Blog 6 - Elderly home care failures breach human rights, report finds

Source

Ramesh, R. (2011, Nov. 23). The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/nov/23/elderly-care-failures-human-rights.

Human rights of many older people are regularly violated

 by home care workers.

Summary

The British home care for elderly people is not as good as people thought it was. A report of the Equality and Human Rights Commission reveals that elderly people are treated very badly. They are not only neglected but also physical and financial abused by home care workers. Home care workers are even so cruel that they place food in front of blind and/or deaf people without letting them know it is there or they place it beyond the reach of the person. Some elderly people are so upset about the way they are treated, that they even have the strong desire to die. According to the National Pensioners Convention, the social care system is in urgent need of reforming. Not only the training of staff should be improved, but also better regulation and monitoring of the care providers are desperately needed.

Reaction

It is devastating, unacceptable and inhuman to read how elderly people are treated in the British home care system. They are robbed and left alone for days without someone who is looking after them. Because they are so vulnerable and not able to stand up against the cruelty by themselves, the government has to change the system before it goes dramatically wrong. Elderly people do not deserve it to be treated like a piece of trash; no one deserves that. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. That is why elderly people deserve the best care in the world. Is it that hard to give these people a peaceful and pleasant retirement?

Blog 5 - Oliver slams Gove for junking healthy school dinners

Source

Garner, R. (2011, Nov. 26). The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/oliver-slams-gove-for-junking-healthy-school-dinners-6268225.html.

Jamie Oliver exposed the poor quality of school dinners in his programme
“Jamie’s school dinners” in 2005

Summary

The famous TV chef, Jamie Oliver, can start his second fight against unhealthy meals at schools. Jamie thought he had removed unhealthy food from schools, but the Education Secretary Michael Gove now decided that academy schools will be exempt from the strict nutritional standards. Six years ago Jamie Oliver started his campaign to improve school dinners, which even led to the introduction of minimum standards at schools. Oliver and even the Local Authority Catering Association believe that Mr Gove’s decision definitely will bring back unhealthy food into schools. It will undo all the good work of the last couple of years. However, it seems to be that the parents do not have any difficulties with the decision because they passed chips and burgers to their children through school railings.

 

Reaction

Although vegetables and fruit are represented at the school’s tuck shops, the children just refuse to eat them. There is no one who stimulates the students to eat healthier. It is ridiculous that parents and schools do not take their responsibilities by teaching their children to be aware of what they eat. However, the Education Secretary should really be ashamed that he allows all the junk food and snacks back into schools. It is a good idea of Jamie Oliver to pay attention to the students’ eating habits, but it is more useful to teach the right persons the consequences of junk food and snacks on the children’s lives and how they can change that.

Blog 4 - Four years after killing his wife, millionaire leads police to body 

Source

Lakhani, N. (2011, Nov. 19). The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/four-years-after-killing-his-wife-millionaire-leads-police-to-body-6264604.html.

        Left: Kate and Adrian Prout’s former house in Redmarley, Gloucestershire.

Right: Kate and Adrian Prout

Summary

Millionaire Adrian Prout, who was jailed for a minimum of 18 years, always denied any involvement in the disappearance of his wife Kate in 2007. However, after he failed a lie detector test in July, he confessed to his fiancée that he strangled his wife and buried her body on their farm in Redmarley, Gloucestershire. His fiancée always believed in his innocence and she is completely shocked after the confession. Also Kate’s family is in shock of the news. After four years of pleading with Adrian Prout to reveal where he had hidden the body, he finally showed the police the area where he had buried Kate.

Reaction

It is unbelievable that Adrian Prout thought he could get away with the murder and that he kept it a secret for so many years. He fooled the police, his friends, his fiancée and the rest. Probably he doesn’t have any remorse at all for what he did. I am also surprised that the police never found a body while they continued their search on the farm after Prout’s conviction. It was the 276-acre farm Prout revealed as the place where he had buried the body. Of course it is a huge amount of land the police had to investigate, but you ask yourself if they could have solved this mystery earlier. Fortunately Kate’s family can now begin with the closure of this horrible event.

Blog 3 - Archbishop 'disappointed' with Government same-sex marriage plan
(Speaker's Corner) 

Source

Winch, J. (2011, Nov. 18). The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/archbishop-disappointed-with-government-samesex-marriage-plan-6264385.html. 

 

                                              

Summary

For decades same-sex marriage has been a hot issue for churches. This week the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, responded to the Government’s plans to legalize same-sex marriages in the United Kingdom. The archbishop said he is disappointed that the Government has chosen to follow this direction. Although he fully supports equality and commitment, he said that this doesn’t mean that he directly supports equal marriage as well. Respect for a life-long partnership is completely different than when you call it a marriage. According to him marriage distinguishes itself from other partnerships by being very  important for the wellbeing of society. It is the foundation of family life and a majority of people also experienced it this way.

Reaction

Family is very important for the way how a person develops himself. When I read this article it seems to be that the Catholic Church believes that homosexual couples cannot build a good foundation for a family. I respect the church’s beliefs, but I do not agree that a marriage between heterosexual people guarantees a good family life foundation. There have been a lot of cases about child abuse in the Dutch media. Children who were physically or mentally abused, mostly by their heterosexual parents. The American Psychological Association (APA), a professional psychological organisation, even revealed in specific research into lesbian and gay parenting that homosexual couples have the same ability as heterosexual couples to provide a stable environment for their children. So, lesbian and gay couples can also give children a good family life and also contribute to our wellbeing of society. Being a good parent has nothing to do with sexual orientation.

Do you want to know more about the APA research? Look at http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/parenting.aspx.

Blog 2 - Osborne faces backbench rebellion over fuel duty
 

Source

 

Morris, N. (2011, Nov. 12). Osborne faces backbench rebellion over fuel duty. The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/osborne-faces-backbench-rebellion-ver-fuel-duty-6261014.html.

Filling your car will be more expensive with

George Osborne’s fuel duty plans.

Summary

 

Chancellor George Osborne will face a lot of resistance from the Members of Parliament (MPs) in his plan to rise the fuel duty. Several MPs are convinced that high fuel prices are hindering the recovery of the British economy. Over a hundred MPs already signed a Commons motion against the increase of the fuel prices, which they believe are causing huge difficulties for small and medium-sized businesses. The public also started actions to stop Osborne’s plans by signing an e-petition to drop the issue. British people spent almost 10% of their incomes on fuel. MP Robert Halfon even said that “the increase is creating a poverty trap because people cannot afford to go to work.”

 

Reaction

 

The financial crisis has also hit the economy of the United Kingdom. However, saying that the increase of the fuel prices creates poverty because people cannot afford to go to work, is a too simplistic view on reality. That people got in financial problems, is mostly caused by unemployment, low wages and inadequate benefits. The causes are job related, but there are many other opportunities to go to work. You can take the bus, you can ask you colleagues to carpool together with you, or you can go by bicycle. Of course I also do agree that increasing the prices would make it harder for the people to overcome the crisis. I believe that George Osborne needs to make sure that the savings are spread more equally over both the people and the government. Do not only hit people’s wallet, but also your own.

Blog 1 - Former public schoolboy dressed as lawyer before shooting drug feud rival

Source

Dodd, V. (2011, Nov. 10). Former public schoolboy dressed as lawyer before shooting drug feud rival. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/10/former-public-school-shot-drug-rival.

Rupert Ross and Leon St Aubin

Summary

Last Thursday former Dulwich College pupil Rupert Ross and Leon St Aubin, a London firefighter, were found guilty of the murder of the 20-year-old Darcy Austin-Bruce and jailed for 30 years. In May 2009 Ross and his accomplice killed the man outside the Wandsworth prison in London, while they were dressed as lawyers. The two men and their friend Austin-Bruce had a dispute over drugs. Ross and St Aubin even believed that Austin-Bruce and another man were responsible for a gun attack on their car, days before. When they found out that Austin-Bruce would visit the Wandsworth prison, they waited for him outside the prison and killed him at close range.

 
Reaction

That the world of a criminal can be dangerous and even lethal, I already knew. It is their own choice and responsibility if they want to waste their lives. What worries me the most is that public role models, like firefighters, are involved in criminal activities. In the Netherlands we also had public figures who were involved in criminal activities or even killed innocent people, like Sander V.. This police officer sexually abused and killed the girl next door in March 2010. These people are there to protect us and to help us in need, but how can we trust them? I think it is very important that The Hague will sharpen their policies of all these public professions to protect us for being harmed.