It is now Thursday and last night was the first night of calm since the riots broke out. Places like Ealing, my home town are getting back to normal with clean ups well under way and normal opening hours in shops and restaurants returning. The police are still out in force patrolling our streets, keeping them safe for us and helping to quash the fear that these mindless thugs have caused.
As a mummy to a twenty three month old, I worry what kind of world I am bringing my son up in. It is not just the violence that is of concern to me, it is the attitudes of some of the people I have seen interviewed on the news. I do not understand how anyone could defend the acts of these rioters and claim they are anything other than sheer thuggery. Budget cuts, poor prospects, disadvantaged social situations are not an excuse for such criminality.
One of the rioters, a young woman, claimed she was doing it to get her "taxes back". Really? I saw a mother from Manchester interviewed on the BBC news, she stood there with her two children and tried to defend the actions of the rioters because they are disadvantaged in society. She said "Look at my kids they aint got nuffin", her children stood there grinning. What are they going to grow up like? Would she be happy if her children went on to join in with the rioting? It is attitudes like this that make children think it is ok to join in with the looting and violence of the past few days.
I am a strong believer that children are not born bad, they learn what is right from wrong from those around them, which starts with their parents. It is a parents responsibility to teach their children values and morals and guide them through those early impressionable childhood years ensuring they are not falling in with the the wrong crowd before it gets out of hand. They need to be taught that crime is never acceptable. People work hard to make a life for themselves, some are lucky and as a result of their labours can afford flat screen televisions, expensive cars and houses.
These things are not a right, they need to be earned not taken.