More confusion on 'family values'

The Austrian case of multiple incest and domestic violence in a supposedly average family should offer warnings to anyone who tries to pretend that there is somehow something untouchable about 'the family'. Families, like most other institutions can be good and bad. Most murders and rapes happen within families. The obvious support given to the murderer of the young Goth woman in Bacup displays how families can be just as much part of the problem. It is the quality of living arrangements which matters -not the structure.

And remember the Catholic adoption agencies screeching about having to close all their adoption agencies because they would no longer be allowed to discriminate against gay people? In reality, none will close., What is happening instead is that the agencies - supported largely by the State, not Vatican plc despite its vast riches - are establishing themselves as independent agencies and they are signing up to the new regulations. because many of the well-trained social workers in their employ never wanted to discriminate in the first place, and will be able to provide a much better service outside the UK branch of Vatican plc. One really should question, given their record, whether the RC's are a suitable organisation to be involved in child care in any case. Thankfully, it appears their prejudices will help to make this branch of their 'work' history.

Inheritance laws and couple status

The ECHR ruled against a pair of sisters sharing a home who wanted the inheritance rules to apply to them in the same way as civil partnership or marriage today.

This was an entirely sensible decision. Essentially marriage and civil partnership contain the same rights and responsibilities. One can divorce one's partner in these circumstances. The same cannot be said for siblings.

There may well be questions about the fairness of the inheritance tax system - but they need to be dealt with and looked at entirely separately because they are simply not the same issue. The real aim of the Christian religionists who encouraged this case was to try and downgrade civil partnership and make it less like gay marriage. Unfortunately for them, it is gay marriage. Its just called something different. The template is the same. And that is the way it will stay, whether angry and reactionary peddlers of harmful religionism like it or not.

Richard Dawkins

We went to hear Richard Dawkins speak at the University this evening. Its amusing that such a convinced atheist has become such a High Priest of his own non-religious beliefs - but not surprising as he is articulate and funny.

And, on the whole, convincing.

Its been a long journey but I find myself having less and less in common with, and little attraction left to Christianity.

Government climbs down under backbench and public pressure

The Government appear to have climbed down with regard to measures to alleviate the effect of the 10p tax band abolition.

The devil will no doubt be in the detail, but wouldn't it have been refreshing for the Government to simply admit that they got it wrong?

And what of the bulk of Labour MP's who wouldn't sign Frank Field's amendment? Why, other than loathing of the Tory alternative, should we bother to vote for any of you? Cowards, the lot of them. Have they suddenly changed their mind or do they still agree that the abolition was a good idea?

Labour need to look very carefully at themselves and what they are doing.

Liverpool and family values....

Its interesting to see the conservative religionists such as Anglican Extreme jump on the bandwagon with regard to the Liverpool murder. The name of the perpetrator has been common knowledge for a while up here. I used to live about 2 minutes walk away from where Rhys Jones was killed. Its a pleasant estate, not run down or poor. That has at least been acknowledged.

However, the gang warfare on the neighbouring estates has been blamed on family breakdown. I think that some of these people ought to come up to Liverpool. Far from breaking down, these families are close knit, extended, even, as is always acknowledged by the death notices when one of them dies. There are fathers on the scene - much of the criminal knowledge is learned that way. Its all too easy to come out with the usual clichés about broken families - but family values are strong enough in Liverpool's estates. Its just that there are different types of families - and different types of values. The conservative religionists, in their eulogising of 'The Family' , fail to see that structure does not necessarily mean the sort of 'values' they promote.

In the news.,...

Sad to hear about the death of Gwyneth Dunwoody. I didn't agree with all she said, but she was one of the few politicians left who had a genuinely profound specialist knowledge - she would have made a fantastic Transport Secretary. Again, its easy to forget that she was always firmly on the Right of the party - yet New Labour has drifted so much over to the Right that she appeared to be a bit of a lefty.....sadly, we won't be seeing her like again, given that so few mavericks are likely to make their way through the selection procedures.

Mugabe has climbed on his British Paranoia platform again. A pity for all that Zimbabwe isn't sitting on some bubbling oil wells. However, it does underline the reality - that there is little that the UK can do in this situation when it is regarded as the old colonial oppressor. Anything that is said simply provides ammunition for Mugabe to rabble rouse.
The person most responsible for his survival is Thabo Mbeki. What a disaster he has proved to be. Could Zuma be worse?

Unpublished letter.....

Looks as if my local rag didn't have the courage to print this....

Dear Sir,

The progress made with regard to medical research has radically transformed the lives of many people, for example , beneficiaries of transplant surgery or IVF treatment.

Stem cell research offers the possibility of relief from debilitating conditions such as cystic fibrosis and Alzheimer's disease. It is early days, but at one time, the aforementioned technology was also in its infancy.

Imagine,then, if those possibilities had been snuffed out by the attempts of a minority religious group to impose their view upon others. Not only expecting those of the same religion not to partake in these benefits, but preventing others from doing the same.

This is exactly what is happening now. As ever, we hear threats from Catholic bishops, obscure backbench MP's passed over for promotion, and others whose aim appears to be to create some sort of theocracy.

It is vital that this important research goes ahead and that those who would believe that to prevent it is any sort of 'moral' stance be firmly defeated. And given that these people are either outside politics, in the case of Bishops, or elected to represent their party, not their church, can I suggest that they exercise their 'conscience' by starting their own Vaticanist party? That way, those of us who have strong disagreement with Catholic beliefs in these areas will know exactly who not to vote for at the next election.

Giving blood

There is a shortage of blood donors. Yet, still, gay men are arbitrarily stopped from giving blood. There doesn't seem to be any logical reason for this. All blood is sensitively screened, and it is clear that 'behaviour' is not actually the criteria as questions about sexual activity are not asked of heterosexuals - or gay men, for that matter.

The ban is being challenged in Scotland. I hope it is removed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7347108.stm

Missing children

No doubt the Shannon Matthews incident will be soon forgotten. But its all quite sad. I wonder how they thought they could get away with it in the first place - unfortunately, it may mean that there is automatic suspicion the next time a kid from a poor background goes missing.

The McCann saga still drags on. This will no doubt upset some people, so please don't read if you think they can do no wrong. Personally, I think its high time they left the public arena. Whatever way one looks at it, and whatever happened to the child, no-one knows other than whoever did it, there is no excuse for leaving three small children alone. A baby-minding service was available, and anyone who visits Spain and Portugal knows that kids go out with their families - there wouldn't have been any problem at all in taking them along.

Given that if the children were all left alone, that immediately suggests some culpability, does this mean that a high-profile public campaign led by the very same parents is appropriate? I don't think so.
It also seems odd that only one of the three children disappeared.

Government woes.....

All Governments run out of steam, but this one does appear to be doing so big style. There doesn't seem to be any sense of direction and whilst on one level, thats no surprise, there do appear to be some echoes of the desperation of the Major years.

The willingness of MP's to raise questions about policies which they accepted just before Brown's election is an example - the abolition of the 10% tax rate is an example. Overall, the change probably makes us better off as a couple. However, taking my earnings into account, that certainly wouldn't be the case. I think there is something seriously wrong with a tax system which is clearly acting as a disincentive for the low paid to work. Should people earning as litle as £12K really be paying tax at all? I don't think so.

Northern Spain

Spent a very pleasant time in the north of Spain. We took the car on the ferry from Plymouth to Santander, and spent time in the Basque Country, Asturias, and Galicia.

Its mountainous territory, green and fertile. Unfortunately, for the two days we were in San Sebastian, it rained torrentially both days, so much so that it was impossible to walk to the aquarium without being blown into the sea! We ended up driving out to the centre of the jesuits at Loyola, which was actually rather good - there was a computer-aided English commentary by an Irishman who did a very good job at suggesting we should all become Catholics in a very gentle way...

Went to two of the star restaurants , Arzak, and Mugaritz. both excellent. What we tended to find, though, is that you get what you pay for in much of the region. pricey food is exemplary, cheap lunches pretty ropey.

And on the last night, both of us ended up vomiting violently and we are still not entirely back to normal. Virus, the tap water, or food could all be possibilities. Still, at least it was the end of the holiday - and there was a comfortable Commodore cabin on the ferry to sleep in for 15 hours solid!

Overall, its worth a visit. Natural beauty in abundance, and great wine. be warned, though, the distances between places are longer than they may appear on the map. And don't miss out Oviedo - its a delightful town but very much off the tourist itenary.