Many will by now be aware of the riots to erupt across England over the past four days. What started out in London, has now spread and it is perhaps time some serious questions were asked.
On the surface, this looks like nothing more than wanton criminality. No political statements have been made, no grievance voiced and in many cases this set of events demonstrates the complete lack of respect for the law that has come to typify the modern underclass. But what has created this situation and is there now, anything that society can do to heal the rift that so clearly exists between the looters and The State.
Now nobody would dream of attempting to justify the actions of the past four nights. After all, homes have been smashed, livelihoods destroyed, and communities torn in two. But typically, no riot is without its cause and regardless of the senseless nature of the events of the past few days, I do believe that these events demonstrate the hopeless situation that many of those involved, find themselves living in on a daily basis.
I grew up on a sink estate myself. I guess you could say, that I come from the very underclass which many of these rioters belong too. I grew up in a single parent household, my mother survived on State benefits and all around me, were people who lived a very much similar life to my own.
For many people in these areas, the problems are many. Low aspirations, poverty, a general sense of hopelessness. A belief if you like that they were born into the gutter and in the gutter they shall stay. You could even say that the Society which criticises, and quite often, is all too willing to imprison them for crimes against that Society, is a Society that these people have never been part off.
For many of these people, they speak differently, dress differently, behave differently, and in many ways, come from a completely different background to one that Society at large is familiar with. Yet at the same time they are subjected to the same television programmes and the same adverts which show a Society completely at odds with the one they live in. Essentially the mass media tells them that without the latest trainers, computer game or flat screen TV they’re a nobody. An attitude which is reinforced by a peer group who doesn’t care how you get these things, just that you have them, and as such “fit in.”
Essentially, you could ask, why would a person respect a society that they’re not part off? The people who committed these crimes may live amongst the communities they trashed, but they’re not part of them. They don’t socialise amongst them, they don’t work with them and they certainly can’t associate with a community which all too often views them as hostile. They’re treated with suspicion because of how they dress, they’re searched by police because of where they live, and the problem here is that all of this only serves to reinforce the idea of a community separated from Society at large.
Now I’m not making excuses for these people. But it has to be said, that there are some deep divisions in this country when people feel they can go out and just take what they want. The bottom line is nobody loots their own communities. People don’t rob their friends, and they certainly don’t attack the very people they live with day in and day out.
In some cases this is just blatant opportunism. But in many cases, it’s angry young men, with nothing better to do and nothing to feel part of, who are taking their anger and frustration out on a society which they feel rejects them. Granted, nobody can justify the wanton criminality which has taken place over the past four days. But it has to be said, that if we are to prevent a reoccurrence of these events in the future. Something has to be done to address the very problems which alienates and destroys the very communities that Society has chosen to ignore.
DL
On the surface, this looks like nothing more than wanton criminality. No political statements have been made, no grievance voiced and in many cases this set of events demonstrates the complete lack of respect for the law that has come to typify the modern underclass. But what has created this situation and is there now, anything that society can do to heal the rift that so clearly exists between the looters and The State.
Now nobody would dream of attempting to justify the actions of the past four nights. After all, homes have been smashed, livelihoods destroyed, and communities torn in two. But typically, no riot is without its cause and regardless of the senseless nature of the events of the past few days, I do believe that these events demonstrate the hopeless situation that many of those involved, find themselves living in on a daily basis.
I grew up on a sink estate myself. I guess you could say, that I come from the very underclass which many of these rioters belong too. I grew up in a single parent household, my mother survived on State benefits and all around me, were people who lived a very much similar life to my own.
For many people in these areas, the problems are many. Low aspirations, poverty, a general sense of hopelessness. A belief if you like that they were born into the gutter and in the gutter they shall stay. You could even say that the Society which criticises, and quite often, is all too willing to imprison them for crimes against that Society, is a Society that these people have never been part off.
For many of these people, they speak differently, dress differently, behave differently, and in many ways, come from a completely different background to one that Society at large is familiar with. Yet at the same time they are subjected to the same television programmes and the same adverts which show a Society completely at odds with the one they live in. Essentially the mass media tells them that without the latest trainers, computer game or flat screen TV they’re a nobody. An attitude which is reinforced by a peer group who doesn’t care how you get these things, just that you have them, and as such “fit in.”
Essentially, you could ask, why would a person respect a society that they’re not part off? The people who committed these crimes may live amongst the communities they trashed, but they’re not part of them. They don’t socialise amongst them, they don’t work with them and they certainly can’t associate with a community which all too often views them as hostile. They’re treated with suspicion because of how they dress, they’re searched by police because of where they live, and the problem here is that all of this only serves to reinforce the idea of a community separated from Society at large.
Now I’m not making excuses for these people. But it has to be said, that there are some deep divisions in this country when people feel they can go out and just take what they want. The bottom line is nobody loots their own communities. People don’t rob their friends, and they certainly don’t attack the very people they live with day in and day out.
In some cases this is just blatant opportunism. But in many cases, it’s angry young men, with nothing better to do and nothing to feel part of, who are taking their anger and frustration out on a society which they feel rejects them. Granted, nobody can justify the wanton criminality which has taken place over the past four days. But it has to be said, that if we are to prevent a reoccurrence of these events in the future. Something has to be done to address the very problems which alienates and destroys the very communities that Society has chosen to ignore.
DL
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