1. Give an outline of the views on what caused the UK riots presented in texts 1 and 2
Text 1, a news report from the “Voice of America” website written by Al Pessin, is generally reporting how the UK riots in August happened and why the Londoners thought the riots broke out. Many of them initially assumed that the violence was a backlash from chronic unemployment, slow economic recovery and cuts to public service (site 2, line 12 - 15). They thought that the riot was triggered by a still-unresolved shooting by the police, which cost a young man’s life. But it was just the spark which lighted the fuel. The young people had enough. They begin to loot stores and smash up cars to show their dissatisfaction. But Chris Hamnett lives not far from some of the worst rioting. He said that the rioting is for fun and profit, not for expressing their anger against an oppressive state. He says that the neighborhood where the riots were concentrated had large African and Caribbean populations. He said they generally have less education, more unemployment and higher crime rates. Some people living in the riot-plagued neighborhoods said that they are just looting for loot, with no reason. Also it was in their opinions that the government had to listen to these young people, who just had nothing else to do. But the British primeminister did not do as so. Instead he promised tougher police tactics and more severe punishments.
Text 2, an article from “The independent” website written by Camila Batmanghelidjh, tells how the rioters was looking at the street level people and the government and vice versa. The street level people were not surprised that these events happened. On Twitter and Facebook invitations called on to take part of the riots. They did not think that the community had anything to offer them but they had been “cut off”. The people on the street level had also been concerned about the large amount of young groups creating their own antisocial communities with different rules. Here it was survival of the fittest and to achieve goods happened through violence. The people for an example at a youth center was separated from the staff, which had themselves locked up in the office because the young men were dominating the space with their violent behavior. 2. Characterize the tone and the style used in text 3. Illustrate your answer with examples from the text
Text 3 is an editorial from the tabloid newspaper The Sun’s website. The title of the editorial is “The fightback” and as the title says it is about how to stop the riot. There was asked a question about what to do with the riots and then the sun’ editors came with their opinions on what to do. Concerning the tone there is a very negative one directed against the rioters and a positive one directed against the law-enforcers. On line 5 it says; “The law on rioting must be toughened. Our brave police must be given a free hand to smash the mobs whatever it takes.” So here the editors clearly without frills says that the police need more support from either - or both the public and the government. They are telling the courts to knock down the rioters as well. On line 8 - 9 it says; “The courts must be ruthless. The maximum sentence for riot is ten years. So let’s see it applied”.
They look at the rioters as rebellions who just want to see shops burn and the base of the community collapse. But it is not just the rioters they were ticking off. The parliament is also getting a tick off. They are not satisfied by the way the politicians have handled the riots. On line 25 - 26 it says: “Parliament must not be squeamish about tear gas and plastic bullets. They are there to be used”.
At the end of the editorial it says that: “Britain looks to Parliament to rise to the occasion and provide the leadership we have been lacking”. Here the final message is given; show the leadership that is needed for this situation.
If you look at the style used in the text the comments are separated from each other. Almost every line has a different theme. At the beginning it is about how to help the police the most. Then it becomes more and more political until the final message is given. 3. Taking your starting point in one of the texts, discuss how society can prevent similar problems in the future.
I will take my starting point on the text 1. Here it is clear that the riot is ongoing (of course) and how the Prime Minister had authorized the police water cannons to restore law and order over these young rioters, who is looting stores and setting cars on fire. But I would rather say that it is the Prime Minister who is looting the rioters.
Why? Because as it is explained in the text, the young people from the quarters of Northern London simply have nothing else to do. Instead money is being used stuff like the water cannons, which have not been used until the riots outbreak. But if they used the money on the poor quarters and made the people happier, they would not have needed the cannons.
The community around them offers limited activities and centers where the young people can go. These offers are limited because the centers / youth clubs and that the young people simply not are getting the required payment to pay the costs of offers like a bus-trip to the countryside or something like that.
But it does not all have to be depending on money. The community in the northern quarters could begin to offer the young people some small job like mow a lawn, paint a wooden wall or cleaning up a garage, just to keep them off the boring street corners.