Should Matt "do God?"
The former Vice Chair of the local Conservatives, Jeffrey Peel, is wearing his secular humanist hat today asking whether the new Chief Constable should be so upfront about his Christianity.
It's a fair debating point, although given the level of church attendance here I can't see too many people rushing to the barricades on this one. Next time I am stopped at a road block by seven heavily armed men, I shall ask them their view on the matter.
I'm 
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It's anything but a fair point.
"in a modern pluralist society it is appropriate for a senior police officer to introduce his “faith hobby” as one of his top attributes."
Does he know what pluralism is?
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Michael, as it happens I do know what "pluralism" means - that's why I used it in my post. The point I was trying to make was that as a senior police offer and public servant destined to earn over £180,000 he should have stressed his even-handedness, his decency, his determination to apply the law to the whole community - as his key attributes as a person. Had he wanted to refer to more personal attributes he could have told us that he was a loving husband, or father, focused on his local community yada, yada. Surely that's a valid and appropriate comment to make given his requirement to serve the entire "believing" and "non-believing" community.
Let's hope he'll fixate on more practical rather than superstitious aspects of his abilities when he takes over from Sir Hugh.
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Mark,
What happened in Meigh was nothing short of a disgrace. I believe the action of the Police on the ground was the right one. The reasons why I believe there is a significant shortage of Police on the ground are -
1. Sinn Fein. By concessions to Sinn Fein the number of Police Officers on the ground have reduced in order to get them signed up to law and order.
2. Local MLA's. If they gravy train that is Stormont and Westminster was either heavily reduced or moved then millions would be freed up to put officers on the ground.
3. Westminster Politicians. If people like Shaun Woodward and the NIO would mind their own business then the Police budget would not be slashed. These so called "efficiency" savings are nothing more than an attempt to line Politicians pockets.
Stormontspy
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Stormontspy,
A few questions about your arguments and their lack of apparent sense.
1. Sinn Fein being responsible for reducing police numbers on the ground? As far as I'm aware police levels have been on average 7,500 since at least 2006, and if I'm not mistaken Sinn Fein have been loud proponents on community style policing, with more officers on the streets.
2./3. You say that people like Shaun Woodward should mind their own business, yet you also call for local government to be reduced. The PSNI has to be accountable to a higher authority, it may seem unfortunate, but in a democratic society that will be government of some form or another.
I think people in this country are too eager to spit out the same usual lines about ALL the parties as well as our elected representatives. Perhaps if we were all willing to engage and look beyond some of the typical stereotypes that exist then this little Island might just run a bit smoother.
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While Jeff Peel has a point about the public expression of personal religious beliefs of the Chief Constable it will not escape his notice that neither the top cop nor the entire political community have an adequate answer as to how an armed paramilitary gang can flaunt the rule of law, the "peace process" and decent sensibility. Selling the absence of available and appropriate response as adequate must ring hollow to the families of those killed and injured at Massereene in March when a smaller group of dissidents used their weapons. Antrim Borough Council now want to invite those relatives to a public parade in the town. It would appear that ABC view the murders and the sequelae of international attention as some sort of marketing opportunity rather than an open goal for dissidents wishing to repeat their terrorist activities.
Perhaps the Chief Constable intends to call up and employ legions of Christian soldiers to police the parade.
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I don't understand what Jeff Peel sees as wrong with the new Chief Constable declaring that he is a Christian. For many of us our faith is the main thing in our lives. His police work has got him into one of the top jobs in the United Kingdom so he must be very good.
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