( I wrote an angry letter during the recent riots in London. I was just very annoyed. I sent this to the Guardian. I guess they didn't need it anyway.)
It wasn’t acceptable in the eighties.
It sure isn’t acceptable right now. Coming home two days in a row to the news of London cities streets full of rampaging hooligans and looters made me think I was a kid again and not in a good way. It was troubling to see as a child and it still is. But more over, it just makes me angry.
Are they just bored? Is it the thrill factor that is making these people hit the streets? People have been reporting various reasons as to what has sparked these riots. We know about the initial protest in Tottenham, which was a genuine grievance over circumstances of Mark Duggan’s death. But using this as a cover to commit crime? That spits in all out faces. .
There is no excuse to loot and plunder. The harm done both financially and emotionally to the people will echo long after the fires have ebbed away and the streets have been cleaned. There was a single image on the news of a young girl crying while being taken to safety is one that says it all. To all those who took part in the looting and riots that have burned my city, I say congratulations.
You have scarred my city. You have taken away people’s livelihood. You have made people scared to walk the streets again. And you are so brave as to make little children scared. You have become the biggest bullies ever. What do you say to scenes of people out for nothing more than destruction and greed? Are you happy now?
Look in the mirror, people. Are your proud of yourself? We all have our grievances with the government, both legitimate and imagined. We are living in tough times and the belt tightening we are forced to do could almost be a noose that we are hanging ourselves with. But you are taking the last vestiges of pride that we have left..
We are proud Londoners. This is our home. You burn my city, you burn me. We will not stand for it.
Definitely, unacceptable at all times.
