The fatal violence that flared across Birmingham on Saturday should force the city to have a long, hard look at itself. The death of a young man, the shooting of three people - including a police officer - and the serious injuries inflicted on 30 more leaves a bloodstain on the city's reputation that will take a great deal of meaningful work to shift. And beyond those widely reported events, what of the people of Copthall Road in Handsworth? An entire street - not inner-city but quiet, leafy and suburban - terrorised by a marauding gang of armed young black men apparently targeting Asian households. For years, we have patted ourselves on the back that Birmingham was a race relations success story - a cultural melting pot. Well, we know we have the ingredients but perhaps it's time to admit, at the highest level, we have yet to find a way to mix them. For years, Birmingham has celebrated the renaissance of the city centre, as if this masked the impoverished ghettoes divided largely along racial lines that exist just beyond the ring road. Of course, the popular mantra of empty buzzwords do the rounds and countless community partnerships exist, but Saturday night left their relevance burnt-out in a Lozells side street. Yesterday the self-styled community representatives of north-west Birmingham issued a joint statement of condemnation. Yet, predictably, the blame game settled upon the media. It is the television, radio and newspapers who fan the flames of a potential "race war" - a phrase used by one of these leaders himself. But where was the joint statement of solidarity and condemnation last week before all hell broke loose? Why was the opportunity to condemn the pirate radio station which irresponsibly broadcast the unsubstantiated rumours of the rape of a 14-year-old Jamaican girl not taken? In this climate, newspapers and television stations are sensationalists fanning the flames and pirate radio stations are simply "communication tools". It is time for community leaders to start leading. We trust the 70 people who turned up for the council house meeting are well-intentioned and want the best for all, but the same evidently cannot be said for some of the younger members of their communities. If they cannot reach these young men - prepared to kill and maim on the basis of a rumour - who can? Tory reality David Cameron faces an uphill battle in his efforts to portray the Conservatives as a party that cares about the inner cities. It's just not the way people think about the Tories. The perception may not be fair - Michael Heseltine made reviving Britain's cities his priority, and ordinary party members are the mainstay of many voluntary organisations. However, the party is not seen as one that cares about people and places in need of help. It's partly their own fault. During the 1980s, Conservative governments were forced to make difficult decisions about the future of nationalised and unprofitable industries, undemocratic and overbearing trade unions, and the need to control inflation. They took the blame for the pain these decisions caused. Often, they were essential - without the reforming government of Margaret Thatcher, bitterly opposed by the opposition parties at the time, Britain would not enjoy the strong and dynamic economy it does today. It is, of course, the strength of the economy, and the freedom enjoyed by industry to make profits and create jobs, that pays for everything government is able to do. But the Conservatives sometimes seemed to enjoy the battles they fought a little too much. And once those campaigns had been won, they were far too slow to understand that the nation had gone through enough division - and that there was a general feeling, not just on the left, that Britain's wealth should benefit the whole of society. Tony Blair grasped this mood perfectly when he took over the Labour Party - just as he understood that the economic reforms of the Tory years could not and should not be reversed. Like Labour 20 years ago, the Conservatives have struggled to understand that times have changed. At last, they are waking up to reality. But that is only the start. They still have to convince the electorate that they have made the journey into the 21st century. No, not that one It's safe to say that Homer is one of the greatest thinkers of modern times. His words have been studied by thousands of people, his views are shared by many, and his very name is synonymous with leading philosophical works. So it should come as no surprise that Springfield's favourite son has made it into a list of the top ten men of the decade for his contribution to philosophy. He was described by the experts who compiled the list as "a person of real substance and solid achievement" who has "taught a whole generation how to take on the challenges of modern fatherhood". Not bad for a cartoon character. | 
