eastender wrote:

In article .com,
"John B" wrote:


I'm genuinely amused and amazed that people here have equated graffiti to terrorism... it's a scribble on a train.

I think it was a wind up - the alternative is too worrying...

E.

Whilst I might not use the word "terrorist", I would certainly ascribe
to the perpetrators the equally vicious motives of callous contempt for
their fellow man, an "up yours" in spray paint, with an intent to say
"we can do this at will, and nobody can stop us", and the "art" closely
reflects the nihilistic "rap" music and gang culture so closely
associated with it, which advocates violence, contempt for normal
values, idolises sexual and physical abuse of women, drug use and
generally deplorable attitudes that blame everyone else for any woes
they may feel except themselves.

As someone who prosecutes in the Youth Court very frequently (almost
every day between August and December, in fact) I can personally
testify to the close connection between graffiti, the rap "culture",
drug abuse, contempt for women except as objects of sexual
gratification and racism of a very nasty and violent type. Did you
know, for example, the reason that so many of these youths wear their
trousers half way down their thighs is to "empathise" with the murders
on Devil's Island in New York who were not allowed belts in prison in
case they attempted suicide. That just about sums up where they are
coming from doesn't it?!

Marc.

John B wrote:
Am I incredibly lucky,
incredibly blasé, or is everybody else just paranoid...?

Don't know, but having read;

"Work Secretary John Hutton promises a crackdown on the long-term
unemployed. He says a 'hardcore' of benefit claimants are spending
years on the dole and should be forced to take opportunities or have
their benefits cut. Whereas in fact we'd be better off just giving
them their dole and leaving them alone."

On a site you write for (http://www.thesharpener.net), I am even more
worried about your outlook on life!

Jonathan

On 14 Jan 2007 09:37:20 -0800, Jonathan Morris wrote:

The adreneline is pumping and you don't have time
to think - you can only react.

Fine. So it's self defence, you're acquitted, and all is fine legally.
It's only if you try and kill him *while he's running away* that
there's a problem.

Did you read what I said? It happens in a matter of seconds. So the guy
turns and runs as you're about to attack. Can you stop? Will you stop?

In the case of Harry Stanley (the man shot dead by police in the back
of the head in 1999 while carrying a table leg in a plastic bag), the
officers were exonerated on just that basis:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6047218.stm

John B wrote:
Perhaps I was overly harsh on the original poster - however, if you're
not aiming to be racist, it's probably worth avoiding words that began
as racially abusive terms when describing someone of the ethnic group
that the term was originally used to describe.

Pikeys only suddenly became an "ethnic group" because then they could
suddenly jump onto the racial victimhood bandwagon that people like you
are so happy to cheer as it trundles past into the pit of social
collapse. Most people would cal them workshy lazy troublemaking scum
(and yes I've had firsthand experience of their type twice in the last
5 years) but each to their own.

Tory whose name escapes me). Either you send everyone who's ever done
anything bad to jail forever, or you delay the problem until they
escape. The former is barbaric and ruinously expensive; the latter is
merely useless.

Newsflash - when someones in prison its very difficult for them to
commit a crime that will affect anyone outside the prisons walls.

Where the hell do you live? I'm in a not-especially-rich bit of
northeast London; I've never seen any of that kind of thing (I have

Well being a liberal lefty you naturally have your blinkers on so you
wouldn't. I live in a flat in north london and in the last 12 months
we've had thieves dumping a car in our carpark and youths with knives
and knuckle dusters smoking pot in the communal garden on at least half
a dozen occasions. Though I suppose in Cloud Cuckoo Land Avenue where
your house resides I suspect nothing of the sort happens.

B2003

Good grief Mait where do you live?

I live in Plaistow, not the safest of areas as anyone who opens the weekly
local rag can testify. But in 9 years living here, I haven't experienced
anything like what you have, and I go out all the time as I live a very
active social life.

In article .com,
" wrote:


Of course "something" has happened to me.

So, yes, I am genuinely scared

Are all your neighbours living in a similar state? Strikes me all the
things you describe, apart from the burglars, are low level stuff
probably over a a longish period, although I have to say as a long term
resident of Hackney I've never seen anything like this. Get involved
with local community groups and get these kids sorted - that's all they
are.

I couldn't care less about a theoretical "one party" state. We have
already surrendered 75% (with the rest soon to follow) to Brussels,
with no control over the European Commission whatsoever. What is the
big difference between Brown/Blair and Cameron anyway that gives me a
real choice of an alternative?

Have you been to Singapore? i have and I can assure you you do not want
to sacrifice our democracy, no matter what you think of it.

I don't much care for the media we have - a largely biased state-funded
B.B.C. and a myopic money-grabbing gutter press. They're as bad as each
other and I regard both with equal contempt.

Again, go experience the US or Singapore and report back.

As for Internet access - just what type of site does the Singapore
Government try to restrict?

Anything it doesn't like. That could be you.

E.

In article . com,
" wrote:


Whilst I might not use the word "terrorist", I would certainly ascribe
to the perpetrators the equally vicious motives of callous contempt for
their fellow man, an "up yours" in spray paint, with an intent to say
"we can do this at will, and nobody can stop us",

At some point, you have to ask yourself why they do it. If you really
think they were born with 'vicious motives of callous contempt for
their fellow man' then you should write a thesis on genetic determinism
that will blow Darwin out the window.

As someone who prosecutes in the Youth Court very frequently

And what job is this, exactly?

Did you know, for example, the reason that so many of these youths wear their
trousers half way down their thighs is to "empathise" with the murders
on Devil's Island in New York who were not allowed belts in prison in
case they attempted suicide.

This is a wind up, right? Only a fool would fall for an urban myth that
no youth in Britain has even heard of. Next you'll be telling us that
mods, rockers and punks were not dedicated followers of rebellious
fashion, but mimics of deadly prison uniforms of the time.

E.

Tristán White wrote:
I live in Plaistow, not the safest of areas as anyone who opens the weekly
local rag can testify. But in 9 years living here, I haven't experienced
anything like what you have, and I go out all the time as I live a very
active social life.

Thankfully most people don't see it or experience problems. Mind you, I
also find that many people turn their head when something happens.
After I was assaulted for helping someone else, I will keep my head
down in future too.

I haven't been mugged or attacked on the street in 32 years (bar the
incident mentioned above) and don't fear for my life when walking from
the town centre/train station (where the problems are) to my house
which is in a nicer - but by no means perfect - area. I am street wise
though, and believe me, you can see where trouble spots are. Cross the
road, take another route, turn around and wait - all things you can do
to keep safe.

Timing matters too, as walking anywhere at pub turn out time wasn't
good and if I've come home on the last train, walking by the nightclub
at 2am isn't wise. In the morning, travel in rush hour and you're fine
but wait until the scum wake up, and the fingers up at the inspectors,
jumping over the wall all begins and continues all day. The RPIs seem
to take it in their stride but I am not sure what company policy is
now. One of them was assaulted before Christmas and I bet they're being
told to bite their lip when they're provoked now, which is why the
evaders are getting more cocky.

The fact is, you do what you do to ensure your own safety - and it has
paid off so far. The wife would never do what I do, as she would be far
more likely to be attacked if she walked home at 2am through the town
centre. She gets a cab, or I pick her up. If she is with me, she will
never let me get involved with anything and will walk to another
carriage or even get off the train/bus/tube. This might make her (and
me) safe, but it isn't stopping the incidents taking place.

Jonathan

Boltar wrote:
Well being a liberal lefty you naturally have your blinkers on so you
wouldn't. I live in a flat in north london and in the last 12 months
we've had thieves dumping a car in our carpark and youths with knives
and knuckle dusters smoking pot in the communal garden on at least half
a dozen occasions. Though I suppose in Cloud Cuckoo Land Avenue where
your house resides I suspect nothing of the sort happens.

This is what a website he writes for says;

"John Band is a London-based writer and business analyst. He enjoys
Talking And Writing About Business And Politics, bad puns, good pubs,
bad punk, strange pieces of technology, and offending people. His views
on at least some of the above have been quoted in the Economist, the
BBC, the Financial Times and the Telegraph (and less impressively, the
Daily Mail and the Metro)."

So, he's written for the Daily Mail!! Maybe he's not proud of it but I
bet he accepted their money! Perhaps this is why he also claims it is
full of crap - he possibly wrote it!!

I think what this means is that he likes to wind people up. He doesn't
believe any of the drivel he posts - it's just a game. Gold help us all
if that isn't the case.

Jonathan

) gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying :

Are you really scared? Has anything ever happened to you?

snip woes of "one of the better streets in Fulham"

Move somewhere less pikey.