WOOLWICH, OUR WOOLWICH: THE FIGHT AGAINST ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR by Benson Agoha

"Life is a mirror and self-love." - Lucira Jane Nebelung.

He faces a dilemma who is caught in a crossfire. Worse if it is a free-for-all type. Ask anyone you know who has ever fought for a cause he believes in, they will tell you the same.

In the end, the challenge will boil down to the same thing for all of us, or at least for those who have ever succeeded on a positive cause in life. Whether we are trying to grow a business or build social infrastructure, the ability to focus on our particular goals, is paramount.

Often times, several dimensions of distraction threaten to derail us from a positive cause, but once in a while, we realise this early enough to be able to do something about it.

The Woolwich incident, on Wednesday 22 May, 2013, is right up at the top of the awful, hydra-headed monster, often bundled into a compound term referred to as `anti-social behaviour'.

Woolwich faces a serious battle against anti-social behaviour - in it's different ramifications. And to succeed, it must fight it’s own brand of extremism. Religious extremism (whether Christian, Rastaman, Islamic, Buddhist, or Clandestine) is bad. So is vocational extremism.

For so long Woolwich, in many ways, a micro conurbation reflective of bigger London, has been under the grip of a cultic few, who can best be described as clandestine medicine operators. These group have since formed a close cult, and harass and assault those who are viewed as not belonging to the clique. It does not matter to them that Woolwich is changing.

But the interesting thing is not the presence of these cliques, it is their nature.

Yet, one must recognise that the ability to forge a group from diverse ethnic, religious and vocational backgrounds on a cruscible of compromises, understanding and tolerance is not an easy feet. If only the leaders properly direct their energies to positive actions that produce peace and harmony, they will be heroes.

Instead, traders are harassed and made to embrace unjustifiably prescribed cultures that run contrary to their religious or cultural beliefs, in an otherwise free country. Dare you stand up to them?

Deviants are frustrated and badmouthed within the larger community. Treated as outcasts, their offices or trading places are invaded, and their properties stolen - all executed by known members of a gang that will tell you to your face `nothing will happen', leaving you wondering over the underlying reason behind their impetus.

Then, they lie their way out of police net, and protect themselves from the authorities through manipulation of mediums. After-all, they say, "we have the strong man of woolwich" on our side.

The "strong man of woolwich" himelf, is a goatee-spoting, thick bicepted young fella, whose chameleonic moves make him almost undetectable. Nor did he acquire his famous title from the hours spent at the gym. Rather, the title is a result of heartlessness, of ruthless manipulation of mediums and the deployment of clandestine arsenals against identified targets - or their relatives. I leave you to imagine the result.

Public places are invaded by their `boys', who come with charms in their pockets. They have been trained to use them and told what to do. The result is more health risks than can easily be inferred. Hyper coughs, power sneezes and outright misbehaviour. These are some of the symptoms.

Accompanying their `boys' are their spies, monitoring and reporting back on their mobile phones. Recent days appear to be particularly charged with their presence, and public places are swarming with them. There has been a lot of discomfort.

As the authorities work to restore order and normal life to a town undergoing massive regeneration, these are some of the vices and anti-social behaviour that must be exposed, and it has been a long time coming.

Will you be believed? Don't worry about that, just give every information you have to those who can analyse and do something about it. It is a collective responsibility for every one of us to join hands and fight evil.

Safety, like cleaning, is everyone's responsibility. And we can’t have fallen too much in love with anti-social-behaviour to put up with it for ever. Remember Mario Puzo. He once wrote that “whatever you fall too much in love with, betrays you in the end.” So speak out now and be free.

Help Police kick social vices out of Woolwich. Don't spare them, expose them!


==== POLICE APPEAL FOR INFORMATION ====

Police investigation and interviews into the attack in Woolwich are continuing and anyone with useful information is urged to contact the police's anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789321.

Or send an email to: woolwich@metincident.co.uk. Anyone sending in images should include their name and contact details. They will be treated in the strictest confidence.


Twitter: @matrixben.

Twitter: @woolwichonline.