misguided and misspent: riot reflections
The crux of the problem that has sparked the riots this week is upbringing that lacks love, argues Yousef White
We saw police helicopters and were able to watch events unfold five minutes away in Hackney from the comfort of our lounge. The next day, traditional and social media was a buzz with speculation, commentary, jokes, YouTube videos and anger. But as I sit here now having got through the initial shock of the last few days, I’m able to reflect on possible lessons that can be learnt from the drama.
What was the root of all the trouble? Was it a man shot dead by police in Tottenham? Was it even racial tension? No. It was none of those things. It was an excuse, an excuse to do something not normally possible.
From 44BC we’ve been rioting, through from Caesar’s reign in Rome to today, people have, every once in a while, decided to let off some steam and give a big F.U. to those in power. The difference with the riots this week, is that they were perpetrated by a group of kids who wanted to rob JJB sports. Disenchanted with society because of poverty, unaware of the possibilities of life due to a lack of education and possibly lost and alone due to a lack of love.
I see so many young kids in my area being spoken to in foul ways. “Shut your f*cking mouth”; “Don’t speak to me like that you little prick”; and “Say that again and I’ll f*cking slap you, little shit” are just some of the things I’d heard around Hackney. How do you think you’re going to grow up when the person or people who brought you in to the world speaks to you like that?
What they need is someone to buy into them, to give them a chance. Impoverished bored kids on council estates live a constant cat-and-mouse game with the police. They’re bored, they want something to do, they’re angry because dad’s angry, and granddad before was angry. This was just an opportunity to get one over on The Man. And they did it.
Councils have tried. But since the Tory party got in, many youth clubs have been shut. As an example, the north London borough of Haringey has seen its overall budget for youth services slashed 75%. The council’s overall budget has been cut by £41m. Gang experts, MPs and sector workers warned that the cuts could affect the youth in impoverished areas. From this, you’d say they’re right. Combine the cuts with summer holidays, a lack of opportunity, a lack of parenting in cases, mix in a summer’s day with nothing to do and you have a recipe for chaos. This wasn’t the work of criminal gangs, nor was it the result of oppression towards a particular race. It was youngsters, bored, disconnected, materialistic, misguided and misspent.
What we can learn is that kids are not a statistic, a case number or something a speech or PR opportunity can solve; they need the most basic of all things in an increasingly fast and muddled world: human touch, eye contact and someone who can make them feel good about themselves.
Photo: Jacek Barcikowski
