So how would you feel if you found out your teenager had been involved with the rioting in London?

It depends. No way to generalize all the people involved. I’d ask why and be proud if the reason given was a good one.

The riots? I’m all for fightin’ the man. I’d just want them to make sure they polish their bats before striking the police.

Just kidding.

It depends on why they were doing it and what they did.

This has all started over a young London gang and a lad getting shot by the police. Its now escalated massively and is out of hand. If you watch the link they are kids doing this of about 14–23. Scary stuff!

I understand what the initial outcry was about and I can understand protesting that. I would be incredibly upset with my teenager for being involved in rioting. Peaceful protest, that I would support. I would also be supportive of them defending themselves if they were being beaten by a police office during that peaceful protest. (Assuming that they did nothing to provoke the attack.) But rioting and looting? I can’t think of anything that I could be except upset and disappointed.

I am 100% behind @tedibear. In America, we protest if we feel we are being wronged and want our voices heard. But looting? Fuck that. If my kids were one of the hoodlums looting and destroying things, I’d kick their asses and turn them in.

The haves are killing off the have-nots.

The have-nots are finally fighting back. I would be proud of my child for standing up for his/her right to survive.

Cops on patrol and trying to keep the peace are the “haves”??

This is a nuanced situation. It’s been years in the making. It can happen here in the U.S. and in many places it should happen. It’s about classism and racism and youth rebellion. Yes, some people are looting but we must listen to the ‘why’s’ other were demonstrating peacefully. And watch this. @Jeruba Yes, they are the haves of power, of bio-power, to be more specific. Perhaps, you’re not a Foucaldian.

When I was about fifteen me and a friend went to a pet store where he stole a mouse.
On our way back home he decided that he didn’t want it anymore, so I said that I would take it with me.
At home I put it in a little safe, which I filled with lettuce.
My mom found out, obviously because I am a lousy liar and totally acting weird at dinner.
I told her the story.
She ordered me to bring the mouse back to the shop the next day and offer them my apologies.
I did.
I strongly believe that I would act the same as my mother did thirty years ago had my child returned home with a flat screen or Blackberry.

Cops are working for the “haves (wealthy elite).” Who do you think pays their wages? @jeruba

@Donald_Trump taxpayers do, many of whom are not “have’s”

I know that I pay my taxes. Wealthy elite I’m not.

We recently had a Facebook induced riot here in Milwaukee. I cannot fathom why it happened. It appears many of those starting it have gang involvement.

IMO, riots and looting come down to parenting. Where are the parents?

I’m all for peaceful protesting. Protests resolve conflict. Conflict does not resolve conflict.

Perhaps if you had ever been a cop you would understand who they are working for. @cletrans2col @Jeruba

Perhaps. But I also know that peace in the streets is not against my interests.

This is young gangs wanting respect and a little acknowledgment from the police and our PM. Who is totally useless btw. This particular area is a depriaved area anyway and does not help when every face you see in the media is black! Makes me mad as hell that they wont put the naughty little white boy’s face on the tv. The whole thing is screaming at the world that the UK is not ok, the goverment and police cannot cope with the situation and we need to accept that these kids have a point. Our police have gone trigger happy where they dont have to, ok they have not gone the right way about it but still. Just my opinion!

If they were involved with a peaceful protest, I’d be fine with it, whether I agree with their stance or not. If they were arrested for damage to another person’s property, I wouldn’t bail them out.

@BeccaBoo Here is your ‘naughty’ white boy…

As long as it’s peaceful then fine. No one has the right what so ever to damage another person’s property. I ain’t that old and i ain’t that young but i learned one thing, never respond to violence with violence. If the protests are peaceful and the police came down and started hitting those peaceful protestors, i wouldn’t mind defending but not hitting back. That’s just my humble view-point of all this :)

There is a difference between making a public display of dissatisfaction, and destroying or stealing property.
One (the former) is virtuous, and I would support it.
The other is inappropriate, and I would tell my kids to get ready to face their fate. I would have said this LONG before they every got involved in such a thing.
In fact, I did.

During the LA riots, the rioters went after innocent shopowners, beat Asians and Latinos with bats, up-ended and burned cars that belonged to families that had nothing to do with the riots. Some of these people are still living with physical and emotional damage from that time. That, to me, is nasty nasty business and I would be extremely upset with my kids if they participated in attacking innocent bystanders or citizens.

If they participated in peaceful protests, I’m all for that.

First off I guess they better be thankful they are in the UK. Had it been here in the US they would have rode through with three times the cops, and been using mace, teargas and pepper spray; that is before they shot one. It would have been ok, they had Kevlar against a stick but the youth brandished it and a cop might have gotten a splinter.

I guess my thought would first before their safety, then having them avoid any legal entanglements. I guess that would be by first concerns off the bat.

Once it got out of control I would be very upset if my child stuck around to participate. If they felt strongly about protesting I would hope they would wait until things calmed down, and plan a peaceful protest days or weeks later.

@cletrans2col You aren’t trying to say Americans never loot or riot are you?

My granddaughter lives in London, and I am hoping they are OK.

I once lived within earshot of the so-called Watts Riots of 1965. We heard gun shots for 5 nights, and smelled the smoke for a week.

I’d be proud if they went to a peaceful protest, and it may have intended to be that way, but I wouldn’t want a (future) child of mine to be involved in the promoting of violence.

@Hypocrisy_Central

Actually, during the last L.A. riots the cops stayed out and did absolutely nothing.

There is nothing that justifies one person wantonly destroying another’s property. I would hope any kid of mine old enough to be out protesting would have learned that sort of respect for others from me a long time ago, therefore would not be involved.

@rebbel Thanks for posting that. Ooooo makes my blood boil and that nobody does a bloody thing to help.

@Hypocrisy_Central We have had all that and more with roumours that they are giong to be bringing the army in. But the police have to tread carefully as this is all happening because a young lad got shot.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14452050

@JLeslie Nope. I remember Seattle and LA.

@cletrans2col Miami during Elian Gonzales, Watts, Chicago, etc, etc.

@JLeslie Those were the first that came to mind for me.