it any wonder that feelings overflow? I'm surprised that it was all over as quickly as it was. I'm surprised that more people weren't badly injured or killed. I'm surprised that there aren't many more instances of social unrest in today's England.

As some of you know, I'm English myself, married to a Swede. I'm 65 years old now and I find it unbelieveable that more hasn't been done to alleviate the suffering in the deprived areas of England. I know I'm going on a bit but I feel very strongly about the way so many of my countrymen and women are still treated, whatever their skin colour or ethnicity.

It makes me want to cry.

Take care of yourselves.

Carol

Hi Carol

I found your post quite touching. Although I was horrified by the behaviour of the rioters and looters and believe many of them were simply opportunistic criminals I do understand the point you are making. The division between the very richest and the poorest in this country has widened dramatically and to some extent wealth and its trappings are flaunted shamefully. A very poor example is set by the highest in the land and very little concern is shown towards the disadvanged by those responsible for dishing out rewards.

Take care.

Julie

[Graham]

Concern yourself with your own country's problems, and let us look after ours.

Graham

[Carol]

My husband and I were on holiday in England (bed and breakfasting in Minehead) when the rioting happened. I can't forget a T.V. interview with a group of black teenagers who had been looting. One of them was only 16 years old, already with a baby son, from a deprived background, who described how he had gone to a lot of trouble to make himself look really presentable for an interview, only to find he didn't get the job he had applied for. He thought that he had been rejected in spite of him trying his best and what was the use in trying again if he knew the same thing would happen and he would have to go through the agony of rejection again. I can't get this young boy out of my head. I'm certain he wasn't just making excuses for his behaviour. He had looted some clothes, etc. for his little son, as well as some 'nice' clothes for himself.

I think the main reasons behind the rioting and looting are feelings of nobody with real authority (various Prime Ministers and their Cabinets) caring a jot for the people in the deprived areas, in spite of promises and promises and promises being made over the years. If a young person hasn't got any sort of a future to look forward to except more of the same - extremely bad housing, unemployment unending with no hope of anything better, is it any wonder that feelings overflow? I'm surprised that it was all over as quickly as it was. I'm surprised that more people weren't badly injured or killed. I'm surprised that there aren't many more instances of social unrest in today's England.

As some of you know, I'm English myself, married to a Swede. I'm 65 years old now and I find it unbelieveable that more hasn't been done to alleviate the suffering in the deprived areas of England. I know I'm going on a bit but I feel very strongly about the way so many of my countrymen and women are still treated, whatever their skin colour or ethnicity.

It makes me want to cry.

Take care of yourselves.

Carol

[harry]

jason,
Thanks for your description.I always thought there was something wrong with me.Now,what are you?

[jason_c]

I didn't say they were acts of revenge.I do not condone violence.Exploitation is real.Read your history books,and your newspapers.You do not need my sources.Travel through the cities of Britain,and seek your own.There are plenty.You will get it first hand.If you want to play name games,I'll accomodate you.Start with the Blair family of Gloucester,one of the cities involved.Then when you have done that,I'll give you more.

Your a lunatic.

[Robert]

"In light of your extremely antisocial behaviour, which outrages all standards of decency, all standards of morality, all canons of civilized behaviour, and in view of your total lack of remorse, and notwithstanding your youth, I must, regretfully but dutifully, and for the good of society - I must, I say, send you to prison for six years, in the hope that you will reflect on your behaviour and emerge a wiser and chastened specimen of humanity, and turn your back on the wickedness which has brought you before me here today."

That was an appallingly long sentence.

[Limehouse]

Some of the sentences handed out have been quite ridiculous. A mother received a five month prison sentence for receiving a pair of stolen shorts! She has now been released.

Some rioters have got away with light sentences whilst others who were convicted of encouraging rioting on Facebook have been given four year sentences.

In my view - arsonists should serve a prison terms. Serious rioters should serve a community sentence (whilst tagged) during the day - helping to repair and replace what they destroyed. They should then be imprisoned at night to keep them off the streets and deprive them of their liberty for a while.

Sentencing should be consistent and address the offending behaviour. Punitive punishment with no attempt at addressing the attitude and behaviour achieves nothing and does not even help the victims.

[harry]

Caz,
Nowhere in any of my posts,did I say I knew any of the rioters.Get your facts right.

[harry]

I didn't say they were acts of revenge.I do not condone violence.Exploitation is real.Read your history books,and your newspapers.You do not need my sources.Travel through the cities of Britain,and seek your own.There are plenty.You will get it first hand.If you want to play name games,I'll accomodate you.Start with the Blair family of Gloucester,one of the cities involved.Then when you have done that,I'll give you more.

[Magpie]

If these were acts of revenge for previous exploitation, they were pretty mindless and didn't manage to target any of the people supposedly responsible.

Love,

Caz
X

Do they ever, caz?

[caz]

I can neither doubt nor believe, Harry, with no way of knowing how you know. How many of the rioters have you had 'contact' with, directly or indirectly, to find out that their actions were the result of exploitation suffered by previous generations of their families?

Did you know that many, if not the majority of the homes, shops and businesses that were looted, damaged or torched during the recent riots were occupied, owned or managed by descendants of the very people you were talking about? If these were acts of revenge for previous exploitation, they were pretty mindless and didn't manage to target any of the people supposedly responsible.

Love,

Caz
X

[harry]

Caz,
I did say it was a chain of exploitation.It started long ago,it is continuing.You doubt it?

[harry]

Caz,
I have contacts in UK.