I was originally not going to write anything about the recent state of anarchy that popped up over England, even though I had friends in the areas of the riots, and who were affected by what happened. I had decided too many people were writing their views about it, so I had nothing new or different to contribute to the discussion, so I did not. Only as I read and hear more and more stories from the Media, I feel I need to mention a few things, just to get them off my mind.
1: #ukriots, UK Riots, etc.
The UK is made up of four parts. Wales (No rioting), Scotland (No rioting), Northern Ireland (No rioting) and England (Rioting). Notice something there? only one quarter of the UK was affected, So please Media can you call it the England Riots, or the English Riots, or something other than UK.
2: The youth have nothing to occupy them.
I have seen interviews and reports that one of the reasons the youth of England were so keep to riot, and fight the police was due to them having nothing to do, they feel bored and restless and acted out in response to this. I have heard this before, I have a nephew who used to moan that him and his friends had nothing to do.
When I was growing up all we had was what we could find or invent with our imagination. We played games, we played football in any flat bit of land we could get, we climbed trees, we hung out, we did not riot or claim we had nothing to do.
Where I live (And the same play my poor nephew who has nothing to do) now has several youth centres where kids can go to play pool, and other games for free (All we had was cub scouts, or the ACF). There are several dedicated skate parks, where they have all the facilities for skateboards, bikes, skates to have jumps, tricks, all sorts (All we had was a couple of bricks and a bit of wood to make a jump). They have xbox’s, playstations, wiis, the Internet, mobile phones, multiple ways of communication (We had letters, that you had to write, post, and wait a week or so for a reply). YET even though the modern youth have a HELL of a lot more options and activities avilable to them than we ever did, they feel like they have nothing to do, no one gives them anything to do so riot? Hello. If having nothing to do, was a reason for riots why did my generation and those before me never riot?
3: The youth are rioting as a demonstration against the government to show they are unhappy at a lack of career/financial prospects.
Hello. Have you listened to these ambassadors of youth on TV? Have you read when they’ve written about it on line? Now look at the way they talk (Mostly trying to emulate American gangster/Gang culture. Like calling the cops Fedz because thats what they hear on TV shows/songs. The Yanks don’t call police fed’s they call FEDeral officers fed’s.. Sorry current pet peeve) Then look at their lack of reading/writing skills, and the atrocious way they spell (I am slightly dyslexic and am crap at spelling, yet these guys make me look like Shakespeare). Now if you were hiring a new member of staff would you pick someone who turned up well dressed, who spoke decently, had qualifications, and could deal with customers politely and do the work required. Or would you hire the person who turned up in a hoody, with their trousers hanging round their knees, and greeted you in fake-gangster talk?
If they are upset about not being able to get a job. maybe they should have paid attention in school. Or if its the faults of the schools, then why not go back to school now, pick up the skills needed to get a job. Change your manner, try and get a job and you have more chance of getting employed than you ever will by burning down businesses. Your recent actions have probably done more harm to the employment prospects of your generation than the government ever did.
As a side note to this, there is another bit of news that came out this week. One of the Chav culture won just under ten million pounds several years ago in the lottery. Now personally if I won half that figure I would be able to live a very happy life of luxury for the rest of my life. The Chav? he blew all ten million in just a few years, and has nothing at all to show for it, to the point My taxes are paying him money every week. That shows that its not lack of money, or prospects, its the mentality of a certain culture of people. We need to change the people.
As another side note, look at some of the parents who’s kids have been in court for looting. I’m talking about the ones who are just swearing and giving rude gestures to the press, and the judges. Take a long look, then consider the old adage “an apple does not fall far from the tree”