What is Britain coming to?

An 11 year old British boy, Rhys Jones, was killed outside the pub he played soccer for last week.Link Link  

Police say that it was a gang motivated killing; that some teenager with an illegal firearm (pistol) simply walked up to Rhys as he was having a kickabout (impromptu game of soccer) with his friends, and shot him in the back of the neck.

Rhys died instantly.

I simply cannot imagine the pain his parents are experiencing.  Losing a child.....well, I think it must be the most painful thing a parent can experience.  My heart goes out to his parents and his brother; I was actually in tears watching the English news last night. 

A lot of British people think that America is a violent country, that it's not safe to walk the streets in US towns and cities after dark, that there are shoot-outs going on in the streets, every American teen is a gangs menber and that everyone owns a gun.  It's not true, of course - there are some places that aren't safe after dark, but not every town in the US is like that.  Not every American owns a gun, and not every American teen is a gang-banger.  

America is not the violent, gang-ridden country the British think it is.  In fact, I'd say that right now Britain is MORE violent than the US.  I read British papers and watch British news daily, and every day I hear stories about innocent people being beaten or stabbed to death by gangs of youths who roam British streets.  No, there aren't as many shootings, but that's because most guns are illegal in the UK.  Havng said that, however, shootings are becoming more and more common as more illegal guns are making their way into young hands.   It's the same violence, it's just a different method; the act is delivered in a different way.

The method of British crime is different than American crime, but the level of violence is just as high, if not higher.  I'll put it this way:  I wouldn't worry about my mum walking around my neighborhood after dark, but I worry myself sick some nights when I know that she's walking home from Bingo or a Women's Institute meeting by herself.  The quiet little town that I grew up in is gone, and a dirty, smelly, poverty and crime ridden shit-hole has taken it's place.  Nothing is safe, nothing is sacred, and if it aint nailed down it'll get nicked.

It's making me wonder what the hell Britain is coming to.  

*If, by some strange twist of fate, Rhys Jones' parents read this I want them to know how sorry I am for their loss. There's nothing else I can say except that I wish Britain still had the death penalty*