[BigV]

thank you for checking in... one still absent... grrrr...


I listen pretty regularly to the BBC World Service, last night it was wall to wall coverage with one short exception which I can't remember just now. Anyhow, there was a statement by Cameron, ending with "Now, if you'll excuse me, there's work to be done." He characterized it as simple unacceptable criminality. I also heard one theory, swiftly rebutted, that there was an undercurrent of dissatisfaction over deep cuts to social programs, especially for youth. The (police officer?) local observer scoffed saying these kids would be pushed back by the police, and then jump in their souped up GTIs and scooting away a few blocks where the drivers would talk on their mobiles to reorganize their mates.

Astonishingly, there was an interview with a couple of girls, one was seventeen, who had participated, not just spectators, in the rioting and looting. These are kids, just kids really. They were typically difficult to comprehend, plus they were still a little drunk on rose wine, but they (thought they) were sticking it to the man (my phrase, their sentiment). "It's the government, innit?" They thought they were showing those who had money that they could do what they wanted. The reporter pointed out to the girls that shop keepers in the area are not really likely to be "rich". Seriously, why loot a nail shop? The booze, the clothes and electronics I can understand, though not condone.

The best program was World Have Your Say (I think) and the reporter was sitting with a handful of folks around a kitchen table in a house in Hackney. It was quite a free for all. Many thoughts were expressed, and the responsibilities of the parents to take charge of their kids was prominent. Teachers were also mentioned as influencers of these youth.

I see that an individual can feel taken advantage of, that they're not getting what they deserve. This is an uncomfortable feeling, and in their resentment and their desire for retribution, recompense they look to blame "the other". I believe that this blaming the other works for the rioters, the shop owners, the cops, the politicians, everybody. It's so much easier to see the motes in their eyes (myself included). But the only way out of any of this is to see through the others' eyes. Each side's story contains some truth. Work with that, listen to and validate that. At a minimum, you can't riot and empathize at the same time.