How do riots begin? What triggers the ordinary motions of life to suddenly kick into utter chaos, turning into battlefields of blame and confusion? Beneath the pointed fingers and exaggerated media lay complex divides among people, a clash of ideals that is and always will be an unavoidable part of human nature. As time goes on, however, these innate tendencies seem to be ever growing and corrupting society.

A few recent examples include the London riots, chaotic acts of violence that swept the UK in August. According to BBC News, in a matter of five days, a nonviolent protest outside the Tottenham police station catalyzed into a massive and destructive riot, full of arson, robbery, and extensive property damage. The BBC reported that the controversy about the cause of these events was due in part to the false statements circulated by the social media as well as political and economic tension (bbc.co.uk).

Senior Chiara Sanders was in Germany at the time of the riots, but went to London a few days later. “The riots seemed to have been started by a small group of people and just slowly spread to more and more individuals. Many people saw it as their chance to be anonymous in a large crowd of looters, even though many people were caught. People tend to think they are invisible in a crowd, and do immoral things that they would otherwise not have thought to do. A lot of young people just falsely saw the chaos as their opportunity to wreak more havoc without getting caught,” said Sanders. These riots highlight the chaos Western society is embracing.

For some, the riots were more than an opportunity to grab a new television; a rise in government cuts and economic turbulence has created unstable environments. The riots were, in part, the end products of culminating tension between a government and its people. However, destruction of property only intensified the initial problem. Although England is in an economic recession and welfare programs are diminishing, looting, burning buildings and ruining businesses is not a proactive or constructive solution.

Although the rioters did get their message of anger across, the riots added more problems to the political and economic system.            According to the Guardian News, many businesses were not able to open for several days, while some might never reopen. The total toll of the riots, including property damage, policing bills, and insurance costs, was £100 million. The riots have defeated their purpose, but have reminded the world that violent protest, no matter what the reason, is destructive and inefficient (guardian.co.uk).

What can fellow nations take from all of this? It has already been proven numerous times that when a society turns against itself, the increase in prejudice, the inevitable decrease of public morality, and the sparks of false propaganda can ignite a nation with disastrous consequences. History will most likely repeat itself and massive riots and acts of violence will happen time and time again. They may, however, occur less often if we moved past our prejudices and own up to our mistakes. Humanity, while sometimes violent, is also capable of compassion, consideration, and progress.