English Riots

As news of the past few days riots in London and other parts of the UK spread across the Social Networking sites I knew that this was going to be another dark chapter in British history. As I live overseas, friends here asked me how family and friends back in England were coping. It was with those questions that I was reminded of the War poster, a variant of which is hanging on the wall above my computer. It simply says ’Keep Calm and Carry On’. It seems so apt for the chaos that rains down on England right now.
London went through the blitz when German warplanes relentlessly, night after night, dropped bombs on the civilians for 76 consecutive nights. In that sustained attack over a million houses were destroyed or damaged and more than 20,000 Londoners killed. The Germans would target other Cities up and down the British Isles, claiming another 20,000 lives. However the bombing did not bring Britain to it’s knees. In fact the constant barrage never really seriously hampered production and the war industries continued to operate and expand.
Then London was targeted by the IRA. Nail bombs being a particular favorite of the Irish Republican Army and civilians made for the easiest and most unsuspecting victims. Again the Londoners just got themselves back up, dusted themselves off and started all over again. 'London has always been reinventing itself, it is a City built on the wreckage of itself' a quote from Michelle Williams' character in the movie ‘Incendiary’. It’s been flattened by storms, flooded and rotten with plague. Even Hitler couldn’t finish it off‘.
The terrorists attacks of July 7th on the mass transit of London was yet another chapter in the book. The Underground system was targeted as well as a iconic London bus and despite the loss of life, most people went on about their lives the very next day. People got back on buses and rode the ‘Tube’.
This happened in London but the rest of the British people have the same resolve. Heartbreaking stories of people getting attacked, robbed and stores and buildings destroyed are terrible but then you have the spirit of the people shining through. The couple who kept the police on their particular street in ample supply of tea and biscuits. Or the cleaning crews, unpaid members of the public, taking to the streets to aid the cleanup may be small gestures but trust me they show the true spirit of the Englishman. Make no mistake, these rioters will face justice and England will continue as normal. They will get back up, dust themselves off and start the rebuild again. Land of Hope and Glory.