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SinDorei

Listed below are comments made by SinDorei between Wednesday, 8th July 2009 and Wednesday, 21st October 2009.

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The strategic significance of Salmond's speech 9:23pm on 21 Oct 2009 On the matter of Orange Order etc...

This politics student thinks the Most Grand Loyal Order of Tangerines (or whatever) must secretly support independence. Surely they realise that everyone in Glasgow (excepting a few nutters) are wise to the fact that they are merely bigots.

Popping up on the news saying they'll back Labour to uphold the Union has probably furthered the SNP's cause in Glasgow more than anything else in a while.

As for religion in schools, (I know this steers away from politics, but I just wanted to add my tuppence worth) I come from a mixed Protestant-Catholic background (I've always associated more with the latter due to my republican tendencies) but my parents weren't religious so I was sent to a 'non-demoniational' school. At this school, we got a weekly visit from the local Kirk minister, and we all prayed and sung hymns together. At the time, it just seemed normal. As I got older, I realised that this is far from non-denominational conduct.

Sin'Dorei
Rumblings of discontent 10:01pm on 31 Aug 2009 @ Electric Hermit's various posts...

Firstly, I don't appreciate your remark about my 'limited capacity'. Just because I hold an opinion different from yours doesn't mean I am intellectually lacking.

Secondly, it is my own opinion, not one from the Scotsman or any of the other 'unionist cabal', seeing as I don't read the Scotsman, and I'm a Nationalist.

I know that the appeal has nothing to do with his release, and it was made on compassionate grounds by Kenny himself. All I was saying is that most people who I've talked to who agreed with his release thought he was innocent in the first place. And I think it would have been more appropriate for the decision to be made by courts rather than by one man alone.

Please stop with the personal insults. It really backs up the Unionists who say that some hard-line Nats have taken over this blog and bark over anyone who disagrees with them.

#601 fourstrikes

Thanks for the informative post. I understand Megrahi's illness made the situation more complex, but I still think there should be no exceptions made.
Rumblings of discontent 4:14pm on 31 Aug 2009 #559 bighullabaloo

Aside from the fact I think this little strand of discussion is venturing into the realm of tediousness - I think you could tell, as an educated gentleman, that my question was rhetorical.

I didn't ask 'where else is there to place your trust'... I was making a point that the courts should be trusted by all citizens of a country, and if can't trust them, well then that's no good.

You said in your earlier post (#544) 'Here's a suggestion you've never tried before: place your trust only in yourself.'

I was simply correcting you in my reply. I do trust myself. I don't see how anyone can't trust themselves. I used the term selfish because you said 'place your trust only in yourself.' Which I think is, by literal definition, selfish.

Yes, I think we've swerved a bit off the topic. When all is said and done, my thoughts on the matter are that Megrahi was convicted, and therefore any decision to release him should, in my opinion, be made by a court, and not by auld Kenny alone.

The observation I made was that most people I have spoken to who support the release, support it because they do not believe Megrahi was innocent in the first place, whereas the actual reason for release was on compassionate grounds. I'm not saying that's the case for everyone, just what I have come across.

I'm sure I read somewhere that one of the conditions for a compassionate release was that the convict was not a danger to the public. Surely a convicted terrorist is a danger? And if your argument against that is that he probably wasn't the terrorist, then surely that just furthers my point that there should have been an appeal?
Rumblings of discontent 2:46pm on 31 Aug 2009 #544 bighullabaloo

I don't know where this is all coming from, I simply made a point about how it is wrong to interrupt the course of justice, and I'm being told I should only trust myself...

This is the sort of stuff I expect from conspiracy theorists; I do trust myself (I don't know how it is possible to not) but I'm not selfish enough that I only trust myself.

Yes, I do trust the Scottish courts. They are one of the only things this nation kept after the unfair Union that took almost everything else away from us.

If the original trial was considered moot, then have an appeal. Is that really such a leap of faith? I just don't agree with Kenny letting a convicted criminal out on 'compassionate' grounds. Simples.
Rumblings of discontent 2:20pm on 31 Aug 2009 #640

Where else can we place our trust if not in our courts? You bring up the questionable evidence again, and I will repeat myself and say that the best route would be an appeal.

I know Kenny's decision is unrelated, I never said it was. I merely observed that most arguments I've heard from people who defend his decision are based upon the presumption that Megrahi was an innocent man. Which of course Kenny doesn't.

I don't agree with the release for that reason! He was released on compassionate grounds, but I don't think we should show compassion to someone who has been convicted of murdering so many people.

Whether or not Megrahi committed the crime is, as you say, an entirely different argument. So the best idea would have been to let the appeal happen, and if Megrahi was found innocent, then great. The fact he only has three months to live is unfortunate, but nobody's fault.

You're right. We don't see much justice today, but Kenny completely undermining Scottish justice by letting a convicted criminal go free when he was about to have his appeal seems like a step in the wrong direction.
Rumblings of discontent 1:41pm on 31 Aug 2009 #530 X_Sticks

Taking an example of one relative and stating that he disagreed with the verdict is pointless. There are also plenty of other relatives who agreed with the verdict, and the fact that Dr Swire went to Eton and Cambridge doesn't mean his opinion is more important.

If you say you trust them over the Scottish judges, then that's a harrowing prospect indeed. Any way, your point about the evidence of the time now being suspect does not mean Kenny's decision was the right thing to do. An appeal would have been the correct route to take, but obviously there were wheelings and dealings behind the scenes, and Kenny advised Megrahi to drop the appeal so he could shift him out the back door.

I have made up my own mind, and I place my trust in justice rather than individuals' emotions.
Rumblings of discontent 1:03pm on 31 Aug 2009 Sorry, but this was completely the wrong decision. And for those who say they haven't met anyone who disagreed with the decision, well here's one. And if you come to my part of Glasgow, you'll find a good few others.

Don't get me wrong, I'm an SNP supporter, and this will not put me off voting for them at all, and I also respect Kenny's work up until this point, but I do not agree with the decision.

I must admit, I smirked a little when all the American news channels were jumping on the story, and condemning Scotland to hell and all sorts (with Faux News even reporting that it was a 'Scottish judge' who had made the decision), and I was happy to see Kenny stand up for what he thought was right.

But I don't agree with him. Not one bit. A lot of the arguments I've heard from people I know who support his release are saying that they didn't think he was guilty in the first place. But a Scottish court convicted him. And we should stand by that. If we don't it undermines our courts and judges.

But the worst bit was when Kenny mentioned that he made the decision based upon Scottish values and that Megrahi had receieved 'A sentence imposed by a Higher Power.' I hope this is not a move towards American politics, with God mentioned every two minutes, and Christian values imposed on us all.

Surely the lesson of this whole affair is that religion is a waste of time, and leads to bombings like Lockerbie, and idiotic compassion for those who commit the bombings. This decision is just plain wrong!
Keeping time 8:15pm on 08 Jul 2009 #455 deanthetory

Glad you seem to agree with me.

But I really can't emphasise enough, the Tories have a lot to gain from our generation. I'm 18 myself, and whenever I discuss politics with people my age. (and I mean those interested in discussing politics; those disinterested are a separate issue) I find negative opinions of Labour, simply because it's the party we've seen in power for most of our lives, and we've seen they're not infallible (to put it very mildly).

So far it seems to be the SNP gaining from my generation (from what I've seen anyway, where I live) and it's not really because people fully agree with all their policies, or indeed independence (necessarily), but because they're the only viable alternative here.

I'll admit I voted SNP at the Euro elections (my first and only vote!!) because I think Scotland gets a raw deal in Europe and the SNP seem to be the only politicians speaking for Scotland, rather than what London tells them to say.

But I don't agree with many of their policies, and consider myself very much centre-right. And I don't feel parties like the Conservatives (really the only mainstream centre-right party, in Scotland anyway) are doing enough to win voters like me over.

Also, I will add, one councillor in all of Glasgow is hardly something to be proud of :)
Keeping time 7:40pm on 08 Jul 2009 #443 Bandages_For_Konjic

I see your point, and I also hope to see independence in my lifetime, but I just don't see the sense in prolonging the decision any longer.

The Scottish people are not stupid, they can make a decision on whether they want independence or the Union without hearing auld Alec bleating for a few more years (don't get me wrong, I like him, but on independence we're starting to hear the same arguments again and again, from both sides).

Why can't we decide now? We've had devolution for 10 years, tested the waters so to speak. Can't we decide now which way to go?

Also, @ deanthetory's various posts concerning safe seats etc...

I think the Conservatives would do better in areas such as Glasgow if they actually put up a fight. My father, for one, has lived in the East end of Glasgow his whole life and is a longstanding Tory supporter, but has recently been voting SNP. And it doesn't do much to encourage him to turn back when he hears Tory's on the telly saying they did well "In the areas where they were aiming to do well."

I just think they'd be better not just concentrating on the areas, as my mother puts it, 'with the big houses' and tried everywhere.
Keeping time 5:35pm on 08 Jul 2009 Am I the only one who thinks a 'more powers' option in the referendum is a load of tosh?

I think we need a more radical, and therefore much simpler referendum.

I would have...

" What do you want for the future of our country:-

[ ] Scottish Independence

[ ] Abolishment of Scottish Parliament, and return to fully unitary United Kingdom "

I, for one, am sick of this silly halfway house. Devolution may have improved one or two services here or there, but the fact is it's a waste of time (and taxpayers money) having our own parliament when it has very little real powers, and can be disposed of by Westminster whenever it chooses so.

We have to let the people decide. Are you Scottish or are you British? I know what I'd answer, but I'd happily accept the will of the people of Scotland if they disagreed with me.

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