If you’ll pardon the pun, I don’t think there’s a ‘one size fits all’ solution to the rights of obese passengers and the normal-sized passengers who sit next to them. I am convinced, however, that obese or extra-wide people choose to sit next to me on the bus because they think they can occupy >1 seat without having to inconvenience me (although I need to scrabble under their arses when I want to disengage my seatbelt).
China blocks activist from jail visits by attorneys:
An open letter signed by 57 people, mostly activists and writers, called Hu’s detention “unacceptable” and demanded that he be released immediately.
The signatories urged the government “to make good use of the opportunity to make the Olympics a truly grand event for the Chinese nation by opening the door of social reconciliation” and proving that it has made efforts to improve human rights.
IMHO, if athletes from most of the participating nations turn up and compete anyway, even if they or their governments make noises about human rights and dissidents’ detentions being unacceptable, the Chinese government will have proved their point — hardly anyone really cares about these activists, and the ones who do don’t have the power to do anything about it.
The author of Singapore, a friend indeed to Burma clearly has a bit of an axe to grind (or a lousy editor — “he likes to stay at the tacky Meritus Mandarin hotel on Orchard Road…”), but if any of the article is true (and we know Singapore is heavily invested in Burma), it is indeed quite embarrassing that Singapore likes to bleat on about ‘Asian values’ when all they mean is money is their god. Why not come out and say the Singapore government / elite is pragmatic, those are our values. Human rights and all these soft things like democracy are only good if they keep a country economically productive and politically stable.
Less strident: Myanmar’s neighbours have little influence: Singapore FM
I said poop three times in one sentence.
News today on teachers trying to ‘fight back‘ after being abused and humiliated online by their students:
The US-based RateMyTeachers website carries comments about individual, named teachers. Remarks left on the site have included: “I have heard awful rumours about that man” and “he is evil personified”.
Not all teachers are good teachers, and some may even be criminally unfit, but for the most part, I reckon teachers are doing the best they can to educate their charges. This does not give students the right to post lies in an attempt to damage their teachers’ reputations or abuse them in class and film it for distribution on the Internet. Where do these kids learn this utter lack of respect for others?
I do believe that children have certain rights. The law has obviously gone miles too far in ‘protecting’ children — those who do not have a pressing need to have their rights protected have NOT learned that there are consequences to their actions (or at least, there should be).
These kids need to be caned or something.
The convicted armed robber who lodged a Legal Aid ‘human rights’ case about telephone calls (i.e. that a recorded message identifying the origin of the calls was a breach of his human rights) WON.
Judge Lord Glennie said this policy was not made with the authority of parliament.
He said: “In some societies, it might be regarded as obvious that a person convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to a period of imprisonment should, for the duration of his imprisonment, be deprived of his civil rights.
“Such a notion has no place in our society.” said the judge.
Because, you know, convicted armed robbers showed due respect to other people’s civil rights and private property when they held a knife to their throats.
Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie said: “Back in February when we first heard about this, I warned that we would be a laughing stock if this man won his case.
“There is a clear issue here – are the rights of the law-abiding majority being served ahead of the rights of a minority who happen to be in jail? It appears not.
“Prisoners forfeit a number of rights when they go to jail for their crimes, which should include the ability to dictate on what terms they make a phone call.”
Yup. I’m laughing.
The turkey dinner last night (in my honour — haha) was fantastic. Turkey breast, roast potatoes, sweetcorn, and green beans made me giddy, they were so good. There were also a few more presents, and I’m not used to all this fuss. It certainly is a change from what I’m used to, and I like the old way too (Mum asks me what I want, usually electronics, and we go out and get it, then we have a nice dinner somewhere).
But on to more about Scotland this morning. I was horrified, nay, STAGGERED WITH DISBELIEF, to hear that prisoners in Scotland were suing because they are banned from voting in elections (BBC story: Court rules on prison voting ban). I’ve written about ‘prisoner rights’ before. What is it with the system of crime and punishment?
I accept that the ban on voting may contravene the European Convention on Human Rights, but SO FUCKING WHAT? If you’re in prison, it’s most likely down to the fact that you were a bad person and harmed someone or something. You are in prison to be DEPRIVED OF YOUR RIGHTS. It’s known as PUNISHMENT. If we had no intention of punishing (and deterring) law-breaking behaviour, we wouldn’t have prisons anywhere!
Fucking hippies.
(Also, did you notice the news about a convicted paedophile lawyer not having to go to jail? Or the guy who got a suspended sentence for downloading kiddie porn? Is this a nation of such degenerates that prisons are overcrowded so paedophilia is considered a less serious crime?)