My Country Is Going To Hell!

[Infernus]

Im from Croydon, its absolute carnage here, everybody with more than 2 brain cells is just discusted.

Everyone knows the social problems we have in this country and have had for some time, nobody knew how bad it was untill now, id feel safer in Afganistan tonight.

[wetman]

Yes we have special squads of officers who has a stiff upper lip.

Also, as always onions help in this matter. They carry raw onions and when there is a riot they half peel them and throw them into the crowd to disperse them.

LOL! beldina fue sox' U R so fune'y! ROFLMAO!

iirc u liek txtspk & 1337!!! Moar CAPSLOCK = MORe AWSUM!!!!111!!

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Not really funny.

[AutieAB]

Sky News' Mark Stone deserves a bloody medal for having the testicular fortitude to go out and get this while all the other journalists were hiding indoors and "reporting" nothing more than regurgitated twitter posts:

[maly]

If the police will not protect us our businesses or homes then we should!

If enough right minded people stand together and say that what is happening is wrong then we can stop it happening.

Myself and a few other men will be on duty in croydon tonight to protect our shop and centre.

I for one will NOT stand by and watch what is important to me go up in smoke because some lawless twat wants to burn it for kicks!

Mal.

[LuvsGurl]

This is what results when a government takes away citizens' rights to arm and protect themselves and their property.

Mass riots are pretty rare in the US for this reason. You break into someone's shop here you will more than likely be staring down the business end of a shotgun.

Remember, if a criminal wants a gun they are going to get a gun. Gun control laws only keep them out of the hands of law abiding civilians.

[Zander]

This is what results when a government takes away citizens' rights to arm and protect themselves and their property.

Mass riots are pretty rare in the US for this reason. You break into someone's shop here you will more than likely be staring down the business end of a shotgun.

Remember, if a criminal wants a gun they are going to get a gun. Gun control laws only keep them out of the hands of law abiding civilians.

With all due respect*, lets not turn this into a "Second Amendment" debate. In regards to firearms and the UK, you clearly have no clue what you are talking about.

Anyone from Canada or the US who has not lived in the UK for a number of years *recently* should stay clear of this "gun ownership" topic when it comes to the UK. The very idea that widespread gun ownership is in any way acceptable by the UK public is laughable. Let me remind you that last night only one person died. Had firearms and live ammunition been widely available to the public, the death-toll would have been far higher.

* -- (I mean this, I'm not trying to insult you - just make a somewhat harsh point.)

[ldatsea]

Hypocrite. Assumption is at the vary core of cluelessness. Perhaps maybe you would like to consider a rogue group of anarchists.

Of course this is a tragedy, but lets not label such a large group of people in the aftermath, or we would be as guilty as those who killed Muslim Americans post 9/11 or more sadly, Sikh taxi drivers, because some group of idiots could not tell the difference between a Sikh and a Muslim.

how the hell are you calling me a hypocrite? i dont think you read my post .....

[LuvsGurl]

Had firearms and live ammunition been widely available to the public, the death-toll would have been far higher.

Had firearms and live ammunition been widely available to the public this mess would have been put down by now. Instead mobs are allowed to roam at will causing millions in property damage.

Remember, a well armed society is a polite society. People are less likely to go on a destructive rampage if they know that every shop owner is going to be standing in the door with a loaded gun. People should have the right to use any means necessary to protect their homes and businesses from damage.

[Guest gnappies]

Had firearms and live ammunition been widely available to the public this mess would have been put down by now. Instead mobs are allowed to roam at will causing millions in property damage.

Remember, a well armed society is a polite society. People are less likely to go on a destructive rampage if they know that every shop owner is going to be standing in the door with a loaded gun. People should have the right to use any means necessary to protect their homes and businesses from damage.

And your reply is exactly why we don't want mass legal gun ownership here in the UK.

US murder involving firearms is 15.22 per 100,000, England is 0.46 per 100,000. The US is only beaten by, South Africa, Colombia, Thailand, and Guatemala, even Mexico is lower.

I wouldn't trust the average plod (police) with a gun, let alone most of the general public. Our permitted specialist gun users from the Police (CO19) firearms unit, do not carry weapons off duty.

[ldatsea]

And your reply is exactly why we don't want mass legal gun ownership here in the UK.

US murder involving firearms is 15.22 per 100,000, England is 0.46 per 100,000. The US is only beaten by, South Africa, Colombia, Thailand, and Guatemala, even Mexico is lower.

I wouldn't trust the average plod (police) with a gun, let alone most of the general public. Our permitted specialist gun users from the Police (CO19) firearms unit, do not carry weapons off duty.

but the real matter is has your gun laws prevented the criminals from possessing guns or only the law abiding citizens?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/6438601/Gun-crime-doubles-in-a-decade.html

[Guest gnappies]

but the real matter is has your gun laws prevented the criminals from possessing guns or only the law abiding citizens?

http://www.telegraph...n-a-decade.html

Most of the gun crime over here is gang related (generally black on black), and it's still very low. Almost every murder involving a gun will be national news.

The rule is, if you carry a gun, expect to get shot, either by a rival gang or the Police. It's just a shame the Police don't enforce this more often. When the Police do kill a gun carrier, there is a full investigation and the officer will be suspended, can be up to six months. Don't forget nearly all of our police are not armed, it's a very small highly trained elite that are allowed to carry a weapon, (think special forces type training).

Although when the are sent to an incident, we do go a bit the other way, and send them out heavily 'tooled up'

[AutieAB]

Mass riots are pretty rare in the US for this reason.

Mass riots are pretty rare everywhere (including the UK) but the USA's history of violent disorder is by no means a short one. Check your facts.

All countries, all peoples have their riots. There's always a disenfranchised group, there's always a small number of knobheads who think violence is the answer.

And FYI, the "government [taking] away citizens' rights to arm and protect themselves" in the Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) happened as a result of broad public demand, most notably in the years following the Dunblane massacre. Read it.

[Zander]

Back on topic, seems like its Manchester suffering the brunt of things tonight.

[ldatsea]

yes we have our fair share of morons and have had riots and unfortunately will have more in the future.... humans in groups are even more stupid....

[spark]

Who is doing the rioting, and was it really caused because the police shot a gangster?

I've read the reports but I haven't read which group is actually doing the rioting (only being teens- and likely people who still act like teens).

BTW, I hope things have settled down tonight, and sanity comes back (good luck- my prayers are with all the people in urban England).

[dogpiss]

As a Dutch expat, I really don't understand what's going on in The UK. Is it true that a lot of the so-called "protesters" (a media term in the US) are on the dole? From the interviews I've seen they seem to hate small business. Why is this? How is this a protest against the government (if that is the intent)? Wouldn't it be better to harass the politicians to bloody hell than injure innocents? I don't understand the whole thing... is it something in the British psyche? The last time I was in The UK I didn't see this attitude. I apoligise for my ignorance... maybe I've been in the states too long, but I must be missing something. Trying to make sense of the nonsensical

I guess. Maybe some time in an Amsterdam cafe would do them well

[maly]

As a Dutch expat, I really don't understand what's going on in The UK. Is it true that a lot of the so-called "protesters" (a media term in the US) are on the dole? From the interviews I've seen they seem to hate small business. Why is this? How is this a protest against the government (if that is the intent)? Wouldn't it be better to harass the politicians to bloody hell than injure innocents? I don't understand the whole thing... is it something in the British psyche? The last time I was in The UK I didn't see this attitude. I apoligise for my ignorance... maybe I've been in the states too long, but I must be missing something. Trying to make sense of the nonsensical

I guess. Maybe some time in an Amsterdam cafe would do them well

There is no point looking for sense and reason in all of this because it is just mindless destruction for the sake of it,

it is nothing to do with politics nor is it any sort of protest.

And the only poverty here is moral, mental and spiritual poverty.

Watching the cctv footage from my mates shop showed the door being kicked in by a lad of about 14 or 15, once in they tear the (empty) till from the counter take it outside in the road then smash it just for the hell of it,the rest of the mob then move in and start wrecking the shelving units.

this is just mob rule pure and simple.

Mal.

[redneck diaper boy]

No matter what, this is just plain thuggery.

America learned from the LA riots. Shopkeepers armed themselves.

What does it take to get a gun permit in the UK?

[dogpiss]

It's frustrating to me because I'd like to help stop this and protect the innocents, but I'm half an ocean away. Even if I wasn't I wouldn't know what to do to help or how to stop the feral youths reeking havoc. Some of the alternate media sources in the states seem to imply the rioters are Paki kids with an axe to grind. This whole situation is disgusting and giving the country a black eye. If this were to happen next year during the games, it would be catastrophic to the image of the UK world-wide. Don't these ugly kids have mums who taught them right from wrong? I'm hoping that in a short time cooler heads and common sense will prevail.

I saw/heard this on youtube from the BBC:

Do these girls really represent what's going on? In all seriousness, do they have some sort of mental deficit? How does the robbing and beating of innocents hurt "rich people"?

[LuvsGurl]

No matter what, this is just plain thuggery.

America learned from the LA riots. Shopkeepers armed themselves.

What does it take to get a gun permit in the UK?

That was the point I was trying to make.

Can't get a gun permit in the UK... not allowed.

[AutieAB]

Can't get a gun permit in the UK... not allowed.

You're mistaken, again. With respect, you obviously don't understand the UK's firearms laws and the public attitudes to them.

If you can show a use for your weapon, for instance recreational shooting, hunting, you're a farmer, etc, you'll probably be given a license. If you can't show a reason to own it, you'll probably be denied. Most automatic/self-loading weapons and virtually all handguns are outlawed:

http://www.durham.police.uk/info/firearms/firearms_info/prohibited_weapons.php

[sarah_ab]

and nobody takes issue with the phrase "mulatto bitch?" wow

[AutieAB]

That's not the only piece of racist language in this thread either.