The events of the weekend have completely and utterly floored me.

What happened on the weekend was a fucking disgrace and just wrong on every fucking level - I can't comprehend how anyone taking part in these riots could think they were doing the right thing.

It's no secret that The Shire is a predominantly white community, it's something I've had to deal with growing up there but I never thought their racial hatred would manifest itself in the way it did on the weekend.

However, I can see how this racial hatred develops in the youth of The Shire. They grow up not mixing with other cultures, there are only ever token Asian/Middle Eastern/Indian students in local schools and the only exposure they get to these other cultures is the stereotypes that are presented to them in the media, in the movies and in television. It's only those kids who go to the private schools in the city that are exposed to the multicultural society that Australia is or those kids who make the effort to be more socially aware, the rest go about their lives in their sheltered worlds.

It's a very sad and disturbing trend that I've noticed and it makes you wonder what kind of people the youth of today will grow up into. It also makes you wonder why their parents and teachers aren't educating them more about what it is to live in a multicultural society.

Another fuel to the riots is the fact that a lot of people in The Shire are well off, with Cronulla and surrounding suburbs being very affluent, this gives them a holier-than-thou attitude to those other Australians who live out in the not so well off suburbs. This is something that has pissed me off for a long time about the attitude of some people who live in The Shire - your wealth does not make you any better than those less fortunate than you, it doesn't give you the right to say who and who can't come to the area. Get the fuck over yourself.

These things don't in any way justify their behaviour - it was just wrong. Do they not see that rioting and lynching people the way they did on the weekend is stooping as low as those who bashed the lifesavers? They are just as bad as each other.

I also don't appreciate the message the fucktards involved in these riots are doing for the rest of the community who do believe in being open and tolerant. Also, I am not sure that all those involved on the weekend were all locals.

I think it all comes down to respect - the locals and visitors respecting the fact that there are other people who have the right to come and enjoy the Australian way of life, no matter where they come from.

And John Howard - where the fuck are you? Why haven't you commented? Why aren't you weighing into this, it's your responsibility and JOB to show some leadership in a time like this. Be a man and step up, don't leave it to the State to deal with this.