Anarchy's Roots

I've been observing the riots in the UK and have been disgusted about what they have done to the great country I visited in 1997.  London was a grand old lady of a city; sure it had its problems, but its history goes so far back it's amazing.  This city has had four names in four languages and started out at a little village by the river Thames; and the oldest parts of it still exist to this day.  

However, it's been through some vicious wars.  I've read about them.  London has been attacked from the sea and air over time; and yet this city has been rebuilt.  It has been the phoenix which rises from the ashes; coming back bigger and better than ever before.  It went through the Blitz where most of its great buildings were burnt down and destroyed.  Yes, history hasn't been kind to this old city.

But now, this attack on the Grand Old Lady of a city is just dreadful.  The people who have destroyed parts of London have terrified its residents, the rest of the country and did it while the world watched on helplessly.  What was sparked by the police killing a man last Thursday; and a quiet protest against the killing (as it was said on BBC1 that he was unarmed when it happened), turned into anarchy.  A small group of people began rioting because it was an opportunity to do so.  Suddenly, copy-cat groups went around and started up other troubles in other parts of London.  Not only did they loot and destroy shops, they also burnt down people's residents, cars (and just anyone's cars that were parked on the street; not any car in particular.  These cars were in the wrong place at the wrong time!).  Two police cars, which were being used as a road block, were burned to the ground as the rioting gangs turned on the police.  

I have friends who live in London who I contacted last night.  Hannah and Gray have lived in London for a long time now and have never seen anything like this.  Hannah didn't sleep for two whole days.  She was terrified that her house was going to be burned down while she slept; so stayed awake the whole time.  She only slept due to exhaustion; that was when I called.  Gray said to me that he hasn't seen anything this bad in so long; and they are pretty much shell shocked.  However, he can't leave their place as it's his place of work; and he's scared that if he does somebody will come and destroy it.  They do appreciate how scared I am for them, though, as they live in Lewisham; right in the middle of it all.  

But what makes me wonder is where this all came from?  Despite the quiet protest to the man's death by the police.  Could this have been avoided?  I think so.  But how?  We have so many quick and easy conveniences in life now that how children are brought up today so much different to how we were brought up a generation ago - or even two generations ago.  It wasn't so hi-tech back when I was a kid. Yes, we had computers, but they weren't so much a part of our lives as they are now.  We did have television, but it was luxury to watch it instead of it being on all the time and something blaring out into an empty gallery.  The way we eat is totally different as well; not to mention lazy.  We don't cook things from scratch anymore; instead opting out for microwaved meals or one-pot meals that come frozen or already prepared by a company we pay per month to be delivered to our doors all because 'I'm too busy with my life to do anything like cook a meal.'.

Well, when I was growing up, both my parents worked when I was in primary school.  My brother and I both had a key to the front door as normally Mum wasn't home in the afternoons and we had to let ourselves in.  She did try to be there; but sometimes she wasn't.  So, when we got home, we'd do our homework, have a shower, and set the table for dinner and get the vegetables ready for dinner.  Sometimes there'd be wiping up from breakfast to do or the dishwasher to empty; and we'd do that too.  By the time all that got done, Mum and Dad would be home.  They'd be stuffed from their day at work, but because my brother and I helped with the dinner that little bit, it took a load off Mum.

As we grew up into high school.  We took on more chores; such as bringing in the laundry, taking out the rubbish and making our beds before they got home.  These were added onto our usual chores of what we had before.  And then, we were also learning to cook too; so we took turns cooking at times and it became easier for Mum when she got home and found one of us cooking a meal for dinner for the family.  

Nowadays, kids just come home, have a shower and whinge about when dinner will be ready.  They dump themselves in front of the television and do nothing.  They don't do the vegetables, don't help around the place and don't ask if anything needs to be done.  It's just not what is used to be.  No wonder there's so much anarchy and disrespect around the world now; as it begins at home, not when they leave school.  By then it's too late to try to instill it into them.  Until my next post, take care, keep warm and safe and remember I'm always here.