Weeping for England

Like most people, over the last few days I have been absolutely flabbergasted at the news coming at us from the riots in Britain. In fact, I would go as far as to say that my vocabulary is completely inadequate. I am unable to appropriately express my dismay, my upset, my astonishment at the photographs, videos and journalists' reports coming from the United Kingdom.

For me, London was always a magical place. Home to legendary kings and queens; place of ancient castles and cobbled roads; birthplace of punk. It was one of the places I aspired to visit when I grew up. When I at last touched down at Heathrow after six months in America, it felt distinctly like coming home. The people had the same sense of humour as Australians, there were familiar names on streets and pubs, and I suppose simply the fact that so much of Australia stems from a British heritage, it felt like a place from a memory I'd lost.

I loved every minute of living in London (even the urine-drenched public phone boxes with the very rude pictures of available girlies plastered everywhere - whenever I phoned home I had to close both my nostrils and my eyes!!) The London I lived in, aged 23, was quite simply wonderful. A place I hoped to visit again with my husband and children, to share the amazing history, glorious gardens and ye olde leaning buildings.

In the past few days, I have seen things that make my heart bleed. Police cars on fire. Centuries-old buildings, burning into the night sky. Angry teenagers shouting into the darkness. A country gone completely mad.

I have some very dear friends living in London, and I have worried about their safety all week. Nev, my wonderful mate from the Cleveland Arms in Paddington; Renee, Phoebe's nursery teacher now nannying in London; Michael, a friend from many, many years ago (who, by the way, has been sending photographs and video footage to the BBC, the Telegraph and Channel 10 - for goodness sake, Mike, get out of the way of trouble!!). Even Fancy, who I love to death through her bloggy life is over there - how do I know she and the Minis are safe???

Watching these seething mobs riot against the law is completely frightening (Thank you, Captain Obvious.) Why don't these people have any respect for the law? For human kindness? For basic decency? At what point did the youth of Britain throw respect for others out the window and declare manners to be passe?

I know that the numbers of poor, unemployed youths are at an all-time high in the UK. I'll admit, I have had a very fortunate upbringing. I have a husband who works exceptionally hard to keep the kids and I fed, clothed and housed. However, I do understand what it feels like to struggle to put food on the table. I empathise with those who have been searching for work for months, even years, when there are no jobs to be had. It is soul-destroying. Every day, the black cloud over your head gets heavier.

But I also know, in an gut-wrenching, desperate way, what it feels like to fight for your life with no protection whatsoever from the police. To have to rely on yourself to survive, knowing that no one is going to come to help you. To know that, even though you have asked the police for help, none will be forthcoming.

The terror in my home lasted only a few hours. This insane street-fighting has been going on for five days. How long can the kind, gentle, decent people of England endure the tyranny of a mob gone mad? How long can they wait before the police regain some semblance of law and order? I understand that the British police have been given the authority to use rubber bullets and water cannons to control the rioting.

In the short term, this may quell the ringleaders enough to stop most of the trouble. However, it won't fix the reason it began in the first place. The people responsible for this outrageous behaviour are angry at authority. They are not at all afraid of justice, or feel any sense of decency. They feel vindicated in "taking back what is theirs". And what is that? An angry society completely bereft of manners, kindness and respect for others?

I am so afraid for England, that this is only the beginning. That next time, the rubber bullets and water cannons will simply be brought out earlier. That more innocent people will be hurt, or killed, or lose their homes and livelihoods.

I am also afraid for Australia. If this could happen, in 2011, in "multicultural" England, well. How long will it be before our youths are so bored and angry that they follow suit? How can we predict what would trigger such an outbreak of violence? And more to the point, what are we going to do to prevent it?