Gin Lane and Big Macs
From Derrick Anderson
Sir: I am writing to take issue with the article by Allister Heath about the recent shooting in McDonald’s in Brixton (‘The mean streets of Britain’, 7 October). He says that a sense of shock at this crime is ‘palpably missing here’. Let me assure you that this is not the case. This shooting has caused a very real sense of shock and disbelief in our borough. This is precisely the reason we held a public meeting to discuss the issues arising from it. The claim that lives have been devalued in Brixton is as offensive as it is wrong.
I also think the sneering tone of the article does a great disservice to the people of Lambeth, the vast majority of whom are decent, law-abiding and hard-working. How do I know this? Because I live in the borough and work closely with residents who selflessly devote their lives to helping to tackle the problems that exist here. Yes, we do have serious problems, and one of these is the drugs and guns culture. But we are not helped by the sort of lazy and sweeping generalisations that were contained in Mr Heath’s article.
Derrick Anderson
Chief Executive, Lambeth Council London SW2 From David Henkel-Wallace
Sir: Things must be pretty bad over there (‘The mean streets of Britain’, 7 October). Just imagine the dismay of poor Hogarth were he to see that his London, a city of relaxed couples strolling through wide, clean boulevards, discussing philosophy over tea in a society of equality, openness and enlightenment, is now nothing but a savage world of drunkenness and ignorance. How lucky he was to live before McDonald’s!
David Henkel-Wallace Palo Alto, California, USA
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