Should The Rioters Lose Their Homes?

I'm waiting for Aussie to chip in and tell us they should have been hung [from their cell walls] after being fed their own intestines [prior to being hanged]


Edit. Thanks to Stefano for reminding me to complete my sentences

I know it isn't. I can't speak for before my life time, but I don't remember a time when it hasn't been. But that doesn't necessarily mean it shouldn't be

The point is that the BBC too often tells 'the' story of the events without acknowledging that there's more than one story. If you ask a shopkeeper who lost his shop, he would give his story as "some blokes turned up, broke into my shop and looted it". But ask one of the the blokes who broke in and they would give a different story, something like: "I lost my job, I've got no money, I've got kids to feed and I'm really angry, so when I saw there was rioting I decided to break into the shop and take the food". It's a completely different perspective - a completely different story

Putting it that way, essentially if the debate is taken to its ultimate conclusion, it becomes one of free will vs determinism, depending on your ideology, so it is a political issue

Agreed two completely different stories.

The first bloke is a victim of crime who has built up a business through hard work and has then seen his livelihood possibly put in jeopardy through no fault of his own;

The second bloke is a burglar who made the decision to be one.

There are many many people who are unable to get a job and who struggle week to week to support a family who would never dream of commiting crime to fund that. Many people like that were of course also victims in the recent riots losing all of their possessions whilst escaping their burning flats.

It is certainly the responsibility of the BBC to be balanced in their reports (which of course they never have been) but they can report fairly on social injustice by giving a voice to those affected who do not commit crime rather than to those who do.

You conveniently forget the plasma TV and the new trainers...and, on the tv tonight, the scooter as well...

Jesus, it's like listening to Theresa May talk about 'gangs'.............shock, horror...the British Home Secretary doesn't approve of working class communities forming groups with their own economies and value systems!

People don't exactly just wake up one morning and decide to be burglars just because they feel like it, though. Nor do you here kids at school, when asked what they want to be when they are older, say "I want to be a burglar

I could easily have started the burglar's story much earlier - "When I was younger, my parents kicked me out onto the streets every day, and my teachers didn't teach me anything and treated me like dirt". That is often the reality. You have exceptions like the bloke who drove from Winchester but by the mere mention of them, the BBC play to people's prejudices that this has been the fault of petty criminals rather than having a deeper cause

I'm not saying people don't have any free will. But it would be equally wrong to assume that they have total free will. The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle


You could equally say that to the shopkeeper - the reality of the situation is that while he may have lost his business, he will probably still have a comfortable life. Which is more than can be said for thousands of other people living in the same city, rioter or otherwise. It's all about perspective

I'm not approving of any of this looting and rioting, by any means. I'm looking for reasons, not excuses, because it's important that we learn from this to prevent it from happening again. We should not just look at what they have done and whether or not it is wrong. What is much more important is finding out why they have done it, and explaining to them why it is wrong. Saying "it's wrong because it's against the law" isn't a good enough reason, because 1) we all break the law so there are no high horses to sit on and 2) laws should always be open to questioning, so just because it's against the law doesn't make it wrong (especially pertinent considering the UK government recently recognised and pledged its support for the rebels in Libya)