For most of my life I loved living in England, I was proud to be English, and thought it one of the best countries in the world in which to live.
But gradually that love has been eroded. I see more and more that I don't like - stabbings, shootings, drug gangs, car thefts, sex trafficing, modern slavery, crime everywhere, and much much more.
Many of these things (slavery, house over crowding) we thought we had got rid of in the Victorian age but they are coming back.
And today I see this on the BBC news page. The Mobike "shared bike" scheme is pulling of Manchester because of continuous vandalism of their bikes.
Ok a small set of crimes in themselves but this company are pulling out of Manchester, the only city in the world where they have had to pull out.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-45422065
Sadly we seem to be bringing up a collection of youngsters where anything on the street is "fair game" to be stolen, vandalized, thrown in a canal or whatever.
I said to my wife a few months ago that we are getting a sort of street anarchy among some sections of the community, where they will do anything to "get their own way", even if it means shooting or stabbing someone.
I saw a program the other day where two young punks dragged a woman out her car and stole it. They did not realise that there was a video camera in the car (dash cam) recording everything they said and did.
Part of their conversation covered what they would do if a person resisted while they were stealing their car. "I would kill them without a moments thought" said one of these punks, and this was a guy who was only about 20.
What sort of society are we creating in this country.
p.s. I know someone will blame the Tories for cutting police numbers, and even though I am a strong Tory voter I do feel that this trend should be reversed. However this rise in crime is more than just about police numbers, it is about some sections of society who just don't want to live by any rules.