Tuesday, January 31, 2023

"Scared locals prepare for the worst"

 

That's part of the headline of an article about a crime-ridden dead-end road in Birmingham, UK.


Though just a small cul-de-sac, the Druids Heath close was struck by nine violent or sexual offences in a single month, according to latest police stats for November. As BirminghamLive visited to speak to locals in one of the area's worst streets for crime, only the sound of squawking seagulls disrupted the eerie silence.

"There is a lot of violent people around here, a lot of anti-social, bad behaviour," says Mr Wyatt, a resident for 14 years.

"My son - he's only 16 - was assaulted not long ago, he got attacked just for changing his tyre outside a garage. He assaulted him, he got him on top of the van and was punching him and fighting him. My poor son, he's still in school.

"He attacked me also. He pushed me, I had all the bruises up my arms." It's not the first time the man has assaulted locals living there, he says.

"A few of the neighbours have been assaulted by the same person and had abuse," he explains. "The guy on the corner reckons he came at him as well. He has had a go at about five different neighbours."

But the locals also have trouble from 'gangs' to contend with. The dad says: "I won't even take my dog for a walk because I'm frightened.

"There's quite a lot of youths and gangs walking up and down. I have a problem because there is no fence round my garden. They were all congregating round my garden, sometimes up to 15 of them.

"The young lads are threatening when they're all together. You ask them to move and they give you verbal abuse. They finally moved but then caused damage to garden ornaments, plants - they push them over.

He tried to get a fence to protect his home, but as it's a council property it's proven difficult. Instead, he's filled his garden with plants to try to stop the youths loitering - along with erected cameras, signs and warnings for would-be criminals.

"There's been a lot of break-ins over the last few weeks or two," he says. "A lot of people have got cameras because there has been a lot of damage to cars, key scratching...

"I have been broken into myself a couple of times. They stole quite a bit of stuff, TVs, jewellery." As soon as I step out of the door, I hear keys jangle and door lock immediately behind me.

Other neighbours display warnings not to approach as a 'cold caller', while one homeowner hopes to deter criminals with a 'beware of the German Shepherd' sign on their back gate.

Darren, a dad-of-five who wouldn't give his last name, shouts to check who is knocking his bungalow before peering around the ajar front door. He speaks of troublesome youths and warns against coming down to Drews Meadow Close at night.

"If you come down here after dark, around 7pm, that's when they come out...I can see why the older folk don't want to walk around here," he says. He keeps a hammer axe in his doorway in case anyone breaks in and takes a metal 'fire brigade drop key' out with him for protection.

"It's the youths, they have got no brain in them. All of them have got no manners, no respect." He adds that they will walk around in masks, but admits he too has balaclavas - explaining that if you "look like a victim", you will be victimised here.


There's more at the link.

Both of my parents were born in that city, and grew up there prior to World War II.  Both endured the privations and poverty of the Great Depression, my father and his brother having to be abandoned by their mother at a local workhouse because she couldn't afford to feed them any more.  I remember Mom and Dad talking about their home town.  Both insisted that while there was a lot of poverty, there was no major street crime (as described above) at all.  Youths who behaved like that would be disciplined by their parents, and if they wouldn't (or weren't there to do so), the community would take it on itself.  There were any number of what one might term "come-to-Jesus meetings" or "educational beatdowns" where wayward youth and local criminals were "persuaded" of the error of their ways.  As a result, streets and neighborhoods were generally safe places to live.

Sadly, of course, the same situation exists in many US inner cities today.  Crime and gang violence are endemic, and the authorities can do little to stop it thanks to "politically correct" administrators, prosecutors and city bureaucrats.  Those who are arrested are frequently released by political activist District Attorneys within hours of their detention - and, of course, this only encourages them to go out and do the same thing again.

Contrast that to the attitude in a great many smaller communities in America (such as the small town in which I currently live).  Around here, circumstances like this could not arise, because almost everyone is determined to keep this a safe, pleasant place to live, and is well equipped to do so by hook or by crook if necessary.  More than half the families on my street contain a current or former military or law enforcement veteran, and we're all prepared to do whatever it takes to keep our area clean, safe and orderly.  Any gang-banger wishing to try his antics around here will very quickly learn that for himself.

Why can't people do the same in the big cities?  Because they've allowed themselves to be "ground down" by local politics and liberal moonbattery.  Self-reliance is actively discouraged.  One's supposed to surrender control of one's personal security and right to self-defense to officials appointed to take care of that.  If one proceeds to do so oneself, one is regarded as part of the problem - even, in some jurisdictions, the cause of the problem - rather than the solution.  Essentially, the local authorities have made it a crime to protect oneself and one's neighborhood.

I'm glad I don't live in places like that any more.  Please God, I never will again!

As for Birmingham, UK, I can only imagine my parents spinning in their graves to see how their once-mighty city has fallen.  I'm glad they died before they had to see that article for themselves.  They'd have been apoplectic, incandescent with rage, at the prospect of citizens so timid, so cowardly, that they won't band together, police their own streets, and take care of business - if necessary, the hard way.  I can almost hear my father's voice in my mind.  "What do you mean, 'How do you stop them'?  You have rope and lampposts.  What more do you need, dammit?"

His generation, and my mother's, won World War II.  Would their modern successors be as successful in time of war?  One wonders...

Peter


24 comments:

Skyler the Weird said...

We support a missionary in Birmingham it's a Pakistani majority city according to her. She showed an aerial view of a park during Eids and there were thousands and thousands of worshippers filling the park. Birmingham is becoming New Islamabad.

Unknown said...

My father, born in 1919, grew up in a small town just north of New York City. He said it was a pretty law-abiding place, and he attributed that to the local constabulary. Dad was home from school, probably circa 1935, and was walking downtown when the local police officer pulled over and asked him to get in the cruiser. My father was a big boy, a football player, and he soon found out why his presence was requested.

The police car pulled to a stop in front of a small house in the rougher part of town. The cop got out, knocked on the door, and asked the man who answered to join them in the cruiser. He got in the back and they drove off. The cop began to talk, and explained that the man in the back seat had beaten his wife for the last time. The man sputtered, and the cop pulled over. The cop turned in his seat, drew his revolver, cocked it, and placed the muzzle between the man's eyes.

"I asked this young man to ride along with me so that, if I shoot you, he can testify that you were fleeing from justice."

The cop pulled up to the train depot and he ordered the man out. He told him to get on a train. If he ever came back to town, his body would be found floating in the river.

My father, a very good and peaceable man, always said that he thought this was good, effective police work.

CGR710 said...

The "Law" doesn't bother the gangs and aggressors, but just try defending yourself and you're in deep doodoo! We live in a truly kafkian society...

Weetabix said...

Sounds like they need Harry Brown. Or several Harry Browns.

Rick T said...

As bad as it is, if the residents started removing the worst offenders the Authorities would spare no effort identifying and punishing anyone who 'took the law into their own hands' to do what should have been done long ago.

Self-defense is no longer a human right in England it seems. Serfs must bend the neck and obey.

Anonymous said...

This will continue until people are ready to die , rather than live in fear.

IMO, the single biggest temporal effect of the removal of religion is that most people will no longer act to do what is morally necessary, trusting on God's judgement in the end.
( There is one religion where this belief is still held, and no one in authority seems to mess with them.)

Anonymous said...

Do you own a bat? Wrap it in barbed wire.

Okrahead said...

The abandonment of Christianity is the cause of this weakness. Britain is a fully post-Christian society. The Archbishop of Canterbury and the King are at best agnostics, the sheep have no shepherd, and thus the wolves have free reign. Until the people regain their faith and act on it things will only grow worse. I am reminded of the book of Judges. Until the people repent and cry out there will be no deliverer.

Anonymous said...

At some point any efforts to chastise these violent types is to put the fear of ambush ever present in their minds. Unfortunately an ambush must deliver the kind of beating that fosters agoraphobia. How will one know when that point has been reached? When they start whimpering to stop. If they begin whimpering for their mother you might want to back it off a bit. Do it thus and there will be no retaliation or police visits. Ask me how I know. (Check our 'lawless' where Guy Pierce beats Shia Le bouf into puddy.)

Anonymous said...

To ruminate on this without discussing racial homogeneity or lack thereof is to attempt to do astrogation using Ptolemaic epicycles. Total waste of time. Of course there are myriad other issues. But as always with the Human Animal it comes Back to Blood (per a very dapper deceased author).

Boom Boom.

Anonymous said...

England? Scourge of the world? Reduced to crying in their puddin'?
God truly has a sense of humor.

PeterW. said...

It doesn’t get mentioned in the media - because that would not be politically correct - but the London Police have a full-time task force whose sole job is to reduce the rate at which young men of a certain demographic, are killing each other.
A very similar demographic here (Australia) has violent crime rates, sexual abuse rates and substance abuse rates that are multiple times that of the average.

Many of you have experience of Third World cultures. The reality is that we have communities with Third-World cultures in first-world nations. They are distinguished by their cultural attitudes towards law, morality and institutions. They are typically corrupt, tribalised and blame all of their problems on “outsiders”

We all know them.

Anonymous said...

I know you limey bastards can't have guns, so heres what you wanna do. Get yourself a 3-4 foot long piece of 2 inch steel pipe, or go to the sports store and search for "Louisville slugger", dunno if you'll have those there....

Anonymous said...

Aye, theres the rub...
They deliberately imported millions of third world people. Was not coincident nor accidental, very much on purpose. Bring the dirt people into the west, because diversity is our strength. Remember all that?
Did they think the 3rd worlders would integrate into a 1st world people? Or did they know all along they would drag their environment down to what they left behind?
And if they didn't know the outcome at the beginning, why do they continue to push for more of this immigration, when the statistics prove it an unmitigated failure?



Because they want you dead, stupid!

Uncle Lar said...

Reading this I would weep for the Brits were it not that they have let it be done to themselves through their elected officials who in Great Britain have effectively disarmed the entire civilian population. Except of course for the elites who have the means and authority to employ bodyguards armed with military grade weaponry.
I am put in mind of several tales of small town America where some particularly violent and abusive bully was tragically found shot dead on main street at high noon. Unfortunately in spite of dozens of town folk present no one seems to have seen anything. Strange that.

Roger said...

Clearly, that neighborhood needs a strong second amendment.

tweell said...

So, the people are terrorized and any overt action will be punished by the police. If these folks cannot get out of there, for whatever reason, then they must either bow to their new overlords and suffer the fate of the dhimmi, or fight back.

In their place (if stuck) I'd become an avid cricket player. It's good exercise, improves coordination and the gear is pretty good too. Cricket bats are wicked nasty, and a batter's protective gear is a lot better than nothing. A bunch of cricket yobs in full gear would be quite fearsome, especially if striking with the blade instead of the flat. Remember replacement bats and have some balls along for the police alibi.

Anonymous said...

Meanwhile, on our side of the pond, Birmingham, AL had an astounding murder rate of 72.9 slayings per 100,000 residents last year!

Anonymous said...

AGREED!

Anonymous said...

The "limeys" are too damn lazy to procure self defense.
Once a few ten thousand are murdered by certain others you will be surprised how available self defense becomes & is utilized against the certain demographics and especially against the traitors who enabled it.... including unto the 3rd generation.

Anonymous said...

The UK has normalized gov't subsidies and an underground economy/black market that allows anti-socials to game the system... It's not primarily just immigrants/minorities misbehaving in their class-based society like you may see in other European countries.

Also, England has cameras everywhere, so the lack of law enforcement is a deliberate decision by TPTB...

Aesop said...

Not more than 500 active full-time IRA lads had the entire British nation on edge - for decades.

Imagine what would happen if a few stout types set their minds to sorting this problem out, and some Worthy Oriental Gentleman started turning up with just their heads mounted on fence posts around the 'hood, and petrol bombs started randomly going off in their families' domiciles in the wee hours.

Because first, you've got to get their attention.

Even 50,000 cameras in Old Blighty can't see through ski masks and DPM jackets, when last I inquired.

Mightn't the brighter of the problem children - and no small number of the thicker-headed ones, for that matter -decide that moving back to their ancestral homelands in some haste was a wise course of action?

Just wondering.

BadFrog said...

The third worlders were imported by the government of Tony Blair to, in their own words, 'rub the Rights nose in diversity'. That government implanted their acolytes everywhere they could do damage to the status quo of the country and now we have to live with the results.

PeterW. said...

Aesop.

One point regarding your comparison…
The IRA didn’t give a shit who they killed. Any. Random. Englishman. was good enough. Or women, or children.
Try that in response to criminal gangs and you are just another criminal gang.

Well, yes… the “Lads” were just that, too. Carrying on the Wars of Religion that the rest of Europe had given up centuries ago.