My Easter Monday & the Press

I woke up this morning to listen to the furore surrounding the Ministry of Defence's decision to allow the 15 British soldiers kidnapped by Iran to sell their stories. I find this decision distasteful particularly in a week when 4 young men & women lost their lives in Iraq. To assert that these personell's arrest or kidnap is unique is to trivialize the position of all POW's - past and present. If their position is unique, what will be the position of the dead and injured? These are the poeple who have made the ultimate sacrifice? May be the police officers will soon be allowed to sell their stories of their everyday beat.

It would have been better to wait for a couple of years before allowing these military personnel to tell us their own version of events. Why have the media not made similar offers to the families of the dead and injured? These are the real people who'd have needed the money.

For the first time, I agree with the Liberal & Tory leadership and some military generals who opposed have criticised decision. I am surprised about Labour's silence on the matter.

Today, BBC's Radio 4 commented on a report about the role of black fathers in their children's lives and the exclusion of black boys from school. These are old stories. These things have been running for a good number of years now. It is something we all know but do not want to address. Some black parents or fathers feel it unnecessary to get involved as it relieves them of all responsibilities - particularly, financial. And those who do get involved are made to look very ordinary when they attempt to inquire about their boys education. The sentence used these days to explain this awful situation is "institutional racism" - whatever this may mean. I think the everyday usage of these words has watered its usefulness down to the extent that those responsible for implementing policies appropriate it for their uselessness. As regards black parents' position, many feel that to "legally" ask parents not to discipline their children when they are misbehaving and then hold them responsible for their children's michief is like tying non swimmers hands behind their back and then asking them to swim.

There are so many police vehicle about and it is only 12hours.