Current Affairs

[Happydays]

It is rather disturbing the mayhem and alarm that just one terrorist can create.

The problem is that they only need to be lucky once, we have to be lucky all the time.

[david63]

I notice that Jeremy Corbyn (he who believes that armed police should not be on the streets) has been conspicuous by his absence over yesterday's terror attack.

[Silver_Shiney]

He was bumbling some comment about it on the news last night. I paid no attention to what he said though

[CaroleF]

I heard him too. He did at least have a tie on and this may seem a petty comment, but he could have done his top button up on his shirt and looked a little more dignified than his usual shambolic appearance. What emerges from this horrible, tragic event, is the heroism of ordinary people trying to help others. The MP, Tobias Ellwood, ran forward to try to help the policeman who had been stabbed, he didn't run for safety. He is to be commended as are all those others who tried to help the poor people on Westminster Bridge who had been hit by the car. All these people just show that the terrorists are never going to win. Ever.

Carole

[screwy]

I notice that Jeremy Corbyn (he who believes that armed police should not be on the streets) has been conspicuous by his absence over yesterday's terror attack.

He certainly had more praise for McGuinness than yesterdays events but then he did Hob Nob with that evil Bas***d.

[barney]

I was on my way back to Kent on the M42 last night after a conference, and was very aware that something was going down in Birmingham.
I've never seen so many un-marked cars with blue lights going.
I assumed that there had been another attack in Birmingham, but thankfully I was wrong.
A very sad day for the UK and it transpires that the terrorist was born in Kent.
I never realised that the Garden of England was a Jahadi hotbed.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I notice that Jeremy Corbyn (he who believes that armed police should not be on the streets) has been conspicuous by his absence over yesterday's terror attack.

He certainly had more praise for McGuinness than yesterdays events but then he did Hob Nob with that evil Bas***d.

Yesterday's events made me think of McGuinness. Will there one day come a time when we praise the Jihadis of today as peace makers and blame ourselves for current events because of what we've done in the Middle East?

I hope not. There can be no excuse on either side for the slaughter of innocent civilians.

[Onelife]

There is no doubt in my mind that Birmingham has become the breeding ground for the recruitment of home grown terrorists (The Trogan Horse enquiry dose nothing to dispel this view) The fact that we know some children are being educated in schools where British values and the tolorance of other religions comes way down on the school curriculum then It shouldn't come as any surprise that some children leave school with preconceived views of how a western society should conduct its self.

In my opinion all Islamic faith schools should be closed and if it means having to close all other faith schools then so be it....let's face it, all faith schools are guilty of some form of indoctrination....Some more extreme than others granted, but all have the power to influence children's minds so that they fall into line with a faith schools ethos. This to me falls outside what education should be about and one of the reasons why schools are becoming isolated through culture and faith.

Hey! But what do l know....

Right I'm off to the tin can they're forcasting a nice weekend.

[Silver_Shiney]

So you would close the faith schools where the ethos and "indoctrination " is to love one another, show respect to one another, be considerate and helpful towards one another?

[Mervyn and Trish]

I think many faith schools of many religions teach love and respect. But I'd close any school of any faith or none teaching hate and intolerance. And imprison or deport the guilty teachers and governors

[Silver_Shiney]

Well said, that man

[qbman1]

He has been known to talk sense on odd occasions !

[oldbluefox]

There is no doubt in my mind that Birmingham has become the breeding ground for the recruitment of home grown terrorists (The Trogan Horse enquiry dose nothing to dispel this view) The fact that we know some children are being educated in schools where British values and the tolorance of other religions comes way down on the school curriculum then It shouldn't come as any surprise that some children leave school with preconceived views of how a western society should conduct its self.

In my opinion all Islamic faith schools should be closed and if it means having to close all other faith schools then so be it....let's face it, all faith schools are guilty of some form of indoctrination....Some more extreme than others granted, but all have the power to influence children's minds so that they fall into line with a faith schools ethos. This to me falls outside what education should be about and one of the reasons why schools are becoming isolated through culture and faith.

Hey! But what do l know....

Right I'm off to the tin can they're forcasting a nice weekend.

I think OL is our representative in that part of the world - nearest thing to a Brummie we can find. So what is he doing about it? Sneaking off in his tin can, that's what!!!
Seriously it's about time we started weeding out the preachers of hate of whatever culture or religion. More strident efforts should also be made to integrate into a British way of life. And we'll start with banning the niqab and the burka and the clowns giving the Nazi salute in Germany. Any questions, send them to OL!!!

[qbman1]

I don't think it helps that some benefit and other government forms are available in up to 50 different languages. Hardly encourages people to learn English and integrate, does it ?!

Whilst I am at it, EPC's (Energy Performance Certificates) for properties in England are available on the official website in English and WELSH versions. What's all that about are there a lot of native Welsh speakers in Skegness?!

[Stephen]

Would we miss Birmingham if it suddenly disappeared off the map.

[Mervyn and Trish]

For less money than producing forms in multiple languages we could offer all non English speaker a basic course in the language free of charge. If they refuse that offer fine but no further help

[screwy]

So you would close the faith schools where the ethos and "indoctrination " is to love one another, show respect to one another, be considerate and helpful towards one another?

Yes, all those should be taught at home by good parenting and gained by lifes experience.

[Silver_Shiney]

So you would close the faith schools where the ethos and "indoctrination " is to love one another, show respect to one another, be considerate and helpful towards one another?

Yes, all those should be taught at home by good parenting and gained by lifes experience.

Perhaps a good school is the only place where such values are taught. I agree that they should be taught at home but some parents simply don't care

[screwy]

So you would close the faith schools where the ethos and "indoctrination " is to love one another, show respect to one another, be considerate and helpful towards one another?

Yes, all those should be taught at home by good parenting and gained by lifes experience.

Perhaps a good school is the only place where such values are taught. I agree that they should be taught at home but some parents simply don't care

Agreed..

[oldbluefox]

For less money than producing forms in multiple languages we could offer all non English speaker a basic course in the language free of charge. If they refuse that offer fine but no further help

Reports say that the NHS spends upwards of £23million per year on translation services and that was in 2012 so I would expect it to be higher nowadays. When we talk about problems in the NHS this is one area where we could and should be saving money.

Perhaps a good school is the only place where such values are taught. I agree that they should be taught at home but some parents simply don't care

There are some homes with no values except themselves, and it's not always the 'vulnerable' who are the culprits. There are many high earning families who provide material needs but little by way of love and guidance since they are too busy following their own ambitions and lifestyles.

[Stephen]

Well said that man.

Facebook

[Onelife]

So you would close the faith schools where the ethos and "indoctrination " is to love one another, show respect to one another, be considerate and helpful towards one another?

Hi Mr Shiney,

There is no denying some faith schools persue the qualities you discribe...but all come with conditions.

It is my belief that all faith schools lead children to be confused...for instance, subjects such as science/biology (scientific based evidence) taught alongside the teaching of religious studies (superstition) must be very confusing to a child's understanding of how the world came about. Whilst you and l have differing views on this, is it right that children are 'encouraged' to believe in one line of thought over the other because of the school they attend?

I hear an awful lot of talk about integration and how we need to draw different cultures/faiths together...well that sure aint gonna happen when we have schools which see women as inferior and people's of other religions/beliefs as pigs, monkeys and whores.

As far as l am concerned school children should be brought up completely secular - neither theist or atheist until such an age that they can make their own minds up about religion.

Banning all faith schools would be a step in the right direction in trying to achieve the 'unachievable' (integration of faiths/cultures and attatudes)....but hey! there's no harm in trying.

Regards

Keith

[Silver_Shiney]

Hi Mr Shiney,

There is no denying some faith schools persue the qualities you discribe...but all come with conditions.

It is my belief that all faith schools lead children to be confused...for instance, subjects such as science/biology (scientific based evidence) taught alongside the teaching of religious studies (superstition) must be very confusing to a child's understanding of how the world came about. Whilst you and l have differing views on this, is it right that children are 'encouraged' to believe in one line of thought over the other because of the school they attend?

I hear an awful lot of talk about integration and how we need to draw different cultures/faiths together...well that sure aint gonna happen when we have schools which see women as inferior and people's of other religions/beliefs as pigs, monkeys and whores.

As far as l am concerned school children should be brought up completely secular - neither theist or atheist until such an age that they can make their own minds up about religion.

Banning all faith schools would be a step in the right direction in trying to achieve the 'unachievable' (integration of faiths/cultures and attatudes)....but hey! there's no harm in trying.

Regards

Keith

Hi Keith

Thank you for your comments.

You are quite right when you question if it is right for children to be "encouraged" to believe in one line of thought - I assume you mean "to the exclusion of other lines of thought". You also say "subjects such as science/biology (scientific based evidence) taught alongside the teaching of religious studies (superstition)". Hmmm.... What evidence do you have that Christianity is "superstition"? When you say "science/biology" in the same sentence, you appear to be referring to evolution. What evidence do you have that that is "scientific based evidence"? I went to a grammar school and it was taught as fact that we all evolved. We weren't given the other train of thought (not even told it existed), much less given the choice to decide which we felt was true. We were indoctrinated (=brainwashed) in the Theory of Evolution. It's only in more recent years that I have seen evidence that supports the unacceptable view and now no longer accept the commonly-held and taught views. Neither school of thought PROVES origins, but the evidence stacks up against evolution. Yet, because the world and his dog are so anxious to wipe God off the agenda, we're hardly ever given the opportunity to evaluate that evidence for ourselves -indeed it is actively suppressed and those who would wish to teach it are taken to court for "abuse".

What is widely taught as fact is actually a blind faith, based on supposition. Its claims are untestable. For example, it is accepted that rocks take millions of years to form. Not true, as Dark Knight confirmed a while ago. Rock has been OBSERVED to form quite quickly. People coming to the grotto where I work marvel at how this ancient stone was incorporated into the structure of the house - they are amazed when I tell them that it is actually manufactured, called Pulhamite, and is only about 100 years old (the grotto was built around 1910). Large stalactites can been seen within the piers of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, which is less than 200 years old. Landforms and geological features that are typically assumed to be gazillions of years old can be formed extremely quickly - the aftermath of the Mount St Helens eruption is a prime example. These, and other things, are known through observation, not guess work and assumption.

Do you think it right to make "factual" statements to anyone of any age, when there is no proof, or at least evidence, to back it up?

[Mervyn and Trish]

So Mrs Krankie wants another referendum because she didn't like the outcome of the EU vote.

And the SNP keeps on about equal partners within the union.

I agree with the latter. To me it means one person one vote, wherever they live. It doesn't mean the votes of those in Scotland who voted in trump those elsewhere in the UK who voted out. They want equality. We have it.

[Silver_Shiney]

They also want independence.

They have their own laws. They have their own education system. They have their own banknotes. They have their own medical provision rules. They have pretty much got independence already.

So what's the issue? Is it "democracy" they don't like?