Sunday, December 04, 2011

From Teddy Bears to Brickbats

Chartist riots

I hadn’t seen this news story before I wrote about the Teddy Bear and Candle Syndrome last night, but it certainly makes my point.

An unspeakable crime was committed on December 1 against a tiny baby in Gravesend, Kent. The community responded in the usual fashion, covering the pavement with candles and teddy bears, and gathering for a candlelight vigil last night. There’s no point in reposting the photos; they’re like all the others — go over to The Daily Mail to see them.

But the situation changed partway through the vigil, and the mood turned ugly. More atavistic instincts — evidence of a return to sanity — took over, brushing aside the teddy bears. According to The Mail:

One woman who took part in the vigil said: “We lit candles and were saying prayers but then someone shouted ‘let’s go and find the b******s who did this.”

The vigil turned into a mob. The crowd took off to find the suspected perpetrators, and did some damage to the house where they were thought to live.

This story makes an interesting case study, because as of this writing there is no word on whether cultural enrichment was involved. According to the demographic information on Gravesend, Sikhs are the second-largest ethnic group, and make up roughly 7% of the population. There’s no data on Muslims, however.

So all we can say is that the Teddy Bear and Candle Syndrome broke down, however briefly, in Gravesend last night.

The news article is so horrific that I’ve placed further excerpts from it below the jump. Readers who are sensitive to descriptions of extreme violence against small children may want to avoid reading this:
Police were last night forced to subdue a 100-strong angry mob who had gathered on a street where a one-month-old baby boy was allegedly raped and battered so badly his heart stopped.

The infant remained in a serious condition today after allegedly suffering multiple horrific injuries in Gravesend, Kent, in one of Britain’s worst cases of child abuse.

The boy’s horrendous injuries are said to include a broken arm, broken collarbone, punctured lungs and severe bruising, as well as having all his ribs fractured.

He also reportedly suffered sexual injury and internal wounds, suggesting rape.

A group which initially gathered outside the house where the attack allegedly took place started a candlelit vigil, which soon led to damage as emotions ran high.

A man aged 35 and a woman aged 33 were arrested and released on police bail.

One of those involved in the vigil said they had gone to a house where they believed a man arrested in connection with the incident was staying with his family after he was released on police bail.

Those taking part said the group marched round to the house where it is thought the man arrested lived, before objects were thrown at the property and a car on the driveway damaged.

The little boy is currently on life support in hospital after suffering a heart attack.

He was last night said to be ‘showing signs of improvement’ after being transferred to a London hospital, but is not being named.

One woman who took part in the vigil said: ‘We lit candles and were saying prayers but then someone shouted ‘let’s go and find the b******s who did this.

‘They then stormed round to this other house in a nearby street and started throwing things at the house and damaging a car parked in the driveway.

‘The police have been there trying to bring it under control but people are very angry and feelings are running high.’

Kent Police today appealed for calm after the group of over 100 gathered for the vigil.

Superintendent Stuart Kehily said it had been a ‘highly-charged situation’ and community tension was running high.

He appealed for people not to seek retribution while police enquiries continued.

He said: ‘Kent Police takes all reports involving injuries to children extremely seriously, and specially trained officers are currently carrying out a number of enquires to establish the circumstances in this case.

‘I can understand the anger incidents like this can cause in the community, but I strongly warn people against jumping to early conclusions and seeking some form of retribution.

‘Once again I would urge people to remain calm and to let my officers carry out their investigation.’


Hat tip: PS.

12 comments:

Brock Townsend said...

Good Lord! Death By 1,000 Cuts is too lenient. Posted.

Paul said...

My dear friends, the hour is coming soon when bad behavior in Europe, committed by Muslims or anybody else is no longer going to be tolerated at all. Sleep well and do not let your hearts be troubled. the Angel of Death

goethechosemercy said...

Quote:
This story makes an interesting case study, because as of this writing there is no word on whether cultural enrichment was involved. According to the demographic information on Gravesend, Sikhs are the second-largest ethnic group, and make up roughly 7% of the population. There’s no data on Muslims, however.
end

Well, isn't that convenient?
The silence suggests more and more and more.
Better to tell the truth, I think.
And if I were covering this story, I would disclose the ethnicity of the victim and his parents.
In a world where there is so much diversity, it makes good sense disclose just which aggregate people come from.

Jewel said...

Remember the boys who led the three-year old out of a mall in Liverpool and beat him to death, leaving his broken body on the railroad tracks? They did it for kicks. Both boys, about 10 and 11 years old, went to kiddie jail til they were 18, were released with new identities and are now among the citizens in whatever place in Britain the ministers of rehabilitation saw fit to release them. Being 18 cures all kinds of what ails you. In Britain, I guess. Oh look, the capcha phrase of the day is "innerho" . Heh.

XPGMCMLXIII said...

But the situation changed partway through the vigil, and the mood turned ugly. More atavistic instincts — evidence of a return to sanity — took over, brushing aside the teddy bears.

This is the predictable insane behaviour of a mob that has undergone cultural marxist conditioning. The teddy bear sentimentality is the psychology stripper and primer for the next stage which is denouciations, lynching and mob rule.

babs said...

JR said:

"denouciations, lynching and mob rule."

Isn't this the logical conclusion to people that are no longer able to petition their gov't for protection?

Brock Townsend said...

"denouciations, lynching and mob rule."

Isn't this the logical conclusion to people that are no longer able to petition their gov't for protection?

Now, that's good.

XPGMCMLXIII said...

@babs,

@Brock Townsend,

Wanted to keep the 1st comment in the confines of the (prima facie) events of the article.

Nevertheless here is a brief response to your statement -

"Isn't this the logical conclusion to people that are no longer able to petition their gov't for protection?"

Arbitrary justice and summary executions are unsustainable - how long before your neighbours come for you - the next step is the one implied in your statement that is to then demand "MORE" laws and protection from a government. Thus seeding more power from the individual to that body every time there is a conditioned response to a perceived failure.

Anonymous said...

Beware the mob!

Anonymous said...

It is true that "mob rule" is a terror that cannot be endured. If only the anger of the community could somehow be channeled into an uncompromising search for real justice...hmmm, is there any way?

Perhaps if there were someone in charge who understood the community's desire to protect itself and were willing to commit to helping them do so. I may be imagining that humans are more reasonable than they are, but if someone could articulate the moral argument for why the crowd wants revenge on the perpetrators of such heinous crimes, and define a clear plan of action for eliminating any chance that those perpetrators would ever do it again while making it clear to others that such behavior would not be tolerated in the future, then just possibly there needn't be a 'mob'.

But of course, if there had been someone like that, they would now be charged with incitement and criminal conspiracy, and the police wouldn't let that person out on bail...even if they managed to survive arrest.

Chiu Chun-Ling.

Brock Townsend said...

“An armed society is a polite society.
Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.”
- Robert A. Heinlein

Professor L said...

As far as the mob is concerned, a brief glance at the pictures might suggest a dominant Anglo contingent among them. I certainly can't see any non-Anglos there.