Government needs lessons...

The Daily Express has an article in today's E edition, which comments on a recent government survey about kids drinking habits. It also has an "have your say" whereby one can leave ones comments about the article.

The piece that follows was/is my response to the article and as one seldom gets feed back from any of the readers on the Express, I though it merited posting on the blog for your perusal.

Gov't need lessons...

Kids at what ever age like to exaggerate, to make themselves seem more grown own, more experienced, more adult.

So I would as an adult having teenage kids, take this survey with a pinch of salt. I would also like to know what questions were asked, because one thing this current govt is over fond of doing is phrasing questions to get the answers they want!

Kids drinking is nothing new, very few people got through their teen years without drinking a couple of bottles of cider or cheap lager in parks with mates.

It wasn’t' a major problem and when found out, as was usually the case, the kids were punished. The throwing up and ill feeling was usually enough physical punishment, and the “grounding" and stern words from parents was enough to complete the job.

These day's the kids have rights and they know about them. They have no fear of punishment of any kind, either at home or in the schools or in our streets. They are to all intents and purposes untouchable and they know it.

The PC brigade have castigated, lied and coerced with the tacit approval of govt, and shown us the best "way" to bring up kids, they told us "we know best" unfortunately that was a LIE, they knew and know nothing.

So their experiment strangely hasn't worked, because we do not live in an ideal world. We have, thanks to the meddling have lost a generation of kids, who cannot or will not work in school, who see no reason to work, who, thanks to knowing their rights believe the world owes them a living.

NuLabour and its legions of do gooders would do well to remember that mankind has been around far far longer than any political party, we have had thousands of years of breeding and raising children, and funnily enough it worked. It must have otherwise we would be no more! Mankind would have dies out years ago!

They use the stick that some people beat kids, ill-treat them and abuse them. Yes this sadly is true, But to associate a smack or chastisement as assault and abuse is bullshit of the first order.

Life is harsh, we live in a somewhat cleansed and antiseptic world an age away from our origins. Therefore trying to save children is admirable aim, but one that is unfortunately unachievable especially when the tools used to try and save the children, outlaw generations of knowledge and tried and tested methods gained by the experience of actually bringing up children.

There will ever be people that go over the top, but this can be changed by education, by teaching in schools, trying to show youngsters how ideally children should be brought up, but showing them that chastisement does have a role to play!

After all the biggest bully on the block has always been our own government, no matter which party, as the only way they are able to control and police us, is through threats of fines, ASBO’s, the fear of loss of liberty.

So how can governments lecture the population on bringing up children, when they as government use exactly the same methods too; they use their powers to, control, coerce, frighten and force. The government has a less than gentle hand against its own peoples!

Police and guns!

The Daily Express is calling for all officers to be armed.

Talk about knee jerk reaction, to actively call for the police to be armed as a matter of routine is very wrong.

I vaguely remember a tale from an American Police Officer, who when asked about when he would draw his weapon replied "only as a very last resort", when asked to explain further he stated, "once my pistol is out of my holster I only have two options, not to shoot, or to shoot and kill. I refuse to limit my options, whilst my gun remains in its holster I have many options, often just talking and giving the guy chance to reflect, is enough to bring the person round to my way of thinking". This from a land were we expect the Police to be gung ho!

I am against our Police Force being armed for a number of reasons,

. It encourages criminals to arm themselves.
. It makes Police lazy, far to easy to pull a gun.
. We no longer have the death penalty, so why should a Police Officer be Judge, Jury and executioner.
. To many mistakes have been made by Armed Officers.
. We have unfortunately lost most of the rank and file officers, who knew how to control a situation, you know the real coppers, the modern younger officers tend to go for the gung ho approach to policing.
. Just how many Officers have been killed by firearms, in the line of duty? Now set that against how many people Police have shot by mistake or caught in crossfire, or even just got it plain wrong!
. Police are trialing tazers in parts of the UK, why are they not nationwide?

Many will say the Police are doing an important job, and deserve to be armed to protect themselves, but the Police do make too many mistakes and better that ten men escape and go free than one innocent person is killed. We have had people shot for carrying chair/table legs, mistaken identity and then the most heinous crime, a man murdered by Police after a shoot to kill policy was allowed by the Government. These mistakes are just that mistakes, but if the Police were not armed they could not have happened. Now don't get me wrong if an armed blag is going down, then an Armed response is warranted, but I have a do problem with armed police as I believe that the training is insufficient! They seem to lack any common sense and appear to be policing in fear whilst armed!

The papers recently reported that one woman was killed, whilst the police waited outside, the suggestion was that whilst there was a chance of them being shot or injured, they wouldn't make a move and the woman died, whilst across the pennines a man was shot for carrying a samurai sword, when the neither the police not the general public were in any danger!

I noticed this starting about 9 or 10 years ago, my youngest, well he was then, was just an eight year old playing in the street, with a plastic gun borrowed from a friend, when a routine police car pulled up and told him if he didn't put the toy gun away he could end up shot and dead, no niceties, just plain terrifying to a youngster, bringing a climate of fear to a youthful mind. This in an area where gun crime is very very rare.

I believe that all guns should be outlawed completely, anyone found with a loaded weapon should be given life, but at the same time, any officer shooting an innocent person should also be given life! Back when I think it was the Forest Gate arrests in London, a youth was shot, the officer concerned was involved in another shooting a short time after, and nothing was done, no reprimand... nothing.

I ask can the Police be trusted with firearms.. No I think not!