Post by: oldspice on January 18, 2008, 05:25:37 pm
The most 'cheerful' bit of news was the report that there could well be more flooding in areas badly hit by floods during the summer.
After that, stripping the beds didn't seem so bad and I couldn't wait to start the ironing!Post by: on January 18, 2008, 06:37:39 pm
Post by: MayRae on January 18, 2008, 07:02:25 pm
Post by: oldspice on January 18, 2008, 07:15:01 pm
Post by: smurfboy on January 19, 2008, 01:53:37 pm
Quote from: MayRae
And as people were at great pains to point out, although the PM was there waiting to take off, his plane was not invilved in the crash in any way, so that's something else to be grateful for.
You might dislike Gordon Brown, but the Prime Minister being killed in a plane crash would through this country into crisis. So I do think the fact that he was at Heathrow when a major incident was narrowly averted is pretty significant.
Post by: Brent on January 19, 2008, 02:06:29 pm
Post by: smurfboy on January 19, 2008, 02:08:41 pm
Oops 
Great first post by the way.
Post by: Brent on January 19, 2008, 02:13:15 pm
Post by: smurfboy on January 19, 2008, 02:15:59 pm
Don't worry - I'm usually the world's pickiest person on typos! I think I deserve a gold-plated 'Doh'!
Post by: MayRae on January 19, 2008, 10:14:58 pm
My problem was that on a 10 minute section of news about a plane crash, the fact that the PM was there waiting to take off, that his plane was not involved and that he had 'safely taken off' was mentioned about a dozen times.
I 'get' how important he is to the country, but it seemed that his presence was given more importance than the actual crash!
That seemed wrong to me.
That's all.
Post by: on January 20, 2008, 09:37:16 am
Post by: oldspice on January 20, 2008, 09:54:37 am
The news report I heard at 4pm didn't mention Gordon Brown being at the airport at all.
Post by: smurfboy on January 20, 2008, 12:10:49 pm
Post by: on January 20, 2008, 06:04:04 pm
Where were the police when these youths were vandalising the cars? What measures need to be put in place to protect honest, law abiding citizens from these Barbarians?
Let's build as many new prisons as it takes. Let's fill them with these morons and make our streets safe again. Is it too much to ask to go out at night and not worry about being accosted, called names or spat at?
The people who build bus shelters near me have given up replacing the lovely glass ones that are smashed night after night, so they have been replaced by ugly green, corrugated iron ones. It's a depressing state of affairs.
Give these louts 20 lashes of the cat-o-nine tails and let their friends watch. When the skin is hanging off in ribbons and they are pissing themselves with the pain, they will think twice about reoffending.
But no, the judicial system will shuffle on with it's good intentions and more innocent people will die.
Post by: MayRae on January 21, 2008, 01:24:35 am
Post by: loulou on January 21, 2008, 07:52:01 am
Post by: on January 21, 2008, 09:37:22 am
Post by: goldencup on January 21, 2008, 10:42:26 am
Quote from: loulou
Shame Gordon Brown and the entire royal family couldn't die in a plane crash.
I think that's just a tad harsh!
Post by: smurfboy on January 21, 2008, 01:57:57 pm
Post by: oldspice on January 21, 2008, 04:29:54 pm
However, I feel that as a society we all have a role to play in the reformation of such citizens. My basic reaction is to say 'throw away the key and let them rot' but I am not sure that will cure the problem. Why do we have so many wild gangs roaming our streets willing to kill innocent people who dare to challenge their behaviour? It is all too easy to blame the current government but I think the problem goes back much further. For example, during Mrs Thatcher's time we had riots in cities across the country. There were thousands of people on the streets, setting fire to buildings and vehicles, throwing home-made petrol bombs at police and looting shops. Where did all that come from?
A lot of young people feel alienated from their own communities. For example, following last week's story, some of my students were stopped by police and taken home simply for hanging round on the corner of a parade of shops. They were told that 'the old people get scared if they see you lot hanging around and we get a lot of earache about you being out on the streets at night' The were innocent of any crime and yet simply being seen on the streets in a gang was seen as threatening. How long before real anger sets in and they go out looking for trouble for the hell of it?
I'm certainly not defending those scumbags. I'm just trying to pose some long-term solutions. I fully agree with the man's poor wife who expressed her frustration at parents who will not take responsibility for bringing their children up properly.
Re Gordon Brown - I think we need to let him get his teeth into the job and not meet every issue thrown up by the media with a knee-jerk reaction.
Post by: on January 23, 2008, 07:29:18 am
I firmly believe that the breakdown of the family is the main cause of our problems. Gangs become the family, and these people then revert to some Neanderthal-like behaviour. Much of these problems stem from policies under Margaret Thatcher's government.
Post by: oldspice on January 23, 2008, 06:01:40 pm
It's simple to blame Mrs Thatcher and many of her policies were very devisive and damaging BUT the behaviour of individuals is in their own hands - family breakdown is a significant factor - but the solution must be a multiple agency approach and individuals have to want to change. Until they reach that stage, they should be locked up.
Post by: on January 23, 2008, 08:16:08 pm
I have no sympathy for the perpetrators of such heinous crimes.
Capital punishment does have a place in society when all else has failed.