Is dhw Safe??? (Introduction)

by dhw, Thursday, August 11, 2011, 18:08 (4832 days ago) @ David Turell

MATT: Our site owner lives somewhere in the land of the Britons, where I certainly hope he is far away from danger!-DAVID: He lives out near the Pirates of Penzance. Unless there is a hoard of gold out there to tempt the rioters, he is very safe. Poor England tried multiculturalism and found it doesn't work when all it brings in are those who wish to live off the dole.-Thank you for your concern! I live about three hours' drive from Penzance, which I guess by Texan standards is next door. The nearest rioting city is Bristol, one hour away, but my elder son and my daughter are both in London, hoping to stay clear of trouble. No-one knows for sure what lies behind all this. The rioters are mainly youngsters of all races, letting out their aggressions (and stealing what they can while they can). It all began with a peaceful demonstration in protest at the police shooting a black man dead. In came the thugs, it all turned violent, and media coverage and social networking did the rest. You can list a wide range of contributory factors: racial tensions, distrust of the police, rising unemployment, government cutbacks that affect the vulnerable, the greedy example of bankers and politicians, irresponsible parents...plus of course the fact that every town has its own collection of hell-raisers. All of these things add to an inner, maybe even unconscious pressure, and eventually the lid blows.
 
Multiculturalism is a multifaceted subject. As a white Englishman married to a black African, I have a somewhat different view from David's. There are unquestionably large numbers of immigrants (as well as large numbers of native British people) who scrounge off the state, and there are large numbers who are honest and hard-working. The parasitic element of our society is the flip side of the wonderful progress we've made in caring for those who are genuinely in need. The pendulum has swung too far now, which is what frequently happens when you try to right a wrong. People take advantage. But opening the doors to folk from different cultures has gone on throughout British and American history, and we are all the richer for it. My ancestors came from Eastern Europe, fleeing the pogroms. My younger son is married to a Brazilian, and his own son is therefore a mixture of European, African and South American, but he will probably be educated in the States, where they now live! I don't know how he will turn out, but if he's anything like his dad, aunt and uncle, he will be a living testimony to the bright side of multiculturalism.