Many, many years ago when I was about to marry my first husband, we had to move the wedding venue. This was because we were supposed to get married at Brixton registry office and we didn't want several burnt out vehicles and brick strewn roads as the back drop to our wedding photos. Our wedding date landed in the middle of the Brixton Riots.
And here we are today. Only worse. Mindless thugs who can connect with each other far more easily than back in 1981, causing unbelievable destruction in cities all over Britain. Destroying property and lives as they rampage the streets. Burning down a hundred year old building in Croydon. A building that had survived two wars. Robbing a distressed and injured young man as they pretended to help him. Beating a man - who now is a critical condition - because he tried to put out fires the thugs had set alight in two bins.
Britain is reaping what it has sown. Teachers are not allowed to discipline. Policemen are not allowed to punish. Parents are not allowed to smack. If a kid gets into trouble he's more likely to be taken to Alton Towers for a day out than punished. We have to feel oh so sorry for these poor thugs because they need to build up their self esteem. If any one retaliates against them they are the ones to get into trouble. Shop keepers got in trouble last night for defending their properties with force.
They say they are rioting because they have no future. Half of them are still at school. Well, thugs. Get your back sides back in class, learn something and give yourselves a future! There's a lot of decent young men and women soldiers who have died in Afghanistan - they're the ones with no future.
It disgusts me to see them putting pictures on Facebook of them posing with the spoils of their looting. They really have no shame. I'm guessing that most of them have parents. Parents who are probably scared of their own kids. Didn't one thug boldly say he was joining in the riots and there was nothing his parents could do to stop him?
Years ago kids hanging around town getting up to no good, were given a clip round the ear by the local bobby and told to get off home. I remember a lad at school getting the cane for using the F word. Kids that got up to mischief were often marched home by the local bobby to face the wrath of their parents. Yes, I know some teachers, parents and policemen took it too far and kids were punished excessively on occasion But far better that than this out-of-control society we live in today.
Young people have always rebeled against society. It's what young people do. But once it was long hair and rock-and-roll now it's knives, guns and hoodies.
We are living under a culture of fear. If a person drops litter on the floor and you tell them to pick it up, if you see someone doing criminal damage and you try to stop them, if you interven in any way - you now would quite literally be risking your life.
I spoke to an elderly gentleman the other day and he told me he was glad he was getting to the end of his life because he'd rather be leaving this world than entering it.
A sad indictment of society today.
