Archive for the 'civil liberties' Category
Neither human, nor British
Yazan: Sara | 08 November 2010 | 1 Comment
Categories: civil liberties, terrorism
I was astounded today by the comments of Labour MP and former Government minister Tom Harris, who stated on his Twitter account “Any minister who puts civil liberties ahead of security should be in student politics, not government”. The comment is a reaction to the current disquiet amongst most Liberal Democrats and some Conservatives about the [...]
Who said bigotry had gone out of fashion?
Yazan: Sara | 05 June 2010 | 2 Comments
Categories: civil liberties
It’s probably not a good time to be woring in the corporate HQ of Punch Taverns. In a public relations disaster for the pub and restaurant group, the Greycoat Boy pub in Westminster turned away a pre-booked party from LGBT Labour on the grounds that they didn’t want a gay group in the pub. LGBT Labour [...]
A cautionary tale of worshipping false freedoms
Yazan: Sara | 12 January 2010 | No Comments
Categories: civil liberties, Uncategorized
From my schooldays I have been a keen football supporter. For many years I stood on the North Bank at Highbury, graduating to the Clock End as I became an away fan. I took out all the frustrations of the week via my vocal chords. I still do it today, except I sit in a comfortable [...]
Saved from abuse, but doomed to illiteracy?
Yazan: sarabedford | 16 July 2009 | 4 Comments
Categories: civil liberties, education
I have a 12 year old daughter. Along with I suspect every other mother, I am not keen for my daughter to be sexually assaulted. But being reasonably sensible, I know that the risk of such assault is pretty low. So she goes over the park with friends, has travelled on her own to school [...]
When visiting a swimming pool makes you a pevert
Yazan: sarabedford | 01 July 2009 | 1 Comment
Categories: civil liberties, criminal justice, swimming
Our local paper carries the story of a man aquitted of flashing at a pair of teenage girls at the local leisure pool. The man was accused of following the 14 year olds into the showers after using the pool, before dropping his shorts to reveal his erect penis. Now if that had happened to me, or [...]
Is my 12 year old daughter really a terrorist threat?
Yazan: sarabedford | 24 March 2009 | 1 Comment
Categories: civil liberties, crime, criminal justice, surveillance, transport
Mark Pack has cleverly highlighted the perceived threat that vegetarians pose to society. The Government has discovered that there are certain patterns of behaviour that may lead to someone being a terrorist – and one of those is ordering an in-flight vegetarian meal. That puts my 12 year old daughter up there with the worst of them. [...]
Help! I agree with something I've read in the Daily Mail
Yazan: sarabedford | 14 July 2008 | No Comments
Categories: civil liberties, equality, newspapers
I’m feeling rather unwell. I never thought that I would agree so wholeheartedly with something that I read in the Daily Mail, still less something on the issue of gay equality. Worryingly, it’s an article from columnist Suzanne Moore about the registrar who won’t register. Now let me get my cards on the table. I’m [...]
Not seen – and not heard
Yazan: sarabedford | 13 July 2008 | No Comments
Categories: civil liberties, young people
Let’s face it, England has never been a country that likes children. Only Victorian England could have spawned a phrase the children should be ‘seen, but not heard’. We don’t welcome children in our restaurants and at other social events. It’s now fashionable to ban children from weddings. Now don’t get me wrong, as a [...]
Small by-election, no-one heard
Yazan: sarabedford | 11 July 2008 | No Comments
Categories: civil liberties, elections
So David Davis has regained his seat in Haltemprice and Howden – what a surprise! The only thing that surprised me about the most boring by-election I have ever known was that no candidate changed their name by deed poll to Alan Beresford B’Stard. Was it worth all the huffing and puffing and financial costs? According [...]
