Topic: Youth Parliament



Jack McCann



Politics and Youth 

Our main man has done it again! Jerry went and ordered up another top of the class visitor for us. So off we went to our usual haunt one fine winter's afternoon to hear out our latest victim/guest. And in walked the very fine Jack McCann, member of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum, elected member of the Youth Parliament, a youth politics activist. At 18 years of age Jack has a strong vision and has chosen to become involved in politics because he wishes to make an impact and widen thinking. He has already successfully campaigned to allow the right to vote at 16 and has negotiated reduced transport costs for young people.

 

Jack told us a little about his interest in politics. He has clearly contributed greatly to raising the profile of young people in politics both in Northern Ireland and more recently while at university in Warwick. He recognises that while young people represent 28% of the population they also form 100% of the future and he wishes to be a part of decision making. He regrets the media images of mask-wearing youths rioting on the streets of Belfast and wants to demonstrate that young people can better voice their concerns within the world of politics.

 

Jack is fully aware of the difficulties we face in Northern Ireland. When every issue is shrouded in bigotry and our politicians labour under over protected structures, it is nigh impossible to see how we might progress. With no opposition there is no debate and so deals are alternated between the DUP and Sinn Fein. Young people want change and this is not happening in Stormont and so they are turned off.

 

The Current Affairs group then came in with some interesting thoughts. It was suggested that in Northern Ireland we are lucky in that our politicians have a wealth of experience. We are governed by a body of people who are not career politicians but rather they are farmers, teachers, solicitors ........... even former terrorists. A motley crew, perhaps, but at least they have all worked at the chalk face. They are real people, without all the gloss, in touch with the people. What prevents them from making real impact is the system they have to struggle against. Many of our members brought up yet again the notion that perhaps if the SDLP and the UU were to leave they could form an Opposition and real debate could begin. This would require some changes in legislation but it is not inconceivable. The present structures have taken us so far but now that politicians talk to each other it is time and it is appropriate to introduce some changes.

 

One last interesting fact came out when our man Jerry asked how many of us are or have been involved in politics. It was refreshing to see that a good number of hands went up. Clearly many of us have some understanding of the difficulties of bringing about change and we are still committed to making an impact.

Topic - Shared Education Debate



Shared Education Debate Panel

MLA speaks out for single education system

 

Causeway U3A Current Affairs Group were the hosts today for an invigorating discussion on the Shared/Integrated Education debate with a prestigious invited panel of speakers including  (L - R) P J O'Grady, Ministerial Advisory Group on Shared Education,   Mervyn Storey, DUP MLA,   Helen Mc Laughlin, Vice Chair of NICIE, and Professor Alan Smith, UNESCO chair UU.

 

Mervyn Storey opened the debate with a reminder of the  first Minister's declared interest in instigating a fundamental change in the education system in Northern Ireland. He agreed with Peter Robinson that the present system was a 'benign form of apartheid' and that it was time to 'formulate a road map towards greater sharing and ultimately a single system.' Mr Storey recognised the huge challenges facing politicians. Ultimately all components will need to come to agreement.

 

The floor was then opened to Alan Smith who referred to the huge costs of running peace building programmes within a system of Shared Education and indicated that this could run to an extra £50m annually. He also questioned why teachers are being asked to compensate for the deficiencies in a flawed system with hugely increased workloads organising these programmes. Professor Smith referred to the evidence that children sometimes learn negative attitudes through these programmes and suggested that time and money would be better spent on scrutinising the ownership of our schools.

 

Dr P J O' Grady opened his debate with a reminder of the historical perspective. Faith schools have been around for some time and have long concentrated on forming the whole person. He argued that 'we walk on sacred ground' when we educate children. He further claimed that Faith Schools have accomplished a great deal in terms of developing good Cross Community relationships and they should continue to play an important role in our society.

 

Helen Mc Laughlin took up the challenge of the graveyard shift but talked to everyone with her common sense approach. Ms Mc Laughlin regretted how we 'deliberately pull apart our children at the age of 4' and send them to different schools. However in Integrated Schools children meet together in an ordinary, uncontrived way and they have the opportunity to learn about each other's traditions. Ms Mc Laughlin looks forward to a situation where Integrated Education is no longer another sector but a main contributor to one single education system.

 

The discussion was opened to the floor and a lively debate ensued. It was suggested that we consider a variety of models of education, such as that in Donegal Town where a radical approach has transformed the system. Reference was made to education systems in France and elsewhere. Many regretted the lack of provision for the growing number of children of no faith or different faiths and it was also suggested that we need to look at the training of teachers. It was largely agreed that there is now an appetite for change in Northern Ireland and that we should strike while the iron is hot.

 

Yet another vibrant debate for The Causeway U3A Current Affairs Group! Congratulations to the organisers and to all the participants.

TOPIC: Hopes of Finding

Question Six

Will Madeleine McCann be found?

 

Comment

Unfortunately probably not. And the McCanns must be aware that the most recent publicity may in fact put her life at risk, if she is still alive. The situation is pretty hopeless in reality. But the continued publicity has raised awareness of the phenomenon and it is important to keep that awareness alive. If only for the sake of preventing potential future abductions.

TOPIC: Energy Bills - Paying Too Much?

Question Five

 

OIL or GAS - Does NI have a choice?

Are we in Northern Ireland paying too much for our energy?

What can we do?

More competition?

 

Comment

In a word, Yes! It’s outrageous! We are out of sync with the rest of the UK, there is no competition, they can charge what they want, we have no say. Our main problem is that most of our houses are run on oil and there is no regulatory body. So is there anything we can do?

Well actually there is one thing we could do. It doesn’t tackle the main issue but it might help us reduce our oil bills a little.

Most companies give reductions for bulk buying. In the Causeway U3A we have 900 members and we could put in a bulk order. This could potentially reduce our bill by around £30 per delivery. Any volunteers to organise it?

TOPIC: Literacy and Numeracy - OECD Survey - Dire Stats

Question four

A recent report by the OECD reveals that in both England and Northern Ireland our 16-24 year olds are ranked 22 and 18 respectively out of 24 in literacy and numeracy. The survey covered England and N. Ireland. Alone in the developed world our 16-24 year olds performed worse in literacy than our 55-65 year olds. Is it because our generation was taught literacy and numeracy by methods that today would be considered old-fashioned? These methods worked for us. The present methods don’t appear to be working for many young people. Discuss!!

 

Comment

Times have changed. Children are different nowadays. They have higher expectations, they are less submissive. What worked in the past may not necessarily be the best thing for our young. Echoing the past is probably neither possible nor advisable. It’s not the methods which are in question here. Rather there have been many changes in society which may be affecting our young people’s learning.

One thing to consider is a child’s readiness to read. Is there the support at home to allow a child to ready himself/herself for school? Are there books at home? Do the parents read? Are the parents there? Are the parents talking to their children? Are they caring for them? Are they stressed? Is the child happy? Children learn best when they have all their needs met, when they are happy, secure, content. A happy family makes a happy child.

But also our children here start school at a very young age, much more so than in other developed countries. Are they ready for school? I recently overheard a conversation between my two great nieces. The older one had just started school and the younger one said that she couldn’t wait to be in school. Niamh told her little sister that on the contrary she should enjoy nursery because ‘when you go to big school you have to sit in a seat for a very, very long time and you have to listen to the teacher talking for ages and ages’. Obviously even the most dutiful Niamh finds it all rather tiresome and was not quite ready for it all. I doubt even Niamh would appreciate us requiring her to revert to rote learning in order to ensure better literacy scores in the future.

Literacy is a huge problem in this country and we do need to ensure that all our young people reach high standards. But perhaps we might do better to adapt our teaching strategies with children rather than surmising that The Only Way Is Echoes

TOPIC: Poots or Pots. Gay Blood Donor Ban

Question three

Edwin Poots, local Health Minister, has been under some pressure recently. Mr Justice Tracy has ruled that the ban on gay men giving blood is ‘irrational’. Poots has been challenged by gay men because he has refused to lift the ban which has already been removed in England. He has also been challenged by Sarah Ewart, a pregnant woman who has been told by her doctors that she was carrying a malformed foetus. She had no option but to go to England for an abortion which, by law, could not be carried out here. She feels that in NI there is no account taken of the mother’s welfare. A second woman, expecting twins, has come forward who is in a similar situation to Sarah. Should our abortion laws in NI be revised? Can Edwin Poots steer a wise path through these emotive issues?

 

Comment

What kind of a backwater do we live in? Do we really allow some puffed up religious extremist dictate government strategies which openly discriminate against one section of our population? Does he expect us to all sit back and agree with these ‘irrational’ decisions based not on intellectual investigation but merely individual prejudice?  Donated blood is routinely screened. Where is the problem? This whole fear is invented by Poots and his cronies out of religious intolerance and ignorance. And what do we do in this country? We have largely left it up to the oppressed themselves, the gay population, to fight their own corner against this blatant attack on their human rights. No big well of support here from a largely disinterested population ready to let this bully boy trample over the rights of a section of our society who continue to battle against discrimination, prejudice and oppression. In 2013!!! At least they seem to have won this particular battle. Doubtless there will be many more to come.

But maybe Sarah Ewart will be in a better position to do more damage. Who can have anything but sympathy for this young woman, who, while coping with the most terrible grief, has had to face the impact of another of Poots’ ill-conceived strategies? (Except of course the Rottweiler, Bernadette Smyth). Poots, with his black and white religious fervour, has decreed that Sarah cannot receive the care and treatment she needs in NI. The care and treatment that medical teams would very much like to provide. Poots knows better than anyone, of course. Better than Sarah herself, better than the unfortunate young couple who have just received the same awful news as Sarah, better than any medical team.

But will Poots be reined in?  Will he bow to better judgement? He does seem to be a much more subdued version of himself in recent days. Not before time. Our politicians need to sit up and take note that they are here to serve everyone. We do not pay them huge wages in order that they can implement their own highly prejudiced policies. In my view Poots should have been required to resign. That is what would have happened in any sane society. But then who would be there to replace him? Yet another equally biased and not yet rather chastened Poots lookalike. We will have to make do with Poots. He’s going to be treading lightly for a while, isn’t he?

TOPIC: Andrew Mitchell v Police Federation

Question Two

The career of a former Chief Whip at Westminster, Andrew Mitchell, was abruptly curtailed when he was involved in an incident with police at the gates of Downing Street.  

The incident was reported by police but additional investigations revealed that the initial report was not as it seemed. This was further compounded by a meeting of Mr Mitchell with officers of the Police Federation, after which the officers announced that Mitchell would have to go because he had not been frank with them. Little did they know that the meeting was being recorded and Mitchell had been completely frank with them.  Deborah Glass, deputy chairperson of the police watchdog, and Teresa May, Home Secretary, have commented on the event and only yesterday David Cameron, in the House of Commons, suggested that the police owed Mr Mitchell an apology. Have some of the police in England been abusing their position of serving the public by following a political agenda?

 

Comment

All is not well between the police and politicians. Well, well!! Who would have guessed? But then if your government thinks it’s a good idea to consistently use your police force to political gain then what do you expect? But is this the kind of police force the people of Britain want? One where police officers have been shown to conspire to denounce politicians? And where no disciplinary action is as yet evident? How can a population trust a police force where there is so much evidence of malpractice? The recent revelations about the lack of authenticity in the Hillsborough police report and the finger of suspicion pointed at them over the possible lack of investigation of Jimmy Saville’s activities all suggest that the police force in Britain needs a competent regulatory body. Maybe it’s time for them to look towards Northern Ireland for guidance. Here in the North we trust our Ombudsman to ensure the accountability of our police force and we are all sharply aware of the difficulties a country can get into when a lack of trust for the police force sets in! 

 

TOPIC: Immigrants - the Mediteranean as a graveyard

Question One

Just one week after a boat sank near the Italian island of Lampedusa with the loss of 300 lives, a vessel capsized near Malta. This time a prompt rescue operation by both Maltese and Italian coastguard authorities resulted in many of the immigrants being saved and a much lower death toll – about 30. Media reports say there are many thousands more migrants gathering on the coasts of Lybia and Tunisia to wait for a clandestine crossing to Italy – desperate people fleeing war and dictatorships. The PM of Malta has described the Mediterranean as a ‘cemetery’. The Pope says the situation is ‘a disgrace’. The president of Italian Red Cross has called for humanitarian corridors to be opened. How should we in Europe respond? What can be done?

 

Comment

Why not do away with our borders for a start? People only undertake these dangerous, clandestine journeys because they have no alternative. They are fleeing wars, oppression and abject poverty. Life in these countries is for some, untenable. They have no alternative but to flee. Nobody leaves their own country without good reason. So why don’t we just raise our borders and let them in? We are all human beings, citizens of the same world. Who gives us the right to deny anyone access to a better life? If they want to come here, let them in….and make is easy for them. Provide safe passage, good, secure transport. Just because I was born in Europe does not mean I own this land. Nor does it mean I can keep my fellow humans from moving in next door. In fact I have a responsibility to ensure that all fellow humans in the world have access to the same human rights that I enjoy: a safe home, nourishment, access to education….. All those rights we have fought for and laid out in print should belong to the whole human race, not just to Europeans.

People are by nature nomadic. Our survival through the ages has depended on our ability to search out a safer environment, a richer, more fertile land. Why deny our fellow humans the right to live in a safe, fair society? It is merely our greed and our lack of humanity that pushes us to describe these fellow citizens of the world as a problem, a drain on our resources. We live here in a world of plenty, relatively speaking, with many Europeans enjoying huge wealth. While some in our own land are still in need, there is more than enough to go round.

And what of the question of sustainability? If so many migrants end up in Europe surely this will lead to overcrowding? Not so. People migrate to areas where there are sufficient jobs, where there is appropriate housing. Look at Northern Ireland! We have unbelievably low numbers of immigrants precisely because they know that there is a lack of sustainability here. People only migrate to areas where there is surplus.

The myth of ‘immigrants taking our jobs and using up our resources’ is one that has been largely developed by our present politicians, driven by greed, individualistic objectives and political ambition. We the good citizens of the world need to reclaim our responsibility to diffuse a more global sense of responsibility throughout Europe. It is time for us to proclaim our responsibility towards our African cousins by ensuring their safe passage to our less troubled lands.

TOPIC: Remember 1998 - 15 Years on - where is the leadership?

 

Where was NI’s First Minister when N Ireland’s greatest poet and probably the greatest poet of our generation, was buried? Was his absence indicative of the lack of leadership and responsibility increasingly experienced in the last year?  The flag issue, first encouraged was not controlled and allowed to slip into anarchy. The police got blamed and then we reverted to the easy option of getting an outsider to find a solution and will doubtless leave it to the US, British and Irish Governments to impose a solution. The other tribe’s efforts were little better, contributing to the parading issues complexity by adding support for their extremists parade building. We say we have made huge strides to a peaceful NI in the last 15yrs, if so why sacrifice it?

Peter Robinson has faced more than a few challenges during his time in office. With his apparent professionalism he has managed to avoid the ‘Chuckle brothers’ relationship with Martin Mc Guinness of his predecessor. He has even been able to deftly sidestep his way out of the fiasco in his personal life. Who would have believed that? And his political kudos has allowed him to retain his lofty position even despite losing his seat to Naomi Long. Not that he will ever forget that!

But just as with his Sinn Fein counterpart, Peter Robinson’s continued success lies in the No vote. The more he is seen to be working affably alongside ‘the other side’, the less popular he becomes among his voting lobby. The more he digs his heels in, the less he gives way, the greater the support he gets from ‘his people.’ So that is why he was remarkably absent in any criticism of the violence surrounding the flags issue. That is why in the summer he wrote that letter withdrawing support for the Maze Conflict Transformation Centre. That is why he even stayed away from any celebrations of Seamus Heaney’s life. Unforgivable! 

But he’s not on his own. Sinn Fein knew exactly what they were doing last December when they voted for the removal of the flag at City Hall. When support slips a little you need to be seen to stir it up. You rattle a few cages and your party comes out sunny side up.

The elections are looming. May is but a few months away. It is time to reclaim grass roots support.  And you can be sure that there will be no statesmanship in the process. Peter Robinson has gathered the force of the Orange Order behind him. He knows where his bread is buttered. Richard Haass has his work cut out for him. He has few expectations of any success and has declared his part well in advance. He and Meghan O’Sullivan are no fools. They know they are up against it. It is pretty much a losing battle. As the ‘two sides’ puff up their wings and go into battle, fighting their cause, who will be the winners?

My bet’s on Naomi Long. Naomi fought off Peter Robinson on his own home ground. Naomi hung in there tight through all the backlash to the flags issue. Naomi has consistently fought for her country, not her party. Naomi talks sense in our nonsensical community. Naomi has been waiting a long time. But maybe just, it is her time. Wouldn’t it be great to see a real statesman in this country again? And wouldn’t it be great if that statesman was a woman?

TOPIC: House of Lords - is it needed?

 

The Government in the South will hold a referendum on abolishing the Seanad in October. Despite the cost and unusual democratic make, doesn’t a democracy require a second house to oversee the government? The UK is trying to reform its second house, but got stuck with the definition of its role. Do you think there should be a second house and if so with what functions?

 

 

Comment

Do we really trust our governments enough to not have a ‘stay’ on their powers? That’s the problem, isn’t it? If we knew they wouldn’t get the run of themselves there would be no problem, would there? The difficulty is that no-one in their right mind would let Michael (let’s bring back O’ levels) Gove loose to his own whims and you’d have to be totally off your head to let your government introduce a bedroom tax! (OMG!  That actually happened, didn’t it? It’s not a bad dream after all!)

 

So we do need something. We all know that. But do we need a House full of inherited peers and former professional politicians? More politicians? Are we crazy?

 

The problem is that no-one has come up with a way of providing us with what we want: a House where reasonable people with expertise in a variety of domains can work together to rein in our often over ambitious, under or uninformed and outrageously skewed politicians. Any ideas Naomi?

TOPIC: Realignment of world political leadership and power

 
Are we experiencing a realignment of world political leadership and power? Is ‘the West’ stepping away from its world policing leadership? The US steps away from its ‘line in the sand’ about punishing the use of chemical weapons in Syria and allows Russia to take the lead. Britain refuses to back the US’s possible use of force on the chemical weapons issue. Is this a result of the rebalancing of world economic powers; the weakening of Britain’s and France’s wealth, the effect of the US recession, China’s rapid economic growth and Russia’s huge gas wealth? If so what will be the effect worldwide of the Western values of democracy and human rights?
 
Comment
 
Maybe the recession is no bad thing after all. When the economy’s thriving, when everyone’s in a job, when you have all the money in the world to build bigger and better weapons, when your citizens expect you to buy more and more battle ships, when you have all the Drones, all the missiles, all the weapons of mass destruction you want, it kind of makes sense to use them all, doesn’t it? And you can always take the opportunity to reinforce your country’s ability to roll out such worthy ideals as Democracy and Human Rights, can’t you? And if you decide to go to war you need to have an enemy, don’t you? That makes everyone very patriotic, doesn’t it? And that’s a really good thing. All that people pulling together thing, the fighting against the enemy thing. The stuff of history. Remember Hitler!
No-one, but no-one can deny the atrocities going on in Syria. But there is an added complication here. Who exactly is the enemy? Assad? The rebels? What is clear is that the atrocities are on both sides. Now that complicates things.
So shucks! What do you do when there is no clear enemy? And what happens when you don’t have any substantial support from America’s long time lackeys in Europe.  And is that Russia now daring to raise its ugly head above the parapet? And China? Is China really ready to play its role?

Is this all a sign that the UN is actually finally starting to kick in? All those agreements are really starting to mean something? We are no longer prepared to live in a world where America decides which battles to embroil us all in and which atrocities in the world we are to continue to ignore?
 
We all know that the leaders of the Top 5 breathed a sigh of relief when it became clear that there would be no attacks on Syria when Obama stood back from the line. Now perhaps the world leaders will get together and work out a strategy for useful engagement in Syria. Perhaps when Richard and Meghan have finished up their talks here they can nip on down to Syria and nudge Assad and the guys to lay down arms. Syria needs help in building peace, not Drone attacks.

TOPIC: Jamie Oliver - Immigrants work harder than locals

TOPIC:

 

Jamie Oliver has hit the headlines for claiming that his immigrant employees work harder than his local ones and that the poor waste money on ready meals rather than fresh food he cited a scene from one of his TV shows in which a mother and her child eat takeaway chips in front of a massive TV. Many commentators have objected to his views, what are your views?
 

 

Comment

 

Oh come on! We all know that immigrants work harder than local people. Everybody in the world works harder than your average home grown job seeker! ‘What? Brush that floor? No way! Who do you think I am?’ If you’ve been brought up to think that it’s ‘not cool’ to scrub a floor, that it’s ok to keep your bedroom like a pigsty and someone else will pick up your litter it must be pretty hard to change overnight into employee of the month. Jamie was slagged off in the press but he has done a lot for young, deprived people here and we all like to think his intentions were honourable. People need to realise the competition is tough out there and you do have to make yourself very useful if you are to make it in the world of work. Perhaps Jamie’s right?
 
I’m a little more sceptical about his thoughts on the poor wasting money. Good, fresh food is expensive and is not always so easily available locally. Not so easy to get to the out of town supermarket with a buggy and toddler in tow. And the corner shop veg leaves a lot to be desired. So you’re down to growing your own. If you have a garden that is! That and the expertise to fight off the slugs, the bugs, the squirrels and even the neighbour’s dog. Bring back allotments, say we! (I think I have already mentioned my son-in law’s allotments, haven’t I? Cheap at half the price. Still some availability) And good on Nick Clegg and his free meals for infants! About time we started investing in proper food provision in schools. Just hope that they take a tip from Europe and spend a little more than the presently allocated 67 pence per dinner!

TOPIC: The Pryce War

'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' (William Congreve 1697)  

Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce are each now serving an 8 month gaol sentence for perverting the course of justice. There are those who feel that Vicky Pryce should not have been given same sentence as Chris Huhne. There are also those who regarded the judge's comments on Vicky Pryce - 'having demonstrated a controlling, manipulative and devious side to your character' - as being excessively harsh. How will these two very high profile people emerge from this experience?

Well, there’s going to be a book, isn’t there? A couple of best sellers for next Christmas shopping list. ‘The Pryce War’. ‘Points unmake Pryces’.  The magazine articles: ‘Marital coercion. How to fight back.’  And then there are the talk shows. I can see Piers Morgan rubbing his hands with glee as we speak. Like Jeffrey Archer and Jonathan Aitken before them, Chris and Vicky will survive.

Ok so they have to serve a prison sentence. By all accounts they are already in an open prison so it’s not exactly the horrors of Holloway, is it? And it’s not as if they’ll never work again, is it? So they have ruined their careers but when they get out you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll be looked after by their own. Like Fred the Shred from the Bank of Scotland. It took him all of 6 months to get a new job after his unseemly dismissal.

Of course what’s ironic is that the inmates in the place where Chris is incarcerated are known for running a little cottage industry. They take penalty points for money. A great wee business idea. What’s a few penalty points to someone who’s locked up most of the week? So next time he speeds through a red light he’ll have no need to coerce Vicky or her replacement. A quick phone call to one of his new BFF and Chris will be free to speed another day.

TOPIC: Free Press?

Free Press?   Give us a Responsible Press!

The government has finally come up with a formal response (or deal) to the Leveson report.  It proposes a Royal Charter to underpin regulation of the press.  An all party deal seems to have been struck between David Cameron's man, Oliver Letwin, Nick Clegg and Ed Milliband late last Sunday night. The regulator (whoever he or she will be) will have a statutory underpin, the press can't veto who sits on the regulatory body and the regulatory body can impose fat fines and direct apologies as prominent as the original offending article. To date a number of the 'big guns' of the press have expressed grave doubts and talked about press freedom and walking away from the new regulator. However, the Financial Times, the Independent and the Guardian who supported the original findings and recommendations of Leveson have held out against fearful pressure from the rest of the press. Can the new deal protect the public and keep the press on side?

Everyone aspires to have a free press. And for the past 150 years or so our press has served us well. But in recent years some players have changed tactics and now the Press Association has been well and truly discredited. With freedom comes responsibility but this was largely ignored by some of the ‘big guns’ in the press. What other organisation is so immune to the law? A policy of self-governance is only effective when every partner buys into a notion of responsibility and this was clearly not an option. The Guardian was the first to blow the whistle on the discreditable activities of other parties and the whole system imploded. The Press is clearly no longer capable of policing itself. Just like the Banks, the Press became too powerful.

Ireland now has a statutory system of governance of the press but it took them 4 years to establish it. Why the Leveson recommendations were not adopted in their entirety is a point of contention. Cameron had initially promised that this would be the case and Milliband and Clegg were also happy enough to buy into the proposals. But now we await the adoption of the Royal Charter which still requires a majority of 2/3 in Parliament.  Do you ever wonder who exactly is pulling the strings?

TOPIC: Is there a danger that justice becomes a political football?

What right has he?

Peter Robinson, aided and abetted by Sammy Wilson, has recently criticised the judiciary for what he claims is the perception in Unionist circles of unfair policing and bail decisions and anti-unionist bias. The Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan has responded, 'Now that the issue has arisen it is important that I do what I can to bring as much information to bear on this issue as possible, so as to reassure people.' Is there a danger that justice becomes a political football? Do we forget the enormous personal price our judges and magistrates have paid during the recent conflict? Should Peter Robinson have made his views known privately to Sir Declan rather than express them publicly?

A step too far! Politicians cannot and should not comment on decisions of the judicial system. And with good reason. In a democratic society we have established a legal system which we deem fair and just. A judge’s role is to implement that system. Peter Robinson and Sammy Wilson know diddly squat about the law. We don’t expect them to. That is not their role.

You cannot help but think that they are both just looking for some publicity. They shamefully stayed well clear of any comments when the whole flag issue was at its peak around Christmas and now they are seeking a little glory on the backs of the protesters who have recently been sentenced.

When are we ever going to get some proper statesmanship in this country? But then if we continue to vote on party grounds, we’re never going to get our home grown Nelson Mandela, are we?

TOPIC: British Legacy

What have the British ever done for us?

British soldiers are already leaving Afghanistan although the official date is sometime in 2014. What will be their legacy?  Will the Afghan army be able to cope?

‘Will Afghanistan be any better off when the British soldiers leave? When the Romans left Britain all those years ago they left behind them a legacy. Remember Monty Python?

‘So what have the Romans ever done for us then?

Stan: The aqueduct.

Voices from public: Oh yeah, yeah they gave us that. Yeah. That's true.

Francis: And the sanitation!

Matthias: The aqueduct.

Reg: Oh yeah, yeah they gave us that. Yeah. That's true.

Activist: And the sanitation!

Stan: Oh yes... sanitation, Reg, you remember what the city used to be like.

Reg: All right, I'll grant you that the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done...

Matthias: And the roads...

Reg:  (sharply) Well yes obviously the roads... the roads go without saying. But apart from the aqueduct, the sanitation and the roads..

Voices from public: Irrigation. Medicine, Education, Health

Reg: Alright. Fair enough.

Francis: And the wine

Reg: Oh yes true!

Francis: That’s something we’d really miss, Reg

Activist: Public baths!

Stan: And it’s safe to walk in the streets at night now

Francis: Yes, they certainly know how to keep order... (general nodding)... let's face it, they're the only ones who could in a place like this.

(more general murmurs of agreement)

Reg: All right... all right... but apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order... what have the Romans done for us?

Xercis: Brought peace!’

Now can we say that about Afghanistan? Always a sorry place, Afghanistan remains a sorry place. Corruption is rife and democracy seems a long way off. Attempts at training up police have been met with scorn. Tribal law rules and the Taliban remains a powerful force. It would have been interesting to see what might have happened if we had taken all that money spent on arms and policing and put it into providing infrastructure. If we had built a few hospitals, a decent transport system, an education system fit for purpose and if we had established a number of viable, substantial businesses in the country, perhaps then Afghanistan might have had the potential for a brighter future. When are governments going to realize that there is no such thing as a military solution?  



TOPIC: Irish Rugby - The Real Winners

The Real Winners!

Ireland won the Grand Slam in rugby last Sunday by defeating Italy to take the RBS Six Nations Trophy. No, it wasn't the men!  It was the women of the Irish rugby team! 

The unknowns are finally making their mark. Women’s rugby is now big in Ireland. While the men’s team cracked under pressure the women ploughed through the competition and took the limelight. Well done ladies! Here’s hoping you get the publicity you deserve. (And the sponsorship!)

TOPIC: Il Papa

       Il Papa

 

The white smoke has drifted away from the roof of the Sistine Chapel. A new pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, has been announced and has caused something of a surprise as he was not one of those names on most commentators' short list.  He has chosen to be called Pope Francis after St Francis of Assisi and has been described as a humble man.  He made a very positive impression on television the night his papacy was announced.  He has already done away with some of the pomp and ceremony of his office - he declined to wear the mozzetta, the symbol of papal authority on his balcony appearance and he travelled back to his hotel in Rome with other cardinals by minibus.  However, Pope Francis faces a huge number of major issues at the beginning of his papacy: corruption in the Vatican and in the Vatican bank, tackling the major crisis of child abuse in the church in Europe, North America and beyond, gay marriage, abortion, priestly celibacy and falling numbers of members.  Furthermore, it could be argued that among the most important areas to be addressed is that of the place of women in the church. The Roman Catholic church is an all male institution - no women in any positions of authority even though they represent a large proportion of church members. Where can the church go from here? Can Pope Francis move things forward?

Il nuovo papa! Congratulazioni! Not a bad start, don’t you think? Even an old cynic like me is a tad impressed. Turning his back on the pomp and circumstance and declining photo shots with all the dignitaries? Refusing to live in the papal apartments in the Vatican? Could he possibly be someone who is ready and willing to stand up to the Vatican Mafia who surround him? I suppose when you come from Argentina life has been a bit different, a little less cosy than in mainland Europe. Growing up in that big old melting pot over there must make you more open to diversity for a start. And Argentina has bred a few revolutionaries in its time, hasn’t it? Che Guevara, simultaneously adored and reviled, was undeniably one of the most important men in the history of Latin America in the 20^th century. (And in my personal top ten of best lookers too! Those eyes!.... I digress….) And Eva Perón, our Evita, was the much loved heroine of  the ‘descamisados’ the ones without shirts, the poor, the needy, those on low incomes. Pope Francis spent his formative years growing up in a land of strong, revolutionary personalities, in an era of protests, mass demonstrations, revolutions and military coups. When he was a young boy his country suffered the San Juan earthquake, killing 10,000 people in one incident. He has known poverty, injustice, war, strife. More recently as a religious leader he has seen the breakdown of relations between state and the Church in his own country over the issue of abortion. He has also seen one of his fellow priests successfully charged with 7 murders and 42 kidnappings.  Perhaps he has learned a little from his role models: Evita, Che and all the other revolutionaries. Perhaps he will recognise the need for women to have a proper role in the Church. Maybe just he will set about tackling corruption in the Vatican. Perhaps his Argentinian background will enable him to bring in an end to celibacy for priests as has already happened to some extent in his own country. Perhaps too he will find a way to empower the poor.Throughout his life, both as an individual and a religious leader, he has been known for his humility, his concern for the poor, and his commitment to dialogue as a way to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths. Here’s wishing il papa good health and a strong wind behind his back.

TOPIC - Free travel / free TV licence/ winter fuel

 What are your views on means tested benefits in this very difficult economic environment? For example should well off pensioners give up winter fuel benefit, free travel, and the free TV licence?

He had to draw it out of us. We weren’t happy. We’ve all worked hard to get where we are now. We didn’t have the benefits of extended maternity leave and tax credit that young people have now. We were all industrious, careful with our money. We didn’t spend recklessly. We made do. And because of that we are all relatively well off. Do we really need these benefits? Oh the free travel! Should we really have to give that up? When you depend on public transport it’s vital that it is affordable. Young people know all about that too! That’s something we share. Ok so if we have to, we really have to, we could cope with reduced fares. It’s hard to admit, (all that work! All those years!!) but yes you’re right. Most of us don’t actually need these benefits. But in this crazy world, in this computerised, techno world we live in is it really true that there is actually no system for returning them. And is means testing really beyond our capacities? Surely a simple link between tax returns and the benefits office could solve the issue of means testing in the click of a button! Until then we’ll just have to go on accepting our winter fuel allowance. We can always use it to buy a few plane tickets to get to Spain where we’ll have no need of any winter fuel. .  

TOPIC - Half the world’s harvested food is wasted

Half the world’s harvested food is wasted. We still have many people starving across the world. Why do we in developed countries waste food when so many go hungry? In the developed world supermarkets reject much harvested food because of appearance, would you buy misshapen carrots, bananas etc? If so why do we allow supermarkets to waste so much food? Households throw out 30-50% of the food bought, why is this? What should we do about it? 

CHECK out: http://www.thinkeatsave.org/docs/Factsheet_FOOD-WASTAGE.pdf

So how wasteful are we? Well it’s a lot easier not to be so wasteful when it’s just the two of you or you’re on your own. You buy as you need, No weekly shops. But we still allow ourselves to be dictated to by the large supermarkets to a certain extent. Their over conservative date stamping begs us to throw away items that pre date stamping days would have lasted another week. How long is it since you ripped the blue mould off a slice of bread before toasting it? And yet I grew up in a house where that was how you started your day. We’re so used to perfect carrots and pristine strawberries now that we hesitate before popping that crooked parsnip into the pot. Does that look a bit off to you? That’s a most unattractive turnip, don’t you think? In reality too many non photogenic potatoes get dumped by us all when they all get chopped up at the end of the day. It’s about time we all started fighting for the rights for our sprouts to be ugly and our cabbage to be muddy.  

But we’re not the only ones to blame. Restaurants and cafés churn out endlessly huge portions and tend to have a one size fits all policy. Children, the elderly, growing boys: everyone gets the same. You wouldn’t set your toddler down a plate the same size as your 17 year old teenager would you? But I suppose if portion size was up to the restaurant staff you might get a few disgruntled customers when things went wrong. Am I getting that huge plate of chicken broccoli because she thinks I’m a big fat lump?  Or the other thing they do is they lay it all out in a buffet and leave it all up to us. And what do we do? We go and get a bit of everything until our plates are piled so high that we can hardly carry them back to the table. We’ll never eat that!! Daft, aren’t we? But restaurants could offer small, normal and large portions couldn’t they? That could reduce the waste.

But it’s in hospitals and nursing homes where there is so much waste. Sick people don’t tend to have much of an appetite and the elderly, well, what with all those cups of tea and biscuits throughout the day, who has any room left for extra helpings of shepherd’s pie? We need Jamie Oliver into our hospitals and nursing homes. He’ll sort us out there. If Jamie was cooking no matter how sick I was I bet you every morsel would disappear.  Or my Alan. No-one can resist his roast leg of lamb or garlic and lemon chicken.

Of course we need to be teaching our young people how to grow their own. Bring back allotments! If you’ve spent all that time digging and mucking about with your very own green beans there’ll be no wastage to speak of. (Allotments available at reduced rates throughout January. Contact my son-in-law for further information.)

Well time draws on and we’ve run out of time to talk about Jimmy Saville and our celebrity obsession. I dare say there’ll be more horrors emerging in the press before our next meeting anyway. It doesn’t seem to be going away, does it? And we’ll leave the Tea Party guys for another day too. And so to our finale.