Riots in London

I've read many newspaper articles and have seen many news broadcasts about the riots and looting in London recently. The authors have blamed everyone from the Government down, including single mothers (that makes my blood boil!!), Jamaican language! (what the?), social media (of course), but nowhere have I seen anyone blame the looters themselves!

Why is it that, as a society, we no longer require anyone to take responsibility for their own actions? I know some people have a hard time, sometimes even through no fault of their own, but the buck has to stop with each and every person. No more blaming the system, the schools, the government, the parents, the peer group, the church, or whoever is handy at the time.

We all know people who would be front and centre in the looting if it happened in their neighbourhood. Think about it, someone will come to mind. These are the people who have no respect for anything and anyone, including themselves. To my mind, that's the problem. No self-respecting person would ever dream of rioting and looting, no matter the circumstances. How did these people lose respect for themselves? Or did they not have any in the first place? Where does self-respect come from? All the self- words interrelate - self-respect; self-esteem; self-worth; self-confidence. Unfortunately, with those comes these: self-centred; self-interest; and, self-destruct.

I wish I had the answer; I wish someone did. But how do you teach these things? I suspect it has something to do with what you're told growing up - whether it's from family, friends, school or society. If you're told you're nothing, then you could become nothing. You still have the choice to believe it, or say "screw it, I'm better than that!!" and do whatever it takes to make it.

The world is full of people who rose from nothing to be at the top of their game, despite what they were told as children. Maybe we should be hearing from them rather than these reporters looking for sensationalism.

Couldn't hurt ...