Politics and religion.

[Miss Z]

My complaint is about the people who think that the U.S. is nothing but a nation of goofy, lawless, gunpacking paranoid idiots-most of those people live here!

I am sorry if you thought I was ragging on you. I was merely defending my country from the folks that live here and find it such a ghastly place to live in.

Oh gosh, no, that was never my intention! I'm a firm believer in not tarring everything with the same brush. Personally, I love the way things are run in America, in general. Every branch of politics is far from perfect, British politics being very, very far indeed. I suppose we are just a more tightly-run country and we let too much compassion override our politics (the release of the Libyan Lockerbie criminal a prime example), so the idea of people walking around with guns just does not seem right to me.

I stick by that idea; that guns should be kept out of the hands of everyday people; but it's not my country and I accept that. I merely like to be involved in threads like these for my education on such issues.

I would think it wont take to much to ban the carrying of knives or the licensing of martial arts training for self defense in the UK.

I found this comment interesting as the answer is you're right, at least as far as knives go; it is an offense to carry such blades around with you, other than pocket knives. You cannot buy a knife, razor, axe, etc, until you are 18. However, this law doesn't seem to be being enforced enough, as young, stupid people are still getting hold of them and are roaming around, unchecked, in public.

We're having a tough time with knife-crime in the London area. I support 100% the stricter legislations on knife carrying that are being brought up in Parliamentary debate. Too many lives are wasted by idiots getting hammered out of their heads and stabbing to death the next person they meet in the street.

[lizbud]

Oh gosh, no, that was never my intention! I'm a firm believer in not tarring everything with the same brush. Personally, I love the way things are run in America, in general. Every branch of politics is far from perfect, British politics being very, very far indeed. I suppose we are just a more tightly-run country and we let too much compassion override our politics (the release of the Libyan Lockerbie criminal a prime example), so the idea of people walking around with guns just does not seem right to me.

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I have a question please.

May I ask you a question about English Laws & customs . I read a column
on BBC about three people who had been sentenced for the death of a
child. The Police seemed to be saying that they need protect these criminals after
they served their sentences , and they will receive police protection. Is that normal
for England? They sure wouldn't earn any protection from society after
they were out of prison.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...on/8196143.stm

[Miss Z]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I have a question please.

May I ask you a question about English Laws & customs . I read a column
on BBC about three people who had been sentenced for the death of a
child. The Police seemed to be saying that they need protect these criminals after
they served their sentences , and they will receive police protection. Is that normal
for England? They sure wouldn't earn any protection from society after
they were out of prison.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...on/8196143.stm

Ah yes, the baby 'P' case. A very sad story indeed, and one that our social services has received a lot of criticism over.

That is correct, once released from prison these people do have a right to call for police protection (although as far as I'm aware, it is for a limited period of time only. Quite how long that is, I don't know. It varies from case to case). This happens often in cases of a sensitive nature, particularly those involving children.

The 'idea' is that the criminals have served their punishment in prison, and that upon their release they are likely to be subject to further abuse and discrimination from the public, job interviewers, etc. In order for the people in question to continue with their lives without the risk of assualt, or worse, the police protection is there to ensure that.

I must say that in the majority of cases like this, those convicted are kept anonymous, thus police protection is not usually needed. However, for some reason or another, the anonymity request expired.

It's an issue that divides our nation, just as ES explained that gun laws divide America. Many people feel very, very strongly that ex-cons should pay the full penalty for the crime they committed, and should 'get what they deserve'. Others question whether that sort of attitude breaches human rights and that, if someone was wrongly convicted, which does happen occasionally, they would be subject to undeserved hatred and hardship for the rest of their lives.

It's another issue of perhaps considering compassion a little too much in politics.

Crime goes up when the means to defend yourself are taken away. The criminals dont care what weapons they cant legally have, making law abiding citizens victims.

I think in the UK it's more to do with a lack of fear of being caught and reprimanded. We have far less on-the-beat bobbies than we used to so this sort of crime is much easier to get away with. Also, we keep letting all our petty to moderate criminals out early on 'good behaviour' because we don't have enough prison space to cram them all in. I don't think it's got much to do with self defence, except in Manchester/London gang culture, which do not count for all stabbings.

[lizbud]

Ah yes, the baby 'P' case. A very sad story indeed, and one that our social services has received a lot of criticism over.

That is correct, once released from prison these people do have a right to call for police protection (although as far as I'm aware, it is for a limited period of time only. Quite how long that is, I don't know. It varies from case to case). This happens often in cases of a sensitive nature, particularly those involving children.

The 'idea' is that the criminals have served their punishment in prison, and that upon their release they are likely to be subject to further abuse and discrimination from the public, job interviewers, etc. In order for the people in question to continue with their lives without the risk of assualt, or worse, the police protection is there to ensure that.

I must say that in the majority of cases like this, those convicted are kept anonymous, thus police protection is not usually needed. However, for some reason or another, the anonymity request expired.

It's an issue that divides our nation, just as ES explained that gun laws divide America. Many people feel very, very strongly that ex-cons should pay the full penalty for the crime they committed, and should 'get what they deserve'. Others question whether that sort of attitude breaches human rights and that, if someone was wrongly convicted, which does happen occasionally, they would be subject to undeserved hatred and hardship for the rest of their lives.

It's another issue of perhaps considering compassion a little too much in politics.

Thanks for explaning. Seems like the victim's rights are overlooked
in that case.IMO.

[Miss Z]

Thanks for explaning. Seems like the victim's rights are overlooked
in that case.IMO.

No problem, and I, personally, agree with you.

[RICHARD]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32503068...ews/?GT1=43001

More pictures of scary white people with guns!

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Before I go on, I want to apologize to all the pink (and color gradients there of) people out there that I may have offended.

I also want to apologize for the Alamo, the fort and not the car rental place.
Taco Bell and the faux chalupas, Making you all celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the awful Tequila Hangovers that follow and for Bill Richardson.

I really want to believe he does have Latin roots, but his last name is way too anglo-cized for me to get behind his cause(s).

I'll have to apologize for Sonia Sotomayor before hand! God knows what mistakes a wise latina will make in the future.

I want to apologize for all the kids that go to spring break in Mexico and come back sunburned, drunk, pregnant, ill or pick up an STD.

I will not apologize for Montezuma's Revenge.

We warn you about the water all the time.

I kinda have to apologize for all the complaints generated about the Frito Bandito, Taco Bell Dog and Juan Valdez, the coffee dude.

JV is actually Columbian, so I have limited authority to speak for him.

So, now that we have all the 'racial' stuff out of the way, can we go back to talking about politics?


-------------------------

Seriously.

Why are the 'astroturf' people at the THMs so riled up?

YOU work/have a career for a couple of decades and have money taken out of your checks for your "Maidandcare" then wake up one morning and have the idiot you voted into office tell you you are SOL.

Then you are going to tell me that you are going to NUKE the law into effect?

Nuclear was a pretty funny word when it was mispronounced for eight years, now you want me to understand and welcome it when it's pronounced 'correctly' and it's being used to shove a HIR/HCR bill up my wazoo????

Ai Dios!

I can hardly wait for the 2010 elections.

I am going to vote hard and fast, Then ask the politicians to squeal like a pig.
It's gonna be fun being on the giving end this time around.

[Grace]

I also want to apologize for the Alamo, the fort and not the car rental place.
Taco Bell and the faux chalupas, Making you all celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the awful Tequila Hangovers that follow and for Bill Richardson.

I really want to believe he does have Latin roots, but his last name is way too anglo-cized for me to get behind his cause(s).

Regarding Bill Richardson. His father - William Blaine Richardson Jr.

His mother - His mother, María Luisa López-Collada Márquez is the daughter of a Spanish father from Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain and a Mexican mother.



I think that qualifies him as somewhat Hispanic.