The London Riots and the Toronto Talk Show

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I overheard a Toronto talk-show yesterday talking about excusing the London riots. Between the host and his guest, there was not one word spoken to suggest that the rioters are personally responsible for their behaviour.

Not. One. Word.

They immediately jumped to the never-ending quest for "root causes". It can't be the rioter's fault; it must be ours.

Here's the Ball bounces short list of politically incorrect root causes that you will not hear discussed on a Canadian talk show any time soon.

* Children being born and raised out of wedlock.

* Youth being raised in an permissive environment where dropping out of school going on the dole, and living idle, layabout lives is not only a live option, it's a social right and entitlement. In other words, "socialism caused the riots"

* A school system that fails to inculcate a sense of personal responsibility

* A social milieu that expects and condones this kind of  behaviour (cf. the radio talk show)

The radio show ended with the guest suggesting that these kinds of riots could happen in Toronto.

Instead we should make it clear this kind of behaviour is not expected, never justified, and will not be tolerated.

Related articles

• WATCH: Rioters Overpower Police In London (businessinsider.com)
• London Rioter 'Flashes Arse' on Live TV [Video] (gawker.com)
• Ken Livingstone: the rioters need someone to "care about them and speak for them" (blogs.telegraph.co.uk)
• Can You Identify Any of the London Rioters? [Websites] (gizmodo.com)