BBC reporting of autism (was “Southport”)

We don’t know yet though do we? Being autistic and a connected mental health issue MIGHT have been an element in why this person committed this crime. For example he might have experienced bullying and social isolation and this may have contributed to a deterioration in his mental health. We just don’t know - and people should not rush to assumptions until this crime is properly investigated. 

You make a good point Kate, we know that autism dosen't make you violent, but mental health issues can. I'd love to know what his justification for is, but at the same time I don't want the sort of mind that could understand it.

The far right just like stirring things up, there's also what I heard described as 'recreational rioting', where people just turn up as its something to do. I take strength from all the people who turned out to put things back together after the rioting, everybody helped everybody with no thought to race, creed or anything, which ot me is just how it should be.

Ultimately we are all human beings and we are all influenced by the various experiences we have growing up in whatever society/culture we happen to grow up in etc etc etc. Pretty much ever aspect of our lives - both personally and due to the wider society we live in - influences our thinking and behaviour. I don’t like the ‘othering’ of criminals - calling them ‘monsters’ or ‘evil’ etc - I think we need to try to understand how these things develop so that we can work to prevent them happening in the future. Understanding can only help. 

Re. The rioting - I noticed a lot of them were laughing and basically enjoying all the adrenaline and excitement they were experiencing - they certainly weren’t doing it out of some serious political motivation. I think they are using the deaths of those poor little girls in Southport as an excuse to create mayhem and have ‘fun’ - which is truly despicable of them. Throwing bricks around like that they could easily end up killing someone. I was in a demonstration many years ago in London against the poll tax (that turned into a riot really) and someone through a rock at a policeman and it nearly hit me - and at that point I realised that demonstrations can be more dangerous than you bargain for. 

I think there is a level of it thats about feeling marginalised, but it's not that understandable. What surprises me is the numbers of older people 40+ that seem to be rioting and fronting up to the police. It's mostly white men too, very few women from I can see of the TV footage, is this an excuse for make violence to spill over into the streets?

I think there is a level of it thats about feeling marginalised, but it's not that understandable. What surprises me is the numbers of older people 40+ that seem to be rioting and fronting up to the police. It's mostly white men too, very few women from I can see of the TV footage, is this an excuse for make violence to spill over into the streets?