No redeeming qualities

Dec 18 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

ALTHOUGH I welcome the prison sentenced received by Sean Mercer for the murder of Rhys Jones and the jailing of two other men involved in the killing, I can’t share the sentiment being expressed by some that this could be a new dawn.

Sadly, the gang culture is deep. Many of these people are really savages operating in a high-tech world of state benefits, violent DVDs, pornographic films. Unlike the savages found in remote parts of the world, they do not have the redeeming features of a well-developed society based on the cycle of nature.

These new savages, who have not been touched by the religion, culture, literature or art of their mother country exist by a mixture of crime and sponging. Few of them have anything positive to offer.

Sending them to prison is the right solution at present, because we want them taken away from our town and cities. But a long-term solution is needed, and this may be a return to the decent old-fashioned community values, though I don’t pretend to know how that could be achieved.

Obviously prison is something of a deterrent, but it is not the punishment it would be to us. For these people have been living for years without the consolations of true friendship, love, civilised conversation or fine food. We are, I’m afraid, two nations.

Name and address supplied

Not laughing now

NOW that the Rhys Jones murder trial is over, I await with bated breath the SKY 1 series “Ross Kemp on Gangs” which has come to Liverpool.

Ross Kemp has mentioned in the book to the second series that Liverpool reminded him of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, in respect to the really young age of kids in Rio and Liverpool who get involved in gangs.

I myself have been saying this for years to people in Liverpool, too, because my wife is from Rio and I have been there many times, but people simply laughed in my face. I am not saying it has gotten as bad as Rio, but, in a First World, rich country such as our own, it is bad.

Now that a child’s blood has been spilt on Liverpool’s streets, nobody is laughing in my face now.

People thought the film City of God, based in Rio about child killers and drugs gangs, where children are shot, was “entertaining” and “brilliant”.

Do they think the same about Liverpool now? I doubt it.

John Rowlands, Sefton Park

Keep it British

GIVEN the prevailing opinion of many that the EU is bent on destroying the 100s of years of UK custom in terms of weights and measures, etc, it is refreshing to learn that the European Parliament has at last recognised UK sovereignty in one respect and has decided to remove the 2009 deadline in Directive 80/181, thus allowing the UK to decide the future use of the mile for road traffic, the pint for draught beer, cider and bottled milk and the troy ounce for precious metals.

Let us hope that there will be no repetition of the “Metric Martyrs cases” and that the Government will take swift action to confirm for generations to come these unique UK measurements.

Perhaps now there is hope for the pound? Long may we be separated from our European cousins by the 22 miles of the Dover Straights.

David Kirwan, Independent Councillor Wirral Borough Council

A good move

YOUR story about the Government’s plans to stop the display of cigarettes in shops (Daily Post, December 10) might have given the impression that economic arguments should outweigh public health considerations.

While we understand the concerns about the impact on retailers, there is no economic argument which outweighs the health benefits which will flow from this change.

Half of Liverpool’s young people who are currently smokers will die before their time as a result of their addiction.

And people who start smoking very young – aged 11 to 15 – are three times more likely to die a premature death than someone who takes up smoking at the age of 20.

The statistics show that 3,300 Liverpool under-18s start to smoke each year, which translates to more than 1,600 young people being condemned to an early death.

There is strong evidence that, when other countries have removed displays, smoking among young people has fallen – and that is an overwhelming reason to bring in such a change in this country.

People in this city also recognise the value of the measure: the Government’s recent national consultation on how to deter young people from smoking found the “overwhelming majority” of 100,000 responses backed the display ban. More than 11,000 of these responses came from Liverpool.

What we would really like to see is even more action to stop young people being able to access cigarettes, and we were disappointed that the Government did not take this opportunity to ban vending machines altogether. Perhaps soon?

Gideon Ben-Tovim, chair of Liverpool Primary Care Trust andAndy Hull, chair of SmokeFree Liverpool

Survival skills

I READ about the three British scout leaders attacked by a hippopotamus while canoeing in Africa. It must have been a very scary experience, but I can’t help wondering if their experience of Scouting helped to save the day.

I can’t imagine there is a “hippo defence” badge, but even so it just shows how important survival skills can be – and how fewer young people are learning them these days.

S Goodwin, Ainsdale

Unkind cut

COUNCILLOR MOON (Culture, Tourism and Leisure) has repeatedly said that the devastating cuts to leisure and culture on the Wirral are to save money and will provide “fewer but better” facilities.

At a full council meeting (December 15), Lib-Dem/Labour councillors refused to allow sufficient time to debate the issue by setting a “guillotine” for 9pm, thus preventing all those who wanted to speak the opportunity to do so.

If councillors are not willing to spend the time to discuss these plans, which will radically change the lives of so many people on the Wirral, why are they councillors?

If money has to be saved and cuts need to be made, perhaps they should look closer to home? In the words of Councillor Moon, we need fewer and better councillors.

Alexander Silvester, Meols

Singing with joy

MAY I say what a delight this year’s lunchtime carol singing was at Liverpool Parish Church. This is a lovely tradition, with the Merseyside Police Band leading everyone in all our favourites.

Office workers gather in the old church on the Pier Head, the ancient home of Christian faith in Liverpool. For me, it is the start of Christmas.

Florence Jones, West Derby

Care for children

WHAT is it about people taking their children to school in the morning that makes them drive like they’re police on the way to a triple murder?

The bigger the car, the worse the driving.

This morning, as I drove to work, I was appalled by how few felt compelled to wait for on-coming traffic to pass when there were cars parked on their side of the road, how many cut corners at junctions and generally behaved recklessly.

You would never think they had the most treasured thing they own in the back.

For your children’s sake and that of other drivers – be more careful!

EM, via email

Impressive

MAY I say how much I enjoyed the Everyman panto when I went to see it earlier this week.

I go every year and it is one of the highlights of the festive season for me. I do not think Christmas would be the same without it, and I always make sure my tickets are booked well in advance so I do not miss out.

It always really impresses me how talented the cast are. They never just act, they always sing, play multiple musical instruments and dance, too.

On top of all that, they are brilliant at getting even the most stern-faced audience up on their feet and joining in.

I never thought I would ever see my dad doing the Time Warp, but there he was. I don’t think he even knew the song!

It’s actually quite a shame that pantomimes are confined to December and January because, if they were all year round, people would be a lot cheerier.

Perhaps, with enough pressure, the Everyman could be persuaded to produce a summertime panto as well as a Christmastime one.

B Clarkson, Formby