Being drunk is not an excuse

Alcohol is often used as an excuse for all manner of bad and criminal behaviour. But the reality is that drink often liberates the true character of a person, letting loose the evil that, when a person is sober, is kept in check.

The person guilty of this act – captured on video and posted on social media – has no respect for other human beings. Even worse, because that victim is homeless, or carrying out a menial job, such as a car guard, then the offender regards him as sub-human. This incident shows that we are still a deeply damaged society, where disrespect for others and violence are the ways in which we communicate.

This thug will, thankfully, eventually be brought to book through technology: the video of the incident and the viral-like nature of social media means many people know about it and will have been looking for the culprit. And, when someone views the video – even if they are not involved – they are bound to reflect on their own casual disrespect for other people.