Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
In his speech Restoring British Liberties (dated January 7, 2011), Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg talked about the freedom and the “hard-won liberties” that people in Britain have held dear. He talked about the standards of a nation that have been the hallmarks of a civilized society to which people who are victims of oppression in other places around the world have looked to as a beacon of hope…as an example of a better way of life.
Clegg claimed that in recent times under Labour many of Britain’s best traditions have suffered—and that many of its civil liberties “have been undermined, eroded, lost.”
Clegg said:
They[Labour] turned Britain into a place where schools can fingerprint your children without their parents’ consent. Where councils use surveillance powers designed to tackle crime to check if you’re cleaning up after your dog. Where thousands of new criminal offences have amassed on to the statute book. Where you are 7 times more likely to be stopped and searched by the police if you are black or Asian. Where, in one year, we saw over 100,000 terror-related stop-and-searches, none of which yielded a single terror arrest.
They made Britain a place where you could be put under virtual house arrest when there was not enough evidence to charge you with a crime. And with barely an explanation of the allegations against you. A place where young, innocent children caught up in the immigration system were placed behind bars. A Britain whose international reputation has been brought into question because of our alleged complicity in torture.
That record is an affront to everything we stand for.
It has created a fundamental imbalance between British citizens and the British state; disempowering individuals, criminalising innocent people, fuelling mistrust between communities, and diminishing this nation’s moral authority too.
Clegg went on to enumerate the ways in which the Coalition Government would address the problems in 2011, which included the following:
Three: by ending the practices of closed and secretive government; giving people the information and freedom they need to hold us and other institutions to account.
Does any of what Clegg said ring familiar to you? Do you believe that some of our civil liberties have been undermined and eroded in this country—especially over the past decade? Do you think that we Americans need to be ever vigilant about the loss of our “hard-won” freedoms? Do you think that “we the people” should have the freedom and information that we need to hold our political leaders and government institutions to account?
Source: Liberal Democrats
Blouise: “…given the carnage at the hands of a gun wielding man, these comparisons are going to be talked about whether justified or not.”
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They will indeed. I saw someone interviewed on TV just a bit ago (I had come back from the kitchen so I didn’t get the name) and the interviewee said that the Palin ‘crosshairs’ posting was emblematic of the rhetoric that leads to this kind of action. The interviewer asked to the effect that ‘you don’t think this is what she had in mind…’ and the interviewee (using language I have come to associate with the kind of innuendo used by the right) stated “I can’t speak for her but…”
Rhetorical payback is a b****. You know though, if it works to tone down the kind of language that has characterized the political dialogue over the last 3 years (yes, from the right) then I’m not going to condemn the backlash if it comes.
Blouise,
Is this the interview you’re talking about?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7046bo92a4&fs=1&hl=en_US]
Good paper FFLEO. A different article:
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_91db5db4-1b74-11e0-ba23-001cc4c002e0.html
Re: Jan Brewer … what can I say … she took a lot of time to get to the microphone but the make-up job was hopeless … the woman does not clean up well.
Buckeye – Just saw an old interview with Giffords after her office was shot up following her healthcare vote … she called attention to Palin targeting her district with a gun-site cross-hairs remarking how that visual crossed the line … given the carnage at the hands of a gun wielding man, these comparisons are going to be talked about whether justified or not.
According to Former Fed’s link, it seems pretty clear that the Congresswoman was the main target. So Sad!
“Former Federal LEO 1, January 8, 2011 at 7:05 pm
This is from the best newspaper in AZ”
I see why you would say that,small details,small details.
Those details really put you into the story.
This is from the best newspaper in AZ. The shooter had at least 2 previous run-ins with LE but he was ‘let go’ after completing ‘diversion programs’
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article_88b4b436-1b53-11e0-8354-001cc4c002e0.html
Jan Brewer, Arizona Governor, ‘Heartbroken’ By Tucson Shooting
| 01/ 8/11 05:45 PM | AP
PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says she’s heartbroken by the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others in Tucson and says the whole state is saddened.
The Republican governor was at the state Capitol on Saturday working with aides to prepare for her annual address to the Legislature next week when they received word of the shooting.
Brewer says the speech preparations stopped, and she later addressed reporters after speaking with President Barack Obama by telephone.
Brewer says she anticipates that security arrangements for public officials could be tightened as a result of the shooting. Spokesman Paul Senseman says arrangements for Monday’s State of the State will be reviewed
“*****”Caymus77 6 minutes ago (6:37 PM)
145 Fans
Heartbroken??? Really??? And Brewer’s support for allowing concealed weapons is a GOOD idea??? “*****”
I hope the left talk show hosts will not go overboard about the right’s responsibility for this, since that only makes the divisons more intense and perhaps more harm will then occur.
So far this sounds like another disturbed person with no particular right or left leanings. It may have been that Judge Roll, appointed by Pres. Bush, may have been the main target because of an immigration decision which led to his needing US Marshall protection for some time following that decision.
Corporate money flows in all directions and all partys have their “bomb throwers” that tend to tip these unstable people into action.
Gov. Brewer is a callous criminal who would allow sick people to die because of money, or lack thereof. I am not surprised that she would be tongue tied when the horrible news hit the wires.
Remember Ms. Palin is not directly responsible in this tragedy. Since her name arose, this was a good time to post what I have read about her being the darlin’ of big American and worldwide hunting groups. Remember too, that I unequivocally support science-based, regulated hunting (part of my LEO duties involved game warden LE).
Safari Club International “(SCI) is the largest and most active big game hunting organization worldwide.”
Ms. Palin’s event has been SOLD OUT
(At the link below, click on the red vertical column entitled ‘Sarah Palin’ if the main page with her photo and Sold Out are not immediately displayed).
http://www.showsci.com/
MRS M.
As FFL says thanks for that,but it seemed not to have gotten much coverage from the MSM that have been on this story since it happened.
FF Leo,
There wasn’t much to the report about Brewer’s remarks was there?
Ms. EM,
Thank you for that report. However, Gov. Brewer’s comments were around 5 hours or so after the shooting. As governor/head of state, she would have known within minutes of the shooting. She should have expressed condolences and *requested calm* within an hour of the shooting—at least.
eniobob: “Still no Governor Brewer.As of this moment.”
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She’s in the bunker. If only the door locked on the outside. 🙂
Srsly, like FFLEO said, she needs to make a statement. She needs to show some leadership. That may be something she isn’t used to doing but she better get practiced at it real quick, she could do a lot of good and surprise some of her critics if she steps up to the challenge.
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I stated above that he was a veteran, that was something I read before his vid was posted (which reinforced my belief) but it occurs to me that this could have been something linked to a person with the INCORRECT spelling of the name. I have no verified basis for saying he was a veteran.
“However, none of that changes that the greatest tragedy in this isn’t the wounding of a Congresswoman or the death of a judge . . . it’s the death of a nine year old girl.
She’ll never get to have a boyfriend (or girlfriend).
She’ll never get to go to the prom.
She’ll never get to fall in love.
An act of political violence stole from her everything she ever had and everything she ever would have had.” (Buddha)
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I’m with you on that (as well on other points)… the nurse who was helping her physician husband treat this young girl talked about the older woman the girl was with. This older woman had been shot twice and was asking the nurse to call the girl’s parents to let them know what hospital she’d be in. I take it the older woman had accompanied the girl to see the Congresswoman and that the girl had been standing right next to Giffords. The nurse said the girl did not respond to CPR and she didn’t see a wound so speculated she might have been shot in the back.
Former Fed,
Even with damning evidence, I still could not vote for the death penalty, however, this kind of guy does push my limits!
eniobob & FF Leo,
This is what I found in regard to Gov. Brewer:
Arizona gov ‘heartbroken’ by Tucson shooting
The Associated Press
Posted: 01/08/2011 02:48:16 PM PS
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/usnews/ci_17044566
eniobob,
I am an AZ Republican; Gov. Brewer is making a mistake. She should at least make a brief statement and then she could add more later, if she chose to do so.
Still no Governor Brewer.As of this moment.