Wednesday 6 September 2017

Empires

http://news.sky.com/story/boy-aged-14-dies-after-being-shot-in-newham-east-london-11022654

My grandmother used to live in Forest Gate. When I was nine years old I rode my little bike the two miles from my home to visit her. Mum was cross as it was a spur of the moment thing and I hadn't asked her permission. She would probably have allowed me. Mums did that sort of thing in those days.

This shooting was just past Wanstead Park tube station. We'll be passing through there on the tube tomorrow - both ways. Luckily we're not fourteen years old.

 `Johnny used to work after school
at the cinema show.
Gotta hustle if he wants an education
Yeah he's got a long way to go.
Now he's out on the streets all day
selling Crack to the people who pay.
Got an AK-47 for his best friend
business the American way.

Eastside meets Westside downtown.
No time, the walls fall down Black man, trapped again. Holds his chain in his hand.
Brother killing brother for the profit of another,
Game point, nobody wins`.*


(*Lyrics from "Empire", a rock album by Queensryche, penned twenty seven years ago) 

3 comments:

Trobairitz said...

So sad. We see stories like this in the news here in the USA all the time. Just sad and senseless.

Anonymous said...

It won't change anything though will it? The BBC London news barely covers murders now. I know there are a lot of serious assaults that don't even make the local news. Until this sort of crime seriously affects the middle class nothing will be done.
I'm glad I'm out. The capacity and capability of the Met to respond to theses incidents is now hollowed out. The political class don't care, the police are demonized at every opportunity by a lazy press. I would not advise anyone to join the police at the moment.
Retired

Hogdayafternoon said...

It is a sad reflection on the systematic `run-down` of police funding when a `robbery in progress` call gets `no units available` on a quiet night in London.