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ziplewis

Listed below are comments made by ziplewis between Thursday, 23rd July 2009 and Friday, 14th August 2009.

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Do we love the NHS? 2:38pm on 14 Aug 2009 Mostermax22

I've read the contributions to the debate on this page, and the majority of contributors are broadly supportive of National Health Service. I suspect that many of these people are neither rabid, naive or particular left wing. There may be differences regarding the detail but most people in my experience support the basic founding principals of the NHS.

I welcome David Cameron's personal commitment to the NHS, however, I believe that he is the first leader of the Conservative Party to make such a commitment. Furthermore, he is the leader of a political party where a number of members and representatives do not appear to share the commitment of their leader to the NHS.....eg Danial Hannan, John Redwood
Do we love the NHS? 09:23am on 14 Aug 2009 Prevention is better than cure

One aspect of the work that is done by the NHS that appears to have been overlooked in this debate is the the preventative work done by the NHS. At local level my surgery promotes health walks, runs smoking cessation clinics, provides support within the community for those with mental issues, etc.......at a national level the NHS provides information on swine flu, promotes healthy eating, supplies information on STDs etc

I would have thought that it would not be in the commercial intersets of a private healthcare provider to promote public health
Are criminals' families the silent victims of crime? 11:08am on 07 Aug 2009 It was an interesting debate

For me, the most significant point was made by the woman from Scotland who worked for the organisation that supports the families of prisoners....she stated that in her experience the widely held view of the 'criminal family' was exceptional and in many cases the family members of criminals faced a degree of hardship. Her point of view was backed up a number of callers: the woman who was married to the man who hit a child, the man who whose father-in-law was a career burglar and who was violent towards family members. Furthermore Victoria Derbyshire interviewed a woman yesterday who had handed her sons into the police and had experienced a degree of hardship.

I've got very little sympathy for the families of career criminals. However, I believe that some families should be regarded as victims of crime and have their voice listened to
Do you step in when you see antisocial behaviour? 11:01am on 31 Jul 2009 The-Hess

I agree with much of what you said. I was a teenager in the late 1970's and I participated in underage drinking, smoking weed, hanging around street corners, helping myself to the pick and mix in Woolworths, urinating in public, dropping litter, answering back to teachers, got into fights and much much more. Furthermore, most of the people I associated with behaved in a similar way. Thirty years later, I recognise that much of my behaviour was pathetic and I no longer behave in such a way. I know that teenage 'anti social' behaviour is not a 21st Century phenomena, it occurred in the 1970's and it probably happened to some extent in the 1770's.

There are heaps of reasons why I developed from anti-social teenage rebel into a middle aged and almost respectable member of society. I clearly remember being reprimanded by older people when they witnessed my behaviour and I believe that this contributed to changes in my behaviour.

If I witness anti-social behaviour I will challenge it in a friendly non confrontational way. Most young people respond by taking their feet off the train seat, picking up the litter, turning the music down etc. I've experienced refusal and a degree of mild verbal abuse, but I've not been attacked.

I agree with the point that you make about older people behaving in an anti-social way. Generally when someone exceeds the speed limit, parks on a double yellow line or occupies a parent/toddler supermarket parking place they are often portrayed as being the victim of an overbearing nanny state

I think the media reports this issue in an over the top and hysterical way. It tends to focus on the 'anti-social' teenage behaviour rather than the positive contribution that many young people make.
Would the world be a better place without religion? 4:39pm on 30 Jul 2009 Gaza, Lebanon, Bosnia, Kosova, East Timor, Burma, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, Darfur, Chetnya, Al Qaida's war of terror, Afghanisation........and I managed all that without the aid of google

The causes of most wars are very complex and I haven't disputed your point that there are other factors. I initially stated that there there is a religious dimension to many of the wars that have occurred in my lifetime and that terms such as crusade and jihad are used to justify beligerent actions.

With regard to the abuse of children in Irish I suggest that you read a summary of the Ryan Report, where you will discover that "good" priests chose to remain silent when made aware of the widespread abuse.

You state that you have heard specific stories about child abuse in "atheist" run children's homes you have an obligation to inform the police and they are required to investigate the matter
Are some people just not fit to have children? 1:46pm on 30 Jul 2009 I agree with johnmc55 regarding the targeting of the so called 'underclass'. I'm sick of hearing how white working class people living on council estates are portrayed as being; chavy, fat, work shy, smoking, heavy drinking, 50" TV watching, Jeremy Kyle viewing, benefit claiming, baby breeding machines. They are often ridiculed in what I regard to be an offensive way. If I was to make similar remarks regarding asians, gays, disabled people etc, I would be rightly castigated for being racist, homophobic etc. Yet it appears to be acceptable to ridicule this group.

I've worked in such communities and in my experience many people are decent, law abiding, hard working, caring parents, and tax paying individuals. Sharon Matthews and this woman from Luton are no more representative of this group than Harold Shipman was representative of white middle class profressionals
Are some people just not fit to have children? 10:12am on 30 Jul 2009 I'm struggling to to present an arguement to defend the indefensible. However, I am very uncomfortable with some of the proposed solutions forced sterilisation, means testing of prospective parents and imprisonment of women that exceed their pregnancy quota
Would the world be a better place without religion? 11:28pm on 29 Jul 2009 Glenisdevereaux.....in my earlier post i stated that i strugggled to think of a war that occured in my lifetime......I was born in 1962 and therefore many of the wars you list did not occur during my lifetime. Since end of the cold war a significant proportion of conflicts have a religious dimension

Ive got no idea whether or not the violent bullies in schools are atheists, seventh day adeventists, or buddists. However, I have read the report by the Irish government following a nine year investigation into the behaviour of nuns and priests in Irish workhouse type schools. Over decades they terrorised and raped thousands of children

George W Bush, General Franco, General Pinochet, Hendrik Verwoerd all claimed to have a christian conscience and all committed acts of evil.
Would the world be a better place without religion? 09:01am on 29 Jul 2009 Glenisdevereux: I'm not sure what the score is in terms of the people dying in theist/atheist conflicts. However many of the conflicts of my lifetime have a religious dimension to them: Northern Ireland, Sri Lankan Civil War, Six Day War, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Darfur, ........I'm struggling to think of a war that didn't have a religious dimension

The terrorists that carry out acts of destruction, such as the attacks on the World Trade Center towers, claim that there actions are part of a jihad. George Bush on the eve on the eve of the invaision of Iraq announces that we undertaking a crusade against against terrorism. The words jihad and crusade are words that originate in the middle ages are currently used

I agree with you when you make the point that you make about Hitler, Churchill and Stalin. However, Pope Pius XII was aware of the atrocities that were being carried out by the Nazi's yet maintained a public front of indifference and remained silent.

I acknowledge that many of those at forefront of the peace movement and many who have campaigned against injustice are people of strong religious faith.
Why can't Brits behave abroad? 10:52am on 23 Jul 2009 I found Matthew's comments to be distasteful and deeply seated in prejudice. In my experience, his suggestion that this type of behaviour being characteristic of young working class, footballing supporting, poorly educated men is wrong

I've had the 'pleasure' of being in the company of a particular university Rugby Union team.......(this university is one of three located in a city in the North West of England and does have a football team sponsored by Carlsburg) I watched them play a drinking game, was subjected to a succession of sexist, homophobic and racist songs, and witnessed 15 men drop their trousers simultaneously.

Maybe Matthew considers this type of behaviour to be an example of good humoured high spirits

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