BEDA Day 7: In which I worry extensively about England

I think possibly the scariest thing that a person could experience in their life is being stuck in a riot. I can't even imagine how terrifying it's got to be for the people in the suburbs of London right now. In case you don't already know, violent riots have been raging in many areas of London for the past few days, initially sparked by outrage over the death of a man at the hands of police officers. This article from CNN gives a pretty good explanation of how everything spiraled out of control.

Sadly, rioting has now sprung up in other parts of the country, including Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Liverpool. This BBC article paints a seriously frightening picture of what's going on. I wish I could wave a magic wand and just stop all of this. I'm frightened for the people who live there, and for all the people that are visiting there, even though at least in London most of the rioting is well away from the tourist-y areas. Less than three months ago, I had several friends visiting London and Liverpool on a study abroad trip. For selfish reasons, I'm frightened for all the incredible history and beautiful buildings that give those cities such character. The essayist Samuel Johnson said, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." Well, let's hope that's still true when all of this is over. I'm afraid to see what's going to be left....