Red_Skydiver

The threat of the death penalty doesn't stop people committing the crime does it? Maybe I'm wrong but I would have thought most criminals don't think they will be caught (no doubt someone will tell me I'm wrong...). I would give the kid 10 years military service instead (conscription) - maybe this will change his attitude and give him an education thereby allowing him to contribute to society when he is released.

My wife and I raise our daughter. I will not pass off that responsibility to some 'concept' that is just another dodging of personal responsibility. The 'village' is doing it's best to undermine the upbringing as far as I can tell. I don't think you understood what was meant. By stating it takes a village to raise a child it doesn't mean the parents are not responsilbe for raising their child it simply means that society (the local community) should take an interest in their neighbourhood and local children. If you see a kid doing something they really shouldn't be doing then do something about it. If you stand by and say or do nothing you can expect them to do it again and progress onto more serious crimes. It's not about interference with the way children are brought up by their family either, it's about not being complacent.

Seems there is a cultural difference between those in the USA and the UK on this topic. Those in USA seem more ready to accept the use of weapons for whatever reason. (This is also evident in your dealings with Iraq - your military operate slightly differently to that of the Brits). I don't think we will ever agree on this particular topic...... put it down to cultural differences and remember that there isn't necessarily a right way and a wrong way, just different ways. Maybe I'd think differently if I had been brought up in USA and vice versa.

4-5 million illegal guns and about 60 million people. One illegal gun for every tenth or twelfth citizen. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight, if most of your criminals don't have guns, then 20% of your residents must be criminals. Newsflash for you: when a government prohibits something, a black market springs up to fill the void. From drugs to guns to anything you can think of, it's available if you really want it. Actually for the year April 2002 to March 2003 (I haven't found figures for 2003/2004 I'm afraid) there were 10,248 gun crimes - that is 0.41% of all crime in the uk. I do know about black markets.....but if weapons are freely available then every Tom, Dick and Harry can have one and you have petty criminals carrying them. If they are only available on the black market however then fewer people carry them and it makes it more difficult for all but the most determined criminal to obtain one. One more point - I'm not sure how many illegal weapons are available in the UK but I'll bet those that have them have more than one each which means your estimate of every tength or twelfth person is incorrect. In fact I don't know anyone who has one. (I will concede however that my 99.9% figure was plucked out of the air - I meant highly likely rather than quoting an accurate figure - I think you knew that )

A new flag for a new start is a good idea... but I don't think now is the correct time to introduce it. It will only alienate those Iraqis that oppose the coalition and will probably cause more violence. I believe it should have been left until after we had withdrawn our troops. In fact I find it hard to understand why time and effort was spent designing the new flag when there are so many other problems which need immediate attention.

You failed to answer the question I posed to you ":Do you think your self defence classes are going to stop several large assailants armed with bats and high on meth? " Roy I've never been attacked by several large assailants armed with bats and high on meth...... and to be honest I think I'm probably switched on enough to avoid that situation in the first place (awareness of your surroundings can keep you out of trouble). I was attacked by three largish drunken men once and my self defence skills enabled myself and my girlfriend to walk away unscathed without resorting to killing or maiming anyone.

I'm presuming that the "model" you're describing is UK/Euro-centric, as guns have a much, much larger role in US culture, and it takes very small degrees of intelligence to obtain a firearm illegally. Yep. We have very few legally held firearms and as a consequence most of our criminals are not armed and of those that are armed very few actually use them. That was my argument fromthe beginning.... get rid of firearms.

Fireman - I have entrance tests in a few weeks.

Are you kidding or are you serious?

The UK has a DNA database already. Anyone charged with a crime has a DNA sample taken and stored.

Yes it does...... simple. Do you think your self defence classes are going to stop several large assailants armed with bats and high on meth? Roy If firearms are banned the average criminal (in fact 99.9% of criminals) won't have one, if firearms are allowed and therefore coomon as in USA then 99.9% of your criminals will have one - most criminals haven't got the money, time or intelligence to actually obtain an illegal firearm. And yes I do believe if you keep yourself physically fit and train in self defence you can help protect yourself against an assailant. The proliferation of firearms amongst the community means you or someone you know is more likely to become a victim.

I hate people who hand out flyers in public or try to sell me something. If I needed it I'd either already have it or I'd go and get it. Flyers add to the litter problem we have here in the uk and salemen..... well......!

Cloning human embryos may be upon us - see this link for a UK scientist who wants to clone them http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3645037.stm

I suspect the new card will be introduced and it will be developed in time so that all of your details are on it. It'll be your passport, driving licence, gym membership, National Insurance card, debit/credit card, tube/bus passetc etc. You won't be able to buy anything without the card, your iris or finger print will be scanned at the checkout to ensure the card is in fact yours. "They" will know everything about you, where you go, what you eat, how much money you have, how you travel, where to and when....

Smash Iraq? We're meant to be rebuilding it!!

What do you mean by "problems"?

Do you have an opinion regarding the introduction of biometric ID cards within the UK? Good thing or a bad thing? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3654621.stm

And I wouldn't want to live where they make huge legislative decisions that confiscate private property from millions of law-abiding citizens just because of the actions of a single person, or even several people. They had that shooting in Tasmania and they decided it was enough to mean that ALL gun owners had to get screwed and pay for it. That's bullshit, and it's no way to run a country. - It's not bullshit and it is a perfectly good way to run a country if it achieves the desired result. The more firearms there are in the country the more chance there is of an intruder being armed when he enters your home. Ban all firearms and it is less likely he will be armed. Does having a firearm actually help you defend your home? The intruder is more likely to fire his weapon if you are firing at him and he may be a better marksman than you. Destroy the weapons, take up self defence classes and drastically increase prison sentences instead.

What would you suggest then? Kill them off like the nazis tried with the jews? That should solve the problem, right? Everyone is an indiviaual, it just so happens that some people will cause trouble and others will want to retaliate, it's their nature. When this happens people look for the differences and they are either in one camp or the other. It happens with wars, it happens with so called football hooligans in the UK, it happens in night clubs every Saturday night and it happens in the school yard. It's not their religion that's the problem and blaming it on the religion is inflammatory. If all trouble makers wore red hats would you say all red hat wearers were trouble makers?

You can still be strong on foreign policy without using arms and fighting wars. It's not a question of being soft or bold, foreign policy and diplomacy is about avoiding wars and resolving issues in other ways if at all possible.

Oh yes the royal family do have political power!!! No English law is passed without the Queens approval and the Prime Minister meets with the Queen each and every week. No political power? The Prime Minister is refererd to as the Queens Prime Minister!

You can have all of the royal family if you want, please take them! The difference is you can choose your president but here in the UK we don't have a choice with the royal family.

You have no problem with 2ways but you do on 4ways. Have you tried 3ways? It might help bridge the gap. I've always been told to anticipate the formation slowing up when there are others taking grips and to react before you notice you are sinking out. Apart from theat just keep practising (or is it practicing?)

Jessica, you mention you are giving the count and you are leaving late. This doesn't sound right to me, surely what you mean is the others are leaving early! I'm very inexperienced so take what I say with a pinch of salt but it sounds like you need to work on your timing and movements during the count. If things are not working out then have OC give the count instead.

*** to be put straight back in your mouth? Yuck!