Even Mrs NotaSheep, not the most political or media aware of people, has worked it out. This morning she said - 'the media are encouraging the rioters with this talk of the police not being able to work without a break and one more night and they will be too tired.' She's right of course, she generally is, but the media's culpability goes back further. When Mrs NotaSheep says the media she means BBC Radio 4 as that is the only radio station that she listens to in the morning whilst getting dressed. Much of the BBC's reporting of the initial Tottenham riots were skewed to blame the police for the affair and to excuse the rioters as much as possible with talk of government cuts, inequality and so on.
Imagine that you are an unemployed youth, bored with life and longing for excitement. Some bloke gets shot by the police and there are protests, that's boring. But then the protests turn into riots and your television screen shows you pictures of young people just like you throwing firebombs and attacking police cars - now that looks like fun. You carry on watching and the BBC commentary doesn't call for action against the rioters or decry the violence and its perpetrators but excuses it; it's the fault of the government for the cuts, of the police for not understanding the needs of the community. Then you notice that the looting has started and people just like you are smashing shop windows and walking off with flat screen televisions, mobile phones and jewellery. Now, as they say, 'this just got interesting'. So you call your mates and suddenly its obvious - there's an electronics shop on the high street where the people who do work and do pay taxes buy their televisions and home entertainment systems and there's a Carphone Warehouse and a jeweller. You want a new television, you deserve one, after all it's not your fault that you don't work, it's not your fault that you didn't work at school, didn't pass any exams, didn't try and achieve. The television keeps telling you that you should have what you want, that anyone can follow their dream and your dream at the moment is a big screen television, a new mobile phone and maybe some jewellery for your girl. You know the police won't stop you, they want the overtime and the thrill off the baton charge, protecting property is not that interesting any more. So you and your friends start a riot and guess what, the police don't stop you as you throw bricks at shop windows and cars. The police don't even stop you as you start a fire as a distraction. And yes... the police don't even stop you as you walk out of the electronics store with a 42" LCD television, out of Carphone warehouse with some of the latest mobile phones or out of the jewellery shop with a gold chain and a nice watch. So you go home and wonder if you should go 'shopping' tonight as well.
Meanwhile another youth sits at home in a town that has not yet had a 'riot' and says "I'd like a new television, I wonder..."
Imagine that you are an unemployed youth, bored with life and longing for excitement. Some bloke gets shot by the police and there are protests, that's boring. But then the protests turn into riots and your television screen shows you pictures of young people just like you throwing firebombs and attacking police cars - now that looks like fun. You carry on watching and the BBC commentary doesn't call for action against the rioters or decry the violence and its perpetrators but excuses it; it's the fault of the government for the cuts, of the police for not understanding the needs of the community. Then you notice that the looting has started and people just like you are smashing shop windows and walking off with flat screen televisions, mobile phones and jewellery. Now, as they say, 'this just got interesting'. So you call your mates and suddenly its obvious - there's an electronics shop on the high street where the people who do work and do pay taxes buy their televisions and home entertainment systems and there's a Carphone Warehouse and a jeweller. You want a new television, you deserve one, after all it's not your fault that you don't work, it's not your fault that you didn't work at school, didn't pass any exams, didn't try and achieve. The television keeps telling you that you should have what you want, that anyone can follow their dream and your dream at the moment is a big screen television, a new mobile phone and maybe some jewellery for your girl. You know the police won't stop you, they want the overtime and the thrill off the baton charge, protecting property is not that interesting any more. So you and your friends start a riot and guess what, the police don't stop you as you throw bricks at shop windows and cars. The police don't even stop you as you start a fire as a distraction. And yes... the police don't even stop you as you walk out of the electronics store with a 42" LCD television, out of Carphone warehouse with some of the latest mobile phones or out of the jewellery shop with a gold chain and a nice watch. So you go home and wonder if you should go 'shopping' tonight as well.
Meanwhile another youth sits at home in a town that has not yet had a 'riot' and says "I'd like a new television, I wonder..."
1 comment:
...but will they pay the tv licence fee?
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