Someone else commenting on the riots

[kaliha]

All the coverage of the riots over the last few days have left me feeling very depressed, angry and numb.

I'm furious with the scumbags who think smashing up and torching independent retailers is "sticking it to the man", the kids who reckon the police can do nothing to do "because it's my first offence, innit" and even worse the ones who go on Sky News complaining that there's nothing to do in an evening, so instead of doing something positive they decide to shit all over their community.

The 'me,me,me' mentality of some of these kids (some of whom have been gloating on twitter and facebook at how big and clever they are for nicking some t-shirts from JJB) just makes you feel sick. I know I'm going to sound like a real fuddy duddy, but when I was their age I swear we weren't like that, oh yeah we were selfish and mean in a way that kids are but we didn't go round smashing stuff up, we didn't attack teachers or abuse adults. And I'm not that old.

Where did it all go wrong?

I've been seeing pictures of my beloved Birmingham today and it's so depressing to see all the shops boarded up along New Street and Corporation Street. Hearing that the Custard Factory of all places got looted (now, if there's a place that is the epitome of independent it's the CF). Seeing people trashing Richer Sounds (where the staff are absolutely lovely) made me a bit teary.

It's depressing to think that I've brought a child into this world and I haven't the faintest idea where to start to start repairing it. I work with people in the age range of the rioters and our funding has been absolutely slashed by the government, so many brilliant community projects have had to close because there's no money there and no one can afford to run them for free. I hear kids saying that they only go to college so they can get their EMA to buy booze or drugs (and these are 16yo kids). With all the redundancies we've had at work recently we don't ave the staff to support these people as much as they need and I can only see it getting worse.

And don't get me started on David Cameron and his 'sick communities'. He's compounded the problem by penalising the poor and deprived by cutting all the community funding instead of going after the fatcats and billionaire tax dodger who bankroll his old boys club. And how dare he claim that the #riotwombles are part of his Big Society. oooh, he makes me so mad, he really does.

Also don't get me started on all the MPs getting compensation for having their holidays cut short. The police who have all had their leave cancelled and the ambulance and fire staff who are having to work extended or extra shifts won't get any compensation and what exactly are the MPs going to do?

As far as I can see it (and if you see it differently please share in the comments) we need money made available to run community projects to get the kids off the streets, make more money available to get people into work (either through training or making monetary incentives available to employers to take on Apprentices - because at the moment that's something that's dying a death because employers can't afford to take them on, not even at £2.50 an hour) and try to find a way of building community spirit. How many of your neighbours do you know?

I really, really hope that we can wake up tomorrow and there have been no more deaths due to the rioting.

Comments

[rhipowered.livejournal.com]

I hadn't heard about the Custard Factory, that's just appalling. I did my work placement down that way last spring. [sighs]

[--kali--.livejournal.com]

By all accounts the damage wasn't too bad, a skate shop was looted and some of the windows were smashed. There were reports for a while that there was a fire there but that just seemed to be rumours.

[cheesygirl.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with all of this. The sense of entitlement that people have today is incredible. And it was weird to see the rioting in central Birmingham and to think that I walked down those same streets just a couple of years ago!

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

I don't think there's anything I can say that'll comfort you right now so... ::hugs::

[jerel.livejournal.com]

I get why people are frustrated. I truly do. However, they're taking out their frustration on their fellow citizens. These people have worked hard to maintain their businesses, and now what will they have? What if some of them can't afford to rebuild? That's the owners' families--and their employees' families--that will be without an income. Which will lead to more people needing government services in an already overburdened system.

Overburdened because the fuckwits who run the country have cut it.

(The fuckwits running my state are doing it too. The only difference between your government dunderheads and mine is the accent.) (Well, and the evangelical Christianity. But I digress.)

I think everyone who is parenting this upcoming generation, all you can do is hope for the best. Make sure the child gets a good education, take advantage of every opportunity you can find, and pray that when this lot is gone the next group will have more intelligence and compassion.)

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

I have nothing to say except you have my thoughts. I don't understand it and it saddens me.

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

I am in total awe at how bad the police reaction apparentöy was, on top of all the crap going on :/

*hugs*

Here's hoping things cool down a little soon.

[taperoo2k.livejournal.com]

It's mind boggling and I can't quite get my head around it.

Society has been broken by Politicians and their ill thought social and economic policy of the last 30 years. It created the feral youth of today. That's not an excuse for the riots, just the context.

[staceyuk.livejournal.com]

WORD.

I'm only 29 and my generation wouldn't have dared to do what they did. Despite my experience and qualifications I've been out of work for over three years now. Did I tell you I'm basically now too old for college courses now?

[meegosh.livejournal.com]

Where did it go wrong? I don't think I can say and I don't think it's any one single thing. Someone at work today said they blamed such and such thing for making teenagers selfish and my responce was that in that case we can blame the 1950s.

But I definitly vote for more democracy; not less, and for more pressure on the government to make things right. Money clearly isn't the answer because Labour threw that at the problem trying to address some of these issues, and that seems to have created a situation where, when combined with the global situation right now, doesn't leave the country as financial stable as we'd like. But the answer isn't the typical Tory one either. Radical thinking is needed to break out of this Tory/Labour cycle. In the mean time, we'll go back to being terribly british; making tea and cleaning up.

More democracy; not less.