Panic on the streets of London

There is a ton of online information that we have the ability to share or comment on these days.  If we find an article that’s interesting we share with our friends and followers and gets responses in the hopes of an active debate.  However, as with cyber bullying, is it really good to be that plugged in all the time that we react to things publically because it’s so easy?

We’ve been talking about the riots in England which, thankfully, didn’t come any where close to Newcastle.  We have a pretty good life up here and we even had another food market the other day and the more obvious police presence was really more for Match Day than anything else.

So what makes people want to riot?  Is it because “kids these days” live their lives seeing iPhone and iPad commercials and knowing they don’t have the money for them?  Is it because with rising British college tuition these kids know they can’t afford school even if they wanted to go so they would rather loot and risk imprisonment?

What about the fact that an Olympic athlete was one of the rioters?  What about the police not being present enough, due to budget cuts, so kids knew they could run rampant and no immediate punishment would be issued?  Or is it because they finally had a reason to just do crap that they always wanted to do?  I sort of think that’s what it mainly is.

The riots in Tottenham were fuelled by a gang member being fired upon by the police (in a Rodney King kind of basis for protest).  But what about Birmingham, Manchester or the few in Liverpool?  That was done because they could do it.  I mean even the kids in Tottenham were seen putting pictures on Twitter with a bag of rice they stole.  Seriously.  A £.60 bag of rice was worth getting arrested over?

Anyway, I’m glad the riots are over and nothing happened up here.  I hope the clean up efforts are quick and paid for by plenty of Council money.  I’m glad to know that the CCTV has worked and they’ve arrested over a thousands kids who just wanted to smash and burn crap for a couple of days. 

Kids these days…

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