Nothing to do with Leyton Orient

But a response to a Thread Discussion in the Fantastic Os Facebook Group.


WE have changed the topic.

Clearly some who UKIP have nominated as public representatives have been personally of less than good character, just like those of other political parties.

The totality of their policies is vague and possibly some of their policies are in conflict with some others, I have little doubt.

Overall I think they are wrong about wanting to withdraw from the various EU treaties rather than strengthen those treaties so that the UK is better served than at present.

Some of those being elected to public positions will be incapable of performing adequately in those positions (I am not any longer confident that the professional abilities of Civil Servants and Local Government Officers are sufficient to compensate the populace from serious damage {I am astounded for example, at the work of those in the Ministry of Justice who are managing the destruction of the probation services in England and Wales} [which is even further off topic - but something I have knowledge and some experience about]).

It is also true that the other parties bring forward public representatives who fail to understand the responsibilities they hold - I believe that is true of Lord Hanningfield - who was the leader of Essex County Council for many years and even an Opposition Party spokesman in the House of Lords, yet he seems not to understand the concept of absolute liability. I believe Lord McNally is an example from the Liberal Democrats and I am sure but cannot immediately name one, there are examples from the Labour Party and other groups.

However, once in a position as a public representative, one learns, on the job, as I did as a school governor - for example and in other positions and so it will be the same for UKIP representatives but no doubt, some perhaps even many will fall by the wayside, soon after election, and then as has happened in some places, there will need to be by elections - that is the nature of the UK system of governance. UKIP members are seemingly doing OK in some councillor positions - I have Norfolk County in mind, and even some BNP and Monster Raving Loony Party members have managed their responsibilities as elected councillors within the law, so I think it reasonable to believe that by the time they actually get elected so will most others. Then it will be for the views of the majority to predominate in the making and amending of statutes and council policy etc.

Can we get beyond blaming, shaming & punishing Paedophiles and Sex Offenders

I wrote the following in a response to a comment in about an article in The Time newspaper.

I cannot find a way to link to that comment hence I am reproducing it here.

My response is to a comment by http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/crime/article4134892.ece?hubRefSrc=email#lf_comment=183332645

Can you move on from, understandably demonising Harris for repeatedly acting out lusts, perhaps an addiction in ways he could not contain, perhaps - I stress perhaps - I do not know - in ways that others cannot contain urges or addictions, to drink, smoke, gamble, etc..

Addiction, urges are not always not towards ingesting a chemical.

I once worked with a sex offender who having been in custody, for 30 years, was in his seventies, still had the the testosterone level of a teenager and when tested with a few hours parole, was found to be approaching a teenage boy of the age he had offended against 30 years earlier.

Why it might be a good shock, I suggest is because if we do not continue to direct our anger etc. towards individual perpetrators, we may come to accept that society is a long way from understanding and managing the sexual urges of many within our society. Some of  those with the propensity to be sex offenders also can, in other fields be productive individuals, worthy of praise for their other abilities and how they use them for the benefit of society as well as themselves and their families. Once we understand that ordinary people can be sex offenders, maybe as well as protecting our children and vulnerable people from them, we can eventually discover how to help them from a young age manage themselves so as not to spread harm and danger.

Maybe the Times will invite some contributions from some who have experience of working with sex offenders, to help with our need for increased understanding?