Riots in England - reactive justice has it's own consequencies

It is truly unbelievable how an epetition has developed over the last few days.  A petition to parliament so MPs discuss the issue of penalising those convicted rioters by stopping their welfare benefits or by evicting them from social housing.  This petition is one which does not have my vote.  Because someone is in a riot and has committed criminal damage or theft it does not mean they should be stigmatised for the rest of their life or given a judicial kicking.  Yes they should pay for the crime, but not for the rest of their life and not the rest of their family.  Individuals are individually responsible for their actions.  If a man for example is convicted of rioting, and then loses his home, his wife and children may also become homeless.  In order to make ends meet how could this person not now descend lower in the social scale?  Rather than become reformed, to then descend into further crime, street robbery you name it.  There must be consequences of actions, but on a second level, justice dished out in this way will have a new set of consequences. It is short sighted, blinkered and it is reactive.

The riots arose in part because the mob mentality took over.  Le Bon's book The Crowd would teach and give anyone reasons why crowds work in this way.  Even those with criminality.  Forethought of consequences has nothing to do with it.  Like being at a football match.  A feeling of the crowd takes over.  Supporters shout, scream and swear the atmosphere is infectious.  They follow it and are part of it.  It is difficult to stand away from it and be individualistic.  A voice of descent would be pounced upon and shredded up into little pieces.

The big questions really have to be asked on the issue of rioting, and again we have an inept parliament who can not be bothered to see beyond their noses.  Inner cities have unique problems, poverty, racism, education, health, crime, there are sociological issues beyond comprehension.  There are housing issues, ergonomic issues, religious issues.  If you have never suffered from poverty how can you make a judgement of the effects it has on a society and on each individual's mental make up.  How important is their self-esteem and self-worth are, how important a job is and with work which helps combat some of these issues.  Having an income which is enough to live off and not resort to crime. 

It was Nelson Mandela who said:

 "there can be no keener revelation of a society's soul, than in the way it treats its children."

The news report of those arrested for rioting has stated over 50 per cent of them were under the age of 17 years.  Something would seem to be pretty wrong with society in these circumstances.  David Cameron in his agenda of getting the country to sort itself out has used references to British society in a pretty flippant way.  Suggesting he can create the "big society" but he is just a lone person and it seems very alone and ignorant with such a comment.  Further he has used the term "broken society" to describe events over the last week.  It's a pity he hasn't come up with a different term more along the lines of lets "fix society."  Of course fixing it involves more than could ever be contemplated by one individual.  Certainly not by a politician suffering from myopia..  Only society can fix itself, but some times it needs a little help. Help that would inspire not judge.  Where's our Nelson Mandela, that's what I say.