The Brit Thread

POSTED BY: peacekeeper
UPDATED: Monday, December 15, 2025 22:01
VIEWED: 6928
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PEACEKEEPER

Saturday, October 6, 2012 2:09 AM

Just to take some attention away from the US election bandwagon, here's some news from the other side of the pond.

1.Two woman police officers have been murdered near Manchester, while answering a supposedly routine burglary report.Turns out that James Cregan called them up, and as soon as they knocked on his door, he mowed them down with a hail of bullets and a home made grenade. He.of course, is gang affiliated and this was his statement to prove his machismo. The young officers were 23 and 32 years old respectively.
Their funerals were held on two consecutive days in Manchester cathedral, and the people of Manchester lined the streets in their thousands to pay their respects.
This has of course raised the issue of arming our police force, but the general view seems to be as always. We don't want to be America, and we want our police service to act with public consent and not armed coercion.

2.A 5 year old girl has been abducted from a small town in Wales., and She was seen getting into a van at 7.30pm and has been missing for nearly a week.A man has been arrested on suspicion of her abduction, and police are close to giving up hope of finding her alive.This has raised the questions of "What the hell was a 5year old girl doing playing outside during hours of darkness and reinforces the fact that even tiny one horse towns aren't safe anymore either.

3.Jimmy Saville, who was a long term and well liked radio and TV personality, has been accused by a number of women of rape and sexual assault, despite the fact that he has been dead for a year.This raises the question of how moral is it to wait until somebody's demise before making such accusations. Even if true, it cant be proved and he cant defend himself.

MAGONSDAUGHTER

Saturday, October 6, 2012 2:19 AM

I read about your missing girl. I hope she is found alive and unharmed

We had a recent murder here that has sparked major tv coverage, where a young woman was adbucted, raped and murdered just minutes from her home. There was a week of hope for her as well, even though the circumstances looked as ominous as they turned out to be.

It's been interesting to me how much attention this sad event has received, partially because she was young and beautiful, worked for the media, partially because it was an area frequented by middle class educated people (as opposed to some suburban slum where violence is more common place), and partially because she chose to walk home in the early hours of the morning, promting a lot of victim blaming from parts of the social media in particular.

The other interesting part is that Facebook has come in for some heavy criticism, because of allowing sites to publish preducial material which may hinder the trial of the man alleged to have been responsible.

Also worth noting that his capture and the discovery of her body was mainly due to the CCTV in a local shop which has recording events moments before her abduction.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/enjoy-the-craic-but-tears-intrude-as
-jill-is-laid-to-rest-20121005-274wi.html

PK it seems a bit harsh about Jimmy Saville. Why did they not come forward before his death?

CHRISISALL

Saturday, October 6, 2012 2:19 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by peacekeeper:
Turns out that James Cregan called them up, and as soon as they knocked on his door, he mowed them down with a hail of bullets and a home made grenade.
This has of course raised the issue of arming our police force, but the general view seems to be as always. We don't want to be America, and we want our police service to act with public consent and not armed coercion.

Ummm, if they were armed, how would that have helped them? I don't get the connection. Sad for the two officers though.

MAGONSDAUGHTER

Saturday, October 6, 2012 2:34 AM

Looks like police no longer expect the find April alive

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/oct/05/april-jones-search-murder-inq
uiry

CHRISISALL

Saturday, October 6, 2012 3:55 AM

*sad*

PEACEKEEPER

Saturday, October 6, 2012 12:25 PM

Magons---The same question has been asked here concerning the guy arrested. No details of why he has been arrested have been released, and they have had to apply for an extension to hold him for questioning.Now, the issue is for me,I thought a man was innocent until proven guilty.Yet his name and picture have been plastered all over the media.If he is proved to be guilty,then I will throw my tomatoes at his stocks with the rest of them. But I believe that nobody should be outed UNTIL they are proven guilty.
We had a case a while ago, where hospital patients were dying by being given wrong medication, apparently deliberately.They arrested a young nurse and gave her extensive media interest, only to be found that she was innocent of all charges. How that girls life must have been ruined. How is it in other parts of the world???

As for Jimmy Saville, he was a major fundraiser at Stoke Mandeville Hospital for the disabled.And I think that he had a lot of friends in high places. Thus, these women felt that their accusations would have been quashed by the powers that be. But to me, if enough people come forward with these complaints, they cannot be ignored. Waiting until he is dead is completely pointless and also relates rto the above point.

Chrisisall----I think the issue is with the armed police point is, maybe if they had been armed they could have returned fire.But, I agree, what chance did they have.Anyway, I think it is widely accepted that the gun control argument is something that is never going to be given any real consideration in this country.Our culture is just too ingrained against the use of guns.

With the grace of age, commander, we learn to accept.

GEEZER

Saturday, October 6, 2012 12:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by PEACEKEEPER:
Chrisisall----I think the issue is with the armed police point is, maybe if they had been armed they could have returned fire.But, I agree, what chance did they have.Anyway, I think it is widely accepted that the gun control argument is something that is never going to be given any real consideration in this country.Our culture is just too ingrained against the use of guns.

Except that the two officers were killed with a gun.

Also wonder if the "Wot's all this, then." philosophy - that folks will defer to police in most all instances - made the officers a bit less careful and aware.

NIKI2

Saturday, October 6, 2012 3:27 PM

Gawd, PK AND Magons, hearing that your countries are going the way of ours (tho' we are unquestionably way ahead of you at this point) really saddens me. Is it that way in the rest of the world, too? Depressing.

I agree with the gun thing. They wouldn't have had a chance whether they were armed or not, and resisting arming the whole populace is, in my opinion, a good thing. There will be instances like these and, horrible as they are, I think there will always be fewer of them than here. There will ALWAYS be fewer people offing one another out of momentary rage, I believe, too. You guys have the right mentality, and as long as the police aren't armed, a country whose mentality is to respect the police (at least MORE than here) is worth keeping...for as long as you can anyway.

While I also know that abductions, sexual violence and murders happen everywhere, it also saddens me to hear of them happening over there. Over here we're used to it--as much as anyone can be--and accept it as a fact of life. I know such things happen all over the world, but I hate being reminded of it.

On a totally unrelated subject, what do you guys think of Dr. Who moving to America? Dunno if it's a real "move", have heard about it and seen the recent episodes, but personally I worry about DW becoming more "Americanized", if you will. Some things are best left alone, and we've "stolen" so many of your icons, who have moved to LaLaLand, that I'm wary as hell.

PEACEKEEPER

Saturday, October 6, 2012 3:56 PM

Never really been a huge DW fan tbh.I always found it a little second rate as a sci-fi project.perhaps moving it to America will make it a little better with the increased production budget.But I understand what you're saying about nicking our icons. I notice that Sherlock Holmes has been Americanised with "Elementary". Sherlock in New York????Not to sure about that. And if you EVER try to steal 007 from us, there will be Redcoats marching through Washington with bayonets drawn!!!!

With the grace of age, commander, we learn to accept.

MAGONSDAUGHTER

Saturday, October 6, 2012 10:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
Gawd, PK AND Magons, hearing that your countries are going the way of ours (tho' we are unquestionably way ahead of you at this point) really saddens me. Is it that way in the rest of the world, too? Depressing.

I agree with the gun thing. They wouldn't have had a chance whether they were armed or not, and resisting arming the whole populace is, in my opinion, a good thing. There will be instances like these and, horrible as they are, I think there will always be fewer of them than here. There will ALWAYS be fewer people offing one another out of momentary rage, I believe, too. You guys have the right mentality, and as long as the police aren't armed, a country whose mentality is to respect the police (at least MORE than here) is worth keeping...for as long as you can anyway.

While I also know that abductions, sexual violence and murders happen everywhere, it also saddens me to hear of them happening over there. Over here we're used to it--as much as anyone can be--and accept it as a fact of life. I know such things happen all over the world, but I hate being reminded of it.

On a totally unrelated subject, what do you guys think of Dr. Who moving to America? Dunno if it's a real "move", have heard about it and seen the recent episodes, but personally I worry about DW becoming more "Americanized", if you will. Some things are best left alone, and we've "stolen" so many of your icons, who have moved to LaLaLand, that I'm wary as hell.

There has always been violent crime here, Niki. I don't think anything has changed much. Abduction type murders are still rare enough to attract a lot of media attention, but violence is commonplace in other ways, especially amongst and against young men as well as high statistics for family violence.

Regarding Doctor Who, I am exposed to this through my son (was a big fan back in the day) - and have no problems with the recent settings in the US. If they made him an American in a future incarnation, I'd have a problem, but as long as the show is basically British in flavour I don't mind.

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