Grim Days in London - A rant at the rioters

We were in Amsterdam when we first learn about the riots on the streets of London from the television. Apparently it started as a protest against the shooting by police at a young black man who died from the gun shot.

When I get back to London, it became more and more apparent that this is not about protesting the police shooting, it's not about racism, its not rioting for a cause, its all just pure GREED of certain groups of the community, and its happening all over the country, not just in London.

These riots disgust me - its a very sad reality, really. It's the more disadvantaged (poor) youths that participate in these riots, they say. When I think about it, even the "poor" people who live in England are more advantaged than an "average" person in a developing country, say Malaysia. All this "poor" youths have blackberries (that's the medium in which they communicate and gather to loot). Now, how many teenagers in Malaysia have blackberries? In fact, many adults in the developing countries do not even own mobile phones.

These people loot/steal/destroy - not for food or for survival. They all seem to be well-fed youths, non of them look as if they are starving. No, they loot for luxury items - plasma TV, branded clothes, nice shoes, electronic gadgets. They burn down buildings for the fun of it. Some gave the excuse that they are doing it because there have no money, no jobs. How does smashing down windows and by burning down a building does it benefit anyone? How does it give someone a job? What is the sense of destroying? And mind you, many of the buildings that are burnt down are old / heritage building....a part of history gone, just to fuel someone's adrealine.

Who are the ones who benefit? No one! 

Who are the ones who suffer? Small shop owners and innocent residents who are just trying their best to make a living. People who have worked hard all their lives to build their businesses.The local communities. 

The youths here, (no matter how "disadvantaged")  just do not know blessed they are just by being able to live in a country like England. Come on, this is England - the country of opportunity!! For goodness sake, by being able to live in a "Western" country, you have already won the "lottery of life"....there is opportunity for education, opportunity to learn a trade and make an honest living, the government give you a FREE flat if you cannot afford it, the government gives you FREE MONEY if you are on social benefits,  just absolutely no excuse / sense for these riots.

I find this article quite interesting on why people turn to looters...but still, its NO EXCUSE!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14463452

The details of the first few people caught looting emerges today:
A 21 year old single mum who lives in a FREE 2 bedroom council flat, a primary school teacher who earns 1000 pounds a month (an equivalent of a RM5k - a manager's pay in Malaysia).

Disgusting!

PICTURES FROM THE PRESS (Not by us)