Eight years of ineffective Labour government and this is the result. It's time for a change.

Roll on May

So Labour claims crime is falling - go tell it to the families of those who have lost relatives and to those victims of violent crime!
Our country is slowly but surely becoming a less civilised place to live!
One violent crime is one crime too many - none of the politicians have the answers! They dare not say anything to get flak in the pree and media!

Well what I said in my posting regarding the VA Tech shootings and the nattering on about Americans and their guns still goes....you just do it with KNIVES!

Labour have got the knives out............for SNP!

Wait a minute the Labour and Libdems have claimed over the last EIGHT years of there adminstraion crime was going down!
We shouldnt be surprised then, that despite promises at the last 2 elections, by Labour and the Libdems, they have not tackled crime, Scotland has had enough of there lies, neither Labour nor the Libdems are fit for purpose!
Its evident that the figures were fiddled by Cathy Jameison : Quote 'When a record drop in homicides was announced last autumn, Cathy Jamieson, the justice minister, hailed it as clear evidence that the Executive's efforts to tackle violence, in particular the west of Scotland's knife-carrying culture, were bearing fruit' BUT in reality 'THE number of murders in Scotland has jumped by nearly a third in the past year, with an even bigger rise in fatal stabbings, according to new figures which deal a serious blow to the Scottish Executive's record on violent crime. '

'Tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime.'

Yeah right...

O and they don't have enough police and they don't have enough prison places so they can lock the scumbags up!

8 years of Scottish labour and 10 years of New Labour.

#4 Correct. Take away the inner city largely black and Latino gang related shootings that inflate the US stats and I feel much safer as aregular visitor in the US than in the centre of our towns and cities at the week-end, where the police have seemingly given up trying to control the ongoing drunken mayhem at the weekend.

That does not mean that I agree with letting every psycho get a gun but Scotland and the UK has a serious problems with alcohol abuse and knives our young uneducated teens who just wish to get out their heads and fight.

I was once a knife carrying 15-16 year old. Sad but true. The reasons why young people carry knifes is because they don't feel safe! They know that there is people in their certain area that are crazy enough to use a knife or if they are in gangs and they happen to be alone and attack by a group then they can protect themselves. It seemed to me having been jumped by a group of youths from another area when I was 15 that carrying a knife might have prevented this. I would never have used the knife that I carried but if attacked I'd have pulled it out just to show intent in the hope my attackers would run off.

I don't think any of these 'so called' experts know why kids carry knifes, but that is the reason why kids carry knifes because they are frightened and scared. We need a visible police presence on the streets, in areas where crime and knife cultures are high they should have curfues when under 17's! are to get of the streets at say 9 o'clock, for there own safety by the way. If they aren't home by 9 then if the police catch them they should be taken home and given a caution, after say 3-5 cautions they should be sent to a childrens panel or community service. This of course only for a certain amount of time until crime has dramatically fallen or gone down in that certain area.

Also there's nothing for kids to do, you can't play football in the street because people complain and the police come and warn you. You can't play in the local park because there is a group of older kids there that will nick your ball. There's no facilities for kids they are bored to tears, so what do they do they cause trouble for kicks and giggles, maybe get a chase of the police or some guy who's window has just been put through. Or when they get older they hang around in gangs smoke pot and drink a quarter bottle of vodka mixed with tropical fanta and cause trouble because they are a bit game after a few drinks.

Or the other affect on kids is they don't want t

Didn't we recently have a Chief Constable and the Scottish Labour party prattling on about the 'success' of the recent knife amnesty.

Are the socialists in Scotland born stupid or do they have to work at it?

#7 That is the sort of brainless comment you would expect to hear from the New Labour numpties. I was going to ask if you worked for them, but such work would be too intellectually challenging for you.

Knife culture and its violent breeding ground are a source of great shame and one of the strongest arguments for leaving the country. Until you've lived outside of Scotland, it is hard to imagine just how weird it feels when you come back and feel threatened, in places as common as Glasgow city centre on Satudray night. If the centre of Glasgow doesn't feel safe, what are the chances if you go a few miles east, west, north or south? This matter is so grave, so tragic, and so fundamental to an open society, that it requires a cross-.party committement to solve it - and not just knife culture, but the culture of violence in urban Scotland which is utterly endemic. This should not be a party political issue. It requires a long term, wide reaching review involving the whole community which seeks to understand why young Scottish males consistently express themselves through vioelnce. The poverty, lack of opportunity, disgraceful housing in many parts of Scotland are a large part of it; so is the drink culture that fuels it. But there are other things there too, and part of the problem is the glorified "wha's like us" macho Scottish culture which consistently sees being "hard" and aggressive as a national virtue.

On the 10 roadshow I am certain I heard Labour say crime was down! Same road show someone from Livingston dialled police and was told there was no-one there and someone would come from Edinburgh?

Crime statistics off course will be down, people stop reporting smaller incidents as tghey have no confidence police will do anything. Keep getting told there are more police, police keep saying they need them for paperwork involved nowadays.

Do you think this may make the London EBC and ETV news?

#11

Couldn't agree more. The idiots who blame it only on poor upbringing in rough areas are kidding themselves. There are a few kids determined to cause trouble because they're given no attention at home and they goad their mates into causing trouble which has the knock on effect you describe, where kids have to arm themselves out of fear. It can happen in 'nice' areas with what you'd think were 'nice' kids.
More money needs to be put into drop in centres and skate parks etc to give kids somewhere to go. Not every kid wants - nor can afford - to get into sport yet millions are invested in that.
Yes, it's partly bad parenting but if we as a society cannot help where parents have failed then we may as well knock it on the head now. The sooner we give these disenfranchised young people something to aspire to other than drinkin vodka mixed with Fanta and looking for trouble, the sooner the term 'ned' disappears.

I live and work in an Bratislava where the national sport, after ice-hockey is serious drinking. There is little evidence of street violence, it is a 'safe' community in which to live and the last bus or tram to our suburb, generally full of drunks, is as unthreatening a place as you could hope to be. Ironically, the only 'hooligan' behaviour comes from Brit stag nighters who treat the place as an arena for anti-social behaviour much to the embarrassment of those of us who live here and who have to try to explain away their antics on Monday mornings to our Slovak colleagues. Fortunately, there are no cheap flights from Scotland!

So, where does the Scottish culture of violence come from? Why can one small nation drink like fish without feeling the need to stab each other?

Don't tell me it's 'economic'. Parts of this city are just as bad as anything Scottish inner cities have to offer in terms of deprivation.

And don't tell me it's because they have (relatively) recently won their independence from their former partners.

I agree with a previous post which said that it is unsettling to return home and feel constantly under threat on the streets - even in a fairly small town.

#15
Well put Mrs Miggins. Your last paragraph puts it in a nutshell. It's not a police control issue, although better policing and a knife ban would help, it's a deeply seated Scottish social macho-male problem aggravated by still held belief, and admiration for, that getting 'peed oot of yer mind' is something that makes you a real man. It's a pathetic legacy of education and social policies that have done little or nothing to address this issue that goes further back than No Mean City. If SNP can change this they will make world headlines. Some how I doubt it, sad to say.

Its time to reconsider the death penalty or at least life imprisonment meaning life imprisonment.

Such a wonderful place as Scotland, with such charming
people, should not fall into
such a murderous state. A knife is to be used only as a tool, not as a weapon! I agree with culturemonkey,
"recreation centers" (and hiring some of the teens to help with them could change
the path of destruction that they have set themselves upon.)

Quick, hold a "Summit" and ban something!

If ii Unfortunatly find myself in Edinburgh Town centre after a certain time ,Im off home in taxi,The underbelly starts to crawl out .It is not a safe place to be .

Labour must take the blame for the levels of crime,as they are the ruling party. However, it is important to note that no party is free from failure. With that in mind, Labour is still the best option. Perhaps I see Labour as the best of a bad bunch!

1 murder every 3 days is alot. South Africa used to have similar figures until the ANC took over, now the statisitic is 50 homicides per day. The people have the party they want.

Be careful for what you wish or it may come true!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16bPATQnAU4

www.anti-socialbritain.co.uk

www.realpolicing.co.uk

#21 - so what are the crime statistics for Bratislava and Slovakia. Anecdotal evidence is highly misleading.

The crime rates for Scotalnd and in particular Glasgow are appalling. Labour will never do anything to resolve this ongoing nightmare, Blairs 'Tough on Crime Tough on the causes of Crime ' rings hollow today. Murder ever three days, I recall there was a time when a murder was front page news and people would talk about it for months if not years however times obviously have changed. Tackling it, in my view, we have to adopt the same approach as New York, with zero tolernce policy. Prior to the policy been introduced New York was a very dangerous and depressing city to visit. However in the year or so following the introduction the New York experience was completely revitalizied, it was safe, friendly and clean. There were clear some difficulties that could have been handled better but the means justified the end. Glasgow and Edinburgh really have to look closely at this method of zero tolerence and sooner then later. Already Glasgow is named as Ned capital of Europe . People have to pressure policitians in Edinburgh for positive action and not the usual hot air the flows out. We need someone who will stand up to the neds and sort them out once and for all. We are in a war and have to adopt tactics that will win the conflict.

Recommend a move to Mercer Island, Washington State, USA where 'we' have had two murders in the last 20 years. Or, to English Bay, Chile, where I can't find anyone who knows of any murders since Pinchoet's lot lost power long ago.

Scotland's streets and other public venues have been allowed to become a harsh and menacing place due to the apparent inability to muster the courage to deal decisively with the criminal scum, the whore lawyers who defend them and the retarded judges who don't understand their real purpose - because the public does not require that of them.

I live in hope that an INDEPENDENT SCOTLAND might result in a fresh view of how the criminal scum needs to be handled.

McConnell and Jamieson have let the people of Scotland down badly. Why are they releasing dangerous criminals onto our streets to kill? Why is knife crime on the increase, despite Labour turning us into a surveillance society, with CCTV cameras on every street corner.

Old ideas = Labour = dismal failure

Vote them out on May 3rd, their time has come and gone.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16bPATQnAU4

www.anti-socialbritain.co.uk

www.realpolicing.co.uk

at the end of the day its just scumbags killing scumbags. which is fine by me but every so often a nice member of the public gets caught up in it as listed above.

do away with prisons. just lock down the estates at night and pick up the bodies in the morning. problem solved.

I'm willing to accept it when they say crime is down. But not because it is actually down. The figures read a downward trend because;-
A) No action is taken in many "petty crimes". Petty to the cops, but not to us!
B) Even drug dealers know they can get off with a warning if they say (as Homer Simpson says) "It's my first time."
C) Cops rarely investigate anything. They're too comfy sitting their stations to go out and actually be seen out and about in the community!
D) They're saving their energy for the "really serious crimes" involving, guns, knives, sexual assault and the like which ARE rising.
E) They're told not write up reports on things like stolen cars, break-ins, theft, which are "notoriously difficult too solve" and "never catch the people that did it"!

Or at least that's how I read it. Call me wrong if you will, it's just a personal view after my calls to the police on disturbances and things I've witnessed
have gone unheeded several times. My faith in the police is somewhat diminished.

Labour and LibDems took responsibility for last year's fall, will they take responsibility for this year's big rise?

Labour have stated that they want to send FEWER criminals to jail ....

great so we all have more chance of being assaulted/killed/burgled

The Government is to dramatically overhaul its strategy on crime by ending its drive for ever-tougher sentences and instead putting more emphasis on rehabilitating offenders and sending fewer of them to prison.

Labour will send fewer to jail in U-turn on crime policy

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2393313.ece

Cabinet papers leaked to The Independent show that ministers admit their current approach alone will not solve the complex problem of crime in Britain today. The significant change of emphasis will be welcomed by critics who claim Tony Blair has not lived up to his own rhetoric because he has been "tough on crime" without being "tough on the causes of crime".

Unfortunatly innocent people are being killed

More porkie,s from labour liars.Does caffy jimmyson speak the truth?

I dont beleive a word that drivels from this wummins gob, time to go
hen.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6168318.stm

These Scumbags carry knives because they have no fear of the law, have no moral standards and 9 times out of ten their parents are the sane.

The parents don't know or care where there kids are or have been at night and they don't enforce any rules on their kids to tell them when to be back home.

We need to start shaming again. Start brining up our children with moral standards and start enforcing these standards.

When we were young we were scared of our parents and the police and our parents were scared of the shame it would bring on our family if any of us were to get into trouble

The government has taught people to think of theirself and no one else. You are only worth something in this society if you have money.

Lets start showing Scotland who the parents are and maybe the parents will start enforcing standards on their kids.

www.scotlandonvideo.com

I've been assaulted twice since 2002 and threatened about nine other times. Correct me if I'm wrong but the penalty for punching a complete stranger is a fine of around £100, payable in about six months time.

In the fifties Glasgow was full of razor gangs but they sorted that out with tougher sentencing, as far as I know.

Bring back the birch!

killed and 70 injured including 60 school students....

qamaryousafzai@yahoo.com
PESHAWAR.
Police fired tear gas and used batons as violence erupted in Bara town today morning on monday 23 april ,2007 Lashkar-i-Islami (Army of Islam) open fire on law enforcement agencies forces when they were trying to stop the protest as were called by Lashkar-i-Islami, in reply of Law enforcement agencies personel opened fire on protesters as caused 10 killed and 70 injured including 60 school students of Lahkar'protesters ,today and the more reports from the local resident,Lashkar-i-Islami (Army of Islam) and Forces are still blaming each others for the inciedent.the more reports is underway...
while according to report Police fired tear gas and used batons as violence erupted in Bara town on Sunday April,22,2007,over the blowing up of a pro-Taliban group's headquarters, security officials said. Police also resorted to aerial firing to quell hundreds of protesters who attacked shops and torched at least five police checkposts in the Bara town, which borders Afghanistan, a security official said.
At least five people were injured, including a policeman, he said. Lashkar-i-Islami (Army of Islam) called the protest after the authorities blew up its headquarters in Bara on Thursday. The group had refused demands to close it down.
Officials said Lashkar's commander had set up a Taliban-style court in the building and kept a prison in the basement. The group was also behind the stoning and shooting to death of a woman and two men accused of adultery.
qamaryousafzai@yahoo.com

Why do we value someones life at only ten years of anothers spent in jail. Where they are living, breathing, making friendships, learning and being paid to just sit about the day doing nothing. If we want to lower the death rate then we need to increase the value of life. It just doesn't make sense - life snuffed out for only tens year of inconvenience. I say we up the anti - 25 years for carrying a knife because clearly there is an intent to kill not to protect. Secondly, life imprisonment for murder - and that means no right to vote and no home comforts. Build fortified factories in remote islands so they can build and manufacture goods that could be used for the vunerable of society. Forgot buying in goods from China we would have products made a half their prices. Let's turn our prisons into places of work which contribute to society not drain on our resources. We also need much greater policing of areas where gangs hang out. We know where these areas are and we need to search kids at will, even at the school gates until they get the message that if they carry a knife they are locked up for 25 years. Simple isn't it really!!!

#41
Techie - As has been pointed out by other posters, many young men carry knives for self-defence, not for attacking people. I don't think the vast majority of parents re worse than previous generations. Bringing up children in the West now is harder because, amongst other things, we have a 24/7 media which "celebrates" violence.
I would agree with you re the fear factor. The wrong people are scared to go out at night, it's the criminals anfd aggressive people looking for a fight who should be scared of the consequences. We are not gonig to bring back corporal or capital punishment so I think we need to start passing long sentences and bring them in at the start of people's criminality. That requires the judges to act.

#11 True Skirvy, in Clydebank teenagers were scared to go to the park to play football.

How about:

-Legalize hard drugs and control the supply
-"3-strikes" sentencing
-A mandatory sentence for carrying a knife
-Raise the age for buying alcohol - it wouldn't hurt for people to have to wait until they are 21

With the money saved you could build a few more skateparks etc.

ASBOs sounded like a good idea to me. Why won't local councils use them?

Tough on sentencing is one answer, automatic half remission has to go, Prison Governor's should have a say on who gets out and when, based on good behaviour not because they meet a parole qualifying date. Prison at present is no deterrent. Mrs Miggins well said.

#4 VickiStewart, N Central Ohio.

How can you compare knife crime with gun crime? The Glock 19 (main weapon used in shooting) has a standard magazine capacity of 15 rounds of ammunition, in a frenzied continuous attack at the most you could out with a knife is two or three people before being subdued. With a Glock 19 you can either kill or wound up to 15, with the one magazine of 9mm rounds.

I have had to disarm someone with a knife before, I know given the option I would rather disarm someone with a knife than a gun.

eric #26 still not as scary as yer favourite west coast city ?

Whenever the gap between rich and poor starts widening exponentially, you get corresponding surges in violent crimes.

Thanks, NuLabour!

the endemic bad behavior started with banning the belt in school and introducing the disastrous comprehensive system. The kids who would have been apprentices are now roaming the streets while we advertise for skilled joiners and electricians from eastern Europe. what a mess in the name of labour political correctness and "equal opportunity for all" which has really meant no opportunity for many. Scots have tended to overdo it on the fruit juice but were kept in check to an extent by having to go to work most of the time. ( me included. ) Now we are on possibly the third generation in Scotland who have no work to go to never learned how to behave either in the home, school or work and who have little hope.

Support lawful citizens BEFORE they become victims. GOD's gift of life is sacred, to not defend it or allow the defence of it is sacrilege. For the love of GOD and humanity, stop the criminalisation of law abiding citizens with misguided, though well intentioned, prohibition schemes. Predatory human behaviour has many causes and has been a feature of "civilisation" since before recorded history. The belief that we can end crime and criminal behaviour by legislating passivity only serves the bullies, despots and conquerors. It is not immoral to stand up and say STOP, with deadly force if necessary. Why is it acceptable for the authorities to kill innocent, unarmed people, yet victims of criminal assault can not defend themselves during the attack without second guessing by do-gooders with no concept of how the criminal/predatory mind works?

Does anyone know whether we are now more at risk from a stranger than from our own family? i heard that in England more people are now murdered by strangers, but I haven't seen figures for Scotland.
Question is important cos deterrence doesn't work against demented partners but may work against aggressive strangers.

#35, it is not about "scumbags killing scumbags". The murder figures are just the tip of the iceberg of random, pointless violence, which brings macho kudos to its perpetrators. I studied at Glasgow Uni. When I 18 - a wee boy - a guy walked up to me on Woodlnds Road - hardly a deprived area - and beat my head open with an iron bar, for no reason at all. I've been living abroad for fifteen years in Spain and let me tell you a)they drink like fish b) you can buy knives everywhere c)there is poverty here too and d) there is no sense of violence at night on the streets. So what is it about Scottish males?

#46 Iwright - I have to disagree with the idea that young men are forced to carry knives for self-defence. Isn't this the 'we Americans need our guns' argument?

If they could part young men from their razors in previous decades, they can stop them carrying knives. I agree with what you say about dissuading people in the first stages of criminality, though.

4. VickiStewart, N Central Ohio,

'Well what I said in my posting regarding the VA Tech shootings and the nattering on about Americans and their guns still goes....you just do it with KNIVES!'

What a disgraceful comparison to make.

Here is a comparision for you:

32 murders with a gun in a couple of hours versus 47 in an entire year with knives.

#57 I dunno Joe, you'd have to deduct the whole central belt. And then you'd still be stuck with Dundee, Kirkcaldy and all the other scrapping towns!

#58 Lock: Obviously you never got sick of arguing about gun control last week.

#50 Moody. Since when was this a competition?

I can understsnd your anger at the apparent revolving door prison sentences. 2yrs ago my 18yrs old nephew was knifed several times in a random attack and left to die, luckily he was found by a nightclub security guard and help was summoned. For several days his life hung in the balance in intensive care. The aggressor who was arrested quickly thanks to some well placed community cameras, was from a well off family, so no deprivation there. This criminal had previous convictions and was found guilty and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, full term to be served before before realease. Since then my sister and her family, have been sent letters and contacted by the attempted murderers representatives and I believe the parole board. Requesting they sign an agreement for an early release for good behaviour. The family said no as they are all still frightened of this person. My own feelimgs are that anyone who wants to carry arms should immediately be conscripted into the armed forces for the length of their sentence and have to serve said sentence in a theatre of war. Truth in sentencing is what we need!!!

"A spokesman for the Labour Party said crime was falling and there were more police officers in Scotland than ever before."

What ever happened to PROFFESSIONAL journalism?

SURELY the question to ask next was "IF that is the case, does that mean the U.K prisons are overflowing with the innocent?"

But the modern crop of journalists? Couldn't investigate their atheletes foot.

As a victim of vandalism I do not condone crime of any description. however, we live in a deeply divided society with the emergence of the super rich whilst the average working couple cannot afford even a basic house to live in. Whatever party is in power this situation will remain and the situation will get worse. Society is breaking down and when that happend we need a fundemental change of society- forward to socialism.

Ah! To say nothing of asking how they thought CCTV was helping.

#62 P.S. I failed to mention the attack took place in the middle of Edinburgh.

No11 Very good point about kids carrying knives because they don't feel safe, but many kids carry knives to feel hard and cause trouble.

No15 Totally agree, violence in Scotland is one of the big reasons people emigrate.

No16 Bad parenting is the problem, yes, but it is unfortunately up to society to deal with the consequences. The less apt parents are having more children and the more apt are having less. Scotland is going downhill rapidly.

No21 Spot on.
No23 Spot on.

No 30 People blame the police because there aren't any. I agree though, they're just the messenger.

No32 Guga, you say it in a nut-shell mate.

No43 The birch would help. Short sharp punishment immediately.

No45 Life for murderers. Prison factories producing cheap goods. You get my vote!

No52 Must agree. I was at school when they banned the belt. There was a total breakdown of discipline. Unfortunately some teachers abused the system and it was banned. Bring it back with only specified teachers to mete out the punishment.

My solutions-
1. No legalisation of drugs but shooting alleys introduce with free drugs, clean needles, everybody registered, no first-timers, police present....
2. Alcohol age 21
3. Three srikes system for petty crimes leading to one big sentence.
4. Murderers given life, no parole. Or hanging but I guess nobody agrees these days!
5. More facilities for kids, spend money on them. That would be a novelty!
6. Mandatory sentence for carrying a knife say 10 years.
7. Make parents accountable. If they don't want to, punish THEM. or remove the kids and put them in homes. They can't turn out any worse!
8. CURFEWS! 9pm

If you really want to see all crime fall, then put an end to the current system whereby we encourage idiots to breed, but don't expect the leftists to embrace this, as it would wipe out their core demographic.

Ps, banning knives wont stop people being stabbed with screwdrivers.

I'm going to point out something that may sound deathly dull but is actually crucial to this debate - when dealing with statistics of 'relatively' rare occurences (ie 47/5,000,000 - 0.00094%), then apparent trends are not always clear and great caution should be taken when trying to interpret year on year changes, or indeed that a particular policy is effective or not.

I know it's not good for headlines but it is fact.

Another fact is that Scotland is a more violent society than many other western countries. This is a cultural issue which has been around for many decades. Perpetrators are influenced more by their upbringing and peer pressure than by the legal system.

skirvy and mrs miggins, thank you for your intelligent contributions, you made the scotsman less depressing than normal for me!

IWRight #46- the claim is that they carry the knives for self defence, but that makes it much more likely they will pull it out and use it at some point. Not carrying one is by far the better option.

Any person caught with a knife should be sentenced to 10 years in prison, and the get out clause of culpable homicide should be scrapped, the person convicted of murder should spend the rest of their natural life in prison--life should mean what is says, not four years.

Just because im from Edinburgh and Love Glasgow better for Transport Shopping etc ,Doesnt make me anti Edinburgh ?

#14 Guga

Now, now Guga - we must be impeccably polite at all times and not insult people.

If you follow my example from my many postings which are invariably understated and graceful to a fault, you will not go far wrong.

I think the problem is the basic failure of making people take resposibility for their actions. They are threatened with all sorts of serious consequences for carrying knives (or whatever the "project of the month" is) but when it comes down to it those caught are fined £100 or given community service. The deterrent with those kind of punishments is zero.

I've read a lot of comments about crazy American gun laws since the Virginia Tech shooting over in the States. A lot of us (not including me) think the Yanks are mad for allowing their citizens to carry guns.

But while their crime rates are dropping, ours are rising, and I've read study after study that shows that armed, law-abiding people are the best deterrent to crime. Seems those studies might be right.

Forget begging the government to protect us; we should be protecting ourselves. That's what grown-up people do.

#69 stopping folk from breeding would solve some it. But many of the real heidcases won't vote so it won't solve much. Plus see how the BNP is getting votes of Labour in England. These white trash are not lefties.

Plus, what about the middle-class footbal casuals? The children of Blair, Thatcher, MacConnel and the Royal Family who've acted like neds?

I'm surprised they havent appointed a knife 'Tsar', held a public enquiry, or made some other useless, hollow gesture.

#78 RP - We have never had a true or real socialist society in Scotland or indeed anywhere else in the world apart from maybe Lenins Russia from 1917 -24. The first rule of socialism is for workers ((anyone who earns a wage or could earn a wage) to take over the commanding heights of the economy and run it for themselves by themselves. For more info try www.socialist.net - you will be pleasantly surprised as there are hundreds of very basic articles ( including one on the present Scottish elections) explaining what socialism is and how it could be achieved.

"punnishment" is too soft and no deterent....end of story. Successive Gov. have done SFA or quite the oposite to what we want.

we've all read about the prisons here in the past few months, I actually believe some people go to a better life inside than what they had outside - food, bed, bath, friends, drugs, tv, dvd, computer, social workers shoulder to cry on

hang em like my Chinese friend do!

#64, super rich vs poor is the way it has always been. however some of the rewards and who get them are questionable (tv, radio, media et al, football people, back street lawyers, business men who are nothing more than middle men, local government twats)

however i don't think more socialism will help you, jobs tend to be created by the wealthy or the about to be..... it's nature, survival of the fittest I'm afraid

you've got it easy compared to the poor in China

I lived in Ferguslie Park, outside of Paisley. I was frankly terrified to walk down the street without my husband by my side, and actually refused when I was pregnant to walk a mile alone to visit the midwife. As a youth my husband was bullied, abused, stabbed, beaten with a baseball bat. I cannot imagine growing up like that, or raising our 3 boys in such an environment, and this is why, though we love Scotland, we decided to relocate to Pennsylvania, where I was born and raised.

It may not be my place to comment, but being in Ferguslie Park, and seeing first hand the neds, violence (we had two women trying to stab each other outside of our home at 2am one mornnig over heroin), fall out of hooliganism, play parks covered in glass, needles, spray paint, the entire area filthly with litter, toppled shopping trolleys, etc I do have a few thoughts.

A starting place would be welfare reform - People should not be allowed (specifically healthy young people who have the ability to work) to live off of public funds indefinitly. While this helps many, it enables many more. Too many young people with too much free time, and too little structured social interaction. I suggest a maximum of 5 years total in ones life to claim public assistance. Programs that require you to attend daily classes while you are claiming income support which teach you how to build a CV, dress for an interview, basic to intermediate computer skills, how to start and maintain a checking account, ANGER MANAGEMENT, child care only for the time you are in these 'adult education classes', a gift card for 200 quid to purchase clothing for work and job interviews only. Chances to earn more gift cards/cash as incentives to maintain a job.

Chain gangs (harsher punishments in general) - get those in prison out, shackled, in bright orange jumpers along the roadways picking up the garbage they no doubt put there in the first place, repairing the vandalised property, and planting flowers thro

Michigan has a parental responsibility law.
The parents of the offender is now responsible for damages caused by their children.
Perhaps when children do a crime the parents should go to jail along with their children.
Not enough jails, prisons etc.? I get an email about Joe Arpaio, sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona who has established a tent city jail.
He has banned coffee, cigarettes, girlie magazines and has the lowered the cost of feeding prisoners to $0.41 a day.
He started a chain gang, then had to include women to keep from being sued for discrimination. A court order by a Federal judge required him to provide cable television. He installed with only the Disney and weather channel.
None of the society do gooders have been able to find anything wrong as he provides basic needs.
His sign outside of the jail i
IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT HERE DON'T COME BACK
Perhaps all countries could copy him.

82: dude, lenin's russia is not the best example to support your argument...

Check this out on the Candidate for Glasgow Shettleston:

http://rossrenton.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Y44jSw3ho

I can't imagine the need to leave home with a knife in my pocket, the government can't be held responsible, everyone is responsible for their own actions, blaming Labour, New Labour or anyone else is just a cheap cop out. Same with drugs and drinking vodka on street corners (what's that about?) you have a choice in life, carrying knives and doing drugs or drinking on street corners isn't cool.

Conan (32). The following are a selection of murder rates from a survey of 62 countries:
USA, 42.802 murders per million of population (24th of 62)
Chile, 14.705 murders per million (45th)
UK, 14.0621 murders per million (46th)
Republic of Ireland, 9.0633 murders per million (55th)
The US doesn't seem so safe after all!!

#82 Sedov, after Lenin the Soviet Union had Stalin, he was a socialist too wasn't he?

The devil makes work for idle hands.
The government tell us that Scotland has the highest employment in modern times. Most of these jobs are minimum wage with additional family tax credits to bolster the poverty. The same people who were diddled out of the 10p tax bracket.
The youth of today have little hope of upward mobility. Have little hope of getting into the housing market, and have little hope of support from the better off as the divide between rich and poor widens.
The anger, violence and civil disorder we see on our streets is the pent up frustration of a society cought in limbo.
Computerisation, Robotics in manufacturing and third-world labour costs have replaced the common(once the working) man/woman in the west. Common workers have become obsolete and surplus to requirements.
The politicians know this and are trying hard to fit everybody into welfare supported employment or welfare provided education. We are becoming seperated into poor who are too inteligent to work(lifelong learning) or to dumb to learn(training and skills courses).
Scotland used to have one of the finest education systems in the world, yet last year a report told of 20% of adults in Scotland who could not read, write or both.
If there are half a dozen kids walking up the street in front of you, at least one will have a reading/writing problem. Not only that but when you got to the pub for a drink, the company you sit with also have the problem.
The future holds more leisure time and less employment time, due to the improvements in modern appliances and working practices.
The common man is in danger of becoming couped up in a stagnant society. Only the wealthy will have freedom to follow thier goals and aspirations.
When you take away hope you leave hopelessness and despair. Dispair leads to desperation and skewed logic. Fighting with knives over a turf war is a skewed logic. We need to re-educate the people, not punish them for t

#80 Calum, you've hit nail on head, there have been low life's, ned's, thug's through every era, whether it was Wilson, Heath, Callaghan, Thatcher, Labour, Tory it doesn't matter, I haven't seen Tony Blair giving 'stab awards' in the new years honours lists. Razor gangs, Teddy Boys, Rockers, Mods, Skinheads.....Putting x on a ballot paper in May won't stop knife crime

93: given everything you say, where are the jobs going to come from?

#25 Quick, hold a "Summit" and ban something!

No need...problem solved below...

It is because of the ease of access. We need to ban the use of all knives to anyone under 18 and place a 3 day waiting period on anyone wishing to purchase anything with a blade. This includes, but is not limited to, lawnmower blades, kitchen cutlery, shaving razors, etc.

Reason...it's not a morals problem or a failure to educate and truely administer justice when it is required ...it is obviously an access and availability problem.

27: we had crazy homicide levels in SA long before the ANC took over.

#8 and #40 - "fiddled” figures claims seem a tad unfair. Jamieson could hardly have commented on today's new figures, for 06/07, when that year only ended in April and she was speaking last year. Both figures are from the same source - the police. The Scotsman clearly asked for the most up to date homicide figures from forces under FOI, before they’ve been brought together in the annual crime stats. So there were 120 homicides in 06/07 compared to the 93 the police reported last year for 05/06. Jamieson acknowledged the drop didn’t mean the tide had turned possibly realising the large fall in deaths in 05/06 (total was 134 in 04/05) was exceptional and therefore unlikely to fall further in 06/07.

As #70 points out, large percentage changes in homicide numbers are liable to look most dramatic because such crimes are relatively rare and much, much less likely to happen to most of us compared to crimes such as vandalism and housebreaking and, less so, assault and robbery.

Like #15, I wish the deaths of 120 Scots wasn’t a party political football, greeted with glib phrases like “Roll on May 3rd”. But clearly Labour and Lib Dem partners in crime must respond to the new figures and account for what they’ve done. Indeed, any party seeking government must say what they would do differently.

As #3, #64 and others have suggested, none of the politicians have all the answers, there’s simply no quick fix, before or after May 3. (Even when MSPs legislate for things like Parenting Orders, we've seen local authorities/courts can't be forced to use them. Just look at Labour confusion over naming and shaming louts - wee Jack wants it, Edinburgh council leader doesn't.

Turning minds against violence, of course, will always require state intervention such as targeted policing and punishment and, even earlier, promoting parenting skills, expanding nursery places, better education and employment opportunities and improved mental health services.

Bu

#87 What a brilliant idea!

That is half the problem, they go to prison get all the comforts of home and more.

If more people took the iniative as Joe Arpaio, the sheriff of Maricopa County there would be less repeat offenders.

87 David.
You would be just aswell saying "Arbiet mach frei".
You americans with your Faschist ideas of justice. Joe Arpaio, sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, sounds to me as if he is a reject from Hitlers SS. You boast of the 41 cents a day on food, made to live in tents, my god man the Brits stopped doing that to prisoners in the Boer War.
To get a sense of justice from that kind of treatment to your fellow man is treachery to what the USA was founded on. Does going to prison make the convicted sub-humans. You must also remember the ratio of coloured people to whites imprisoned in the US.
Ah yes ofcourse, coloured people only just lately stopped being sub-human in the states, what with the civil rights movement of the 60s and 70s. Yet 200 years since the end of slavery.
We also see the supremacy of the US in the coalition in Iraq and Afghanistan, the double standards in Palestine and Lebanon.
Your type of justice is way too far-right for me.
A society frightened by a heavy handed police force and an unforgiving government are a cowed people. Much like there was in Iraq under Saddam, however your government and policeforce are just as ready to kill people. Iraq never had suicide bombers while Saddam was in power. He eliminated his dissidents.
Your countries dissadents take it out on your society in places like Columbine, Virginia Tech and the Oklahoma bombing becoming martyrs and suicide killers.
We dont need that type of justice in Europe. We already saw it lately in the Balkans and in Germany in WWII. Cruelty to prisoners is barbaric and medievil.
41 cents in UK is 25p approx. Starving prisoners, living in tents surrounded by barbed wire and gun toting sentries. Sounds like Darfur in Sudan. Maybe we should send in the UN and aid lorries. Sounds as if the prisoners may need it.
A super-power..........

Hi Gerry, your US figures are too low. Here are the official stats.

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius_04/offenses_reported/violent_...

So per mill, US is 57 in 2003 55 in 2004

When you consider that justifiable homicides, and the US plea bargain system eliminates about 5000 deaths from being called murder, the rate is more like 80 per million.

I know at close hand of four murders in Tx where the grand jury (cf fiscal cf CPS) brought no charges where in UK each would be straight life sentences.
This was one reason I left Texas.
In all four the victim was no threat to the shooter andthe event & circumstances are not denied. So US versus non-gun world you cannot compare like for like stats. They love their guns and its caveat corpus.

We also know a more recent number for Scotland:

120 murders 5.0 mil pop == 24

That's not so great is it?

I used to be against the death penalty but that has changed, I don't know if it is a deterrent. All I know is that folk are murdering and raping and not thinking for a second they have committed a terrible act I would use the death penalty is to dispose of these evil folk.

I wonder if we held a national refendum on this what the answer would be?

Here in Philadelphia, USA we just had our 127th killing by gun SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR!!!! WE have AVERAGED 400+ murders by gun per year for the last 3 years. That doesn't count other types of murder. 16,000+ per year!!! More policemen, more community groups, tougher handgun laws--none of it works. While I would certainly like for violent crime to come down in Scotland, you have no idea of how bad things can really get. 127? Feel blessed.

These are almost all neighborhood crimes in the outskitrts of town. The historic portion of Philly is beautiful and very safe.

Well, maybe you need Knife Control in your country as badly as we need Gun Control in ours...The only thing is that the good citizens will not be able to protect themselves and the criminals and sickies will always find a way to get hold of a gun or knife or make a bomb...so where does that leave the folks who truly want peace and safety? We all seem to live in a society that has no regard for human life be it ours or their own. What a sad commentary on humanity!!!!!!! I for one keep a sharp look out for sickies and hopefully I will be able to avoid them as I go about my life. Pray for humankind.

Dreadful parents, who think their responsibilities start and end by memorising their little savages names and showing them how to operate the micro wave are the biggest culprits. This god awful Labour goverment must also take a massive part of the blame, for their stupid, ignorant , politically "correct" policies , that apportion no blame and where everyone is the victim deserving of a handout. How many of these armed little animals have ended up on all expenses
payed holidays or golfing courses , because they are somehow the victim. Let me warn any little scum-bag that when I come home again (Next month), if you so much as look at me the wrong way, I will hunt you down and make you wish you'd never been born.

#100 What an inane attitude to take!

While prisoners here are moaning about their human rights, not allowed to vote in elections, moaning because every-time they make a phone call it reminds them they are in prison. Wasting tax payers money so they can get Legal aid, so money grabbing Lawyers can waste court time on some toe rag and his rights.

They are in Prison not a holiday camp, this Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County has the right attitude, they have committed a crime against someone, taking away their rights.

If more Prisons were like this and more Joe Arpaio's, there is a less likely chance to re-offend.

PJ (107),
Oh dear! I suppose the next thing you'll suggest is parents setting limits on their children!

The 'Experts' all told me that Capital Punishment was not a deterrant. Strange then that since its abolition the murder rate has got to where it is today.

C,mon Cathy justice minister,let,s hear from U

Sad to read this article, and crime record in Scotland. But the problem is a United Kingdom problems. There was a murder just 200 yards from the Police Station in my Town here in Port Talbot. Knives and stabbing are bad here in Wales and Young People, are getting involve more crime you may blame on drink and taunting People to fight the country is getting sick. I'm using the internet right reasons just but some not and send bad messages calling names bad language this is the modern World. But think on happy side we are still alive and work to made the United Kingdom better place?

Worth watching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16bPATQnAU4

I am going to be voting labour in the forthcoming elections because I see them as the best option out of a really bad bunch. I do not understand Labour when it comes to their views on prisons, capital punishment and sentencing. I feel that much more could be done to better the systems already in place. Off-course people will say that the SNP or the BNP will sort out the crime so I should vote for one of them, but the truth is. They may sort out the crime for a while, but not for long and where will that leave all the other important issues? In a mess I fear!

Capital punishment is a must. Punishment is important. If you rape or murder you must die. If you misbehave in class to the point in which other children's right to learn is obstructed then you get the belt or are expelled.We need capital punishment in our societies.

Billy (#106),

'if you so much as look at me the wrong way etc etc' - I do hope you are not a parent.

That is exactly the kind of attitude that causes the problem in the first place.

Clearly, basic logic (or spelling) is not your strong point.

Personally, I'd prefer that you stayed in Germany rather than bring your ranting revenge back here.

Thank you for your view.

# 92 rgeg - Your kidding - Stalin a socialist! You must do some serious reading on this subject. I thought that myth had been dispelled long ago. Western "democracy" has re written history to fool people like yourself. Stalin betrayed the principles of the Russian Revolution (RR) following Lenins death. This was mainly because Lenin was banking on other countries also becoming socialist to complete the permanent revolution. He knew that russia could not go it alone ( A lesson that the SSP and solidarity have never learned) Dont forget the period during and after the first world war was a very turbulent period. the Germans had a massive Social Democratic Party and the RR had an immense impact on the surrounding countries including Britain. however, mainly because of the weakness of the left leaders in those countries Russia became isolated ( socialism in one country) and Stalin became more and more entrenched and began to buid up a huge elite around him. Lenins socialist programme which stated that no official would get more than the average wage of the people he represented was laid aside. Stalin murdered all who opposed him and the cause of socialism was set back for many years. Do not confuse Leninism with Stalinism. The Stalinist counter revolution in Russia was itself nationalist. Anyway go away and look up www.socialist.net and learn more.

#106 Billy: I share your frustrations, the British cradle to grave attitude is certainly a problem. Hand outs is the norm, working for something is alien.

But you cannot simply react in the way you say you want to. I know its tough to keep your cool when dealing with the wasteful scum, but if you react in the manner you say then you will be no better than them.

#32 - Conan - Don't forget to tell them about Belleview and Seattle on either side of Mercer Island. Mercer is definitely the only really "safe" spot in King County.

#32 - Sorry, I meant Bellevue. Gone for three years and can't remember a thing!

Hello People from Scot Land I am a child of GOD, and I have seen the Devil's power on this World, his evil Influence is big we under estimated him, what he is capable of doing i have seen his power , what he has done arround me using victims, with out them knowing what they are doing. ITS NOT their fault believe ,me.
My father in heaven loves you all, and if each of you ask him to help, he will do so. I my self if it was not for him i would not be alive, because I my self I Jewish , and my Jewish father which is rich, and I am only son, payed my steff dad to bring me up, because of my colour of scin, and did his best to get ride of me, but my father protected me against his evil plans. Yes that the trut, but I don t have hate what he did against me, because it was not his fault.

Yes I am his only son, and the DEVIL told him what to do, and how to keep me away form finding out
the real truth.

I am dutch, and I was born on small island called Curacao, which Slavery was done threw those island, and my father ftahers were the Slave keepers, and jewish Bussines man, see that what the DEVIL is practising on our World slavery , and Lies, and trying to keep every person scarred, Look at VA what happen with the Student, the KId was possed its not his fault, believe me Have seen
how people gets possed, it happen with my Girl friend , and in which I my self with the help of my father in Heaven had released her for that curse.

So I dont understand why don't ask GOD to solve all our problems he would take care of them, just as he did take care of me for 52 year, protecting me against the devil which wanted to get ride of me because I was Jewish, and I was rich, so no body would find out the real truth.

My staff dad died and never told me who my real father was, and he died in July 2006 ,and if it was not for him , I would never find out who he was.
Yes its the truth, I even worked for 15 years for his bank, without knowing he wa

Interesting thread, this. I live in a community of about 80,000 people, which went over 11 years without a homicide. It is also one where a great number of people own firearms, and I can't imagine going out without my pocketknife. But it is also a community where most young people grow up in intact families, the schools enforce discipline, and the public is hugely supportive of law enforcement. I agree with the posters who think banning things is not a solution. The instant, emotional response is seldom the correct one, and things, whatever they may be, are not responsible for crime. I have a good friend who works for Joe Arpaio, and his deputies, as well as the citizens of his county, love him. I am also not a proponent of capital punishment. But, I do believe that when someone is sentenced to 20 years in jail, they ought to have a really good idea what their address will be for about 19.5 years, allowing that they behave.

A United Nations report has labelled Scotland the most violent country in the developed world, with people there three times more likely to be assaulted than in America. England and Wales recorded the second highest number of violent assaults.

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1957512005

Wow, and people who shout out "Shame on America for pro-gun use". How bout you ban knives.... lets see how that goes. Doubt it will work in your country just as much as it will not work in ours.

If only many other countries had the same homicide rate as Scotland.
ie Australia1.8/100000
Canada 1.58/100000
England/Wales1.45/100000
New Zealand 1.05/100000
United States 5.7/100000
Scotland (population 5800000)
(homicides 120)
120 Divided by 5800 =.0236/100000
Scotland .0236/100000
You have no worries mates. Hope the maths are reasonably accurate.
In many countries this would not even make the papers.

When you disarm people the way Great Britian has, you can expect crime to rise.We have groups of people here that are trying to do the samee thing and if they ever take our guns away I will move somewhere else.

Have a public hanging each time one of these predators commit a murder. Make sure that the TV crew is there so they can broadcast it live on TV. Have a party in the streets so that the Liberals cannot complain that you are for being too insensitive to the Killer.It would be nice to have a close up of the criminal's face as the rope snaps his neck and he kicks for his life. Do this for a year and maybe the crazy knife killers will get the POINT. You murder someone, you will be hanged.

#32

Of course Mercer Island is safe. It's just a pontoon for I90 as it crosses Lake Washington. Nothing more than a rich 'burb with two freeway exits.

I have been going for 15 years to Seattle, Bellevue, Richmond, Kirkland, Sammamish and boated all the lakes and at 91 mph I have never figured out how to get into this enclave. What chance have the crims got? Thats $275 fine by the way.

It's like one of those gated communities in Miami Beach in the middle of the intracoastal.

Seriously though, if I ever had to live in the States again it would be the Pacific Nortwest no contest.

Also I like the seedier parts of King County. Two bit sleazy dives are my favorite drinking spots; I go alone and have never had a problem.

And Seattle is one of a few places in all America you can wander by foot all day and night with only the odd weirdo near Gaslight or Pike St Mkt.

More fuel for the argument that wanton breeding serves nothing but street violence and war. And we still hear if you wait until you can afford to have children you will never have any. It is like saying if you wait to have money to spend it you will never have any. Great, your kids may have no future and end up in street gangs but do not blame yourself. Blame the politicians, that is what they are there for, isn't, to tell the public they can do anything they want, breed as much as they want, and the magicians will somehow conjure up reasons for living for the little ones emerging from the state of adorable darlings into adulthood. The REALITY is that if you have children you can't afford, society can not afford them either. Do tell, can people find better things to do than to breed poverty, strife and violence?

socialmedic: Good point !

#124

Your maths is wrong mate.

see #101

ok I used 5 mill but if 5.8 mill is correct

its (120 / 5800000 ) x 100000

= 120 /58 => 2.06 per 100K

even yr arithmetic aint right since your sum would have been 120/5800 = 0.0206 not 0.0236

that coulda been a typo but your still x100 out.

That's more than UK at 1.4 ergo this knife thang is significant.

Violence. I don't know about your country, but our citizens (at least its males) usually turn more violent whenever the government has turned especialy violent itself, albeit it on a more massive scale. Do we get the violent government we prefer? Or do we feel given a pass on personal violence by our so-called leaders? That, along with the neotony fostered by corporations and their advertising agencies, which encourages us all to remain children forever, free of adult responsibilities and considerations, and apt to throw a tantrum when frustrated or crossed.

I see that violent crime has dropped in Dumfries - hoorah for Labour, and St George!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/658...

Well done to our hard working politicos.

#6 What about John Reid's relatives?

#130Voltair's Janny
No typo -I screwed up.(I'm an English major not a mathematician) Thanks for the correction.
Still 2.6/100000 is alot more than Packistan at.05/100000,less than the US at 5.9/100000,and a lot less than South Africa at 47.53/100000.A problem nontheless.

21. Not really proud to be a Scotsman, Slovakia

I agree Bratislava *seems* safe and civilised. This perception may be misleading. The homicide rate in Slovakia is almost twice as high as in Britain.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_percap-crime-mu...

You are never going to stop gun and knife crime, because in most criminal cases judges are too lenient. and the laws are too soft . Evan if you have stiffer laws , there are people who are not deterred by that. All the political parties have failed the people of this country. I would vote BNP. lon on www.faithfreedom.org www.islam-watch.org

While the violence is still high, there is something to be said for those using knives and fighting it out in the street. In the old days, if you couldn't back something up with your fists, you backed away. Now, people get shot by 12 year olds just because they looked at them the wrong way. Bring back the old style "whippings' I say. Then let's see who's tough....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16bPATQnAU4

See an alternative Party Broadcast !

120 Murders in Scotland - just as a comparison; how many are killed on the road. I honestly don't know.

Where's the cry for knife control? Why isn't all cultlery registered Scotland? Why aren't there background checks before anyone purchases a knife? Better yet, why don't you register anyone with a cub, a bat, a hammer, an ax, a brick, a rock, etc.

Controlling weapons, guns or knives, does not work. If a criminal wants to harm you, he is going to use anything as a weapon that he can find.

I've lived in the outskirts of a large US city for over 8 years. The crime statistics in the US are indeed shocking but if you look beneath the surface you'll find that a huge majority of the murders happen in certain areas of the major cities and in general the city centers are very safe and well policed. Most of the murders are directly related to organized gangs, drugs and turf wars. While the kind of indiscriminate killing we seem to see in Scotland does happen in the US it is not the norm. Petty crime seems much less in the US and in general punishments are far greater for all crime. Life means life in most states, and many of the stories mentioned in this article would likely result in the death penalty is some US states. I think there is a need for zero tolerance for all crime. Turning a blind eye to the so-called petty crimes create a sense of lawlessness and fuel an escalation of what young people think they can get away with. I for one think life should mean life. 10 years for a violent murder is not justice. It may be simplistic but start by spending money on prisons and leave the scum in there to rot their lives away. They can't stab someone on a Saturday night on the High Street from a prison cell.

Found figures for 2005:
"There were a total of 286 road traffic deaths in Scotland in 2005, 7 per cent less than 2005.
The report also shows that the number of people seriously injured was the lowest since the current records began in 1950, at 2,652, 4 per cent fewer than in 2004."
http://www.holyrood.com/nav/news/stories/story.asp?story=...
Not trivalising murders but statistically it's still more dangerous driving.

Dear (104), wasn't knocking USA in my post (91) just responding to Conan (32) who was knocking Scotland by inferring the USA had a lower murder rate. By the way Colombia and South Africa were first and second in the survey of 62 countries

Yet another result of a system which under New Labour, has become increasingly biased towards criminals, and against the victims of crime.

Cathy Jamieson as our Justice Minister has a lot to answer for, and hopefully the voters will see that as well when they kick her and her New Labour Cronies out of power in Scotland, once and for all.

The Childrens Reporters have a lot to answer to as the under 16s seem to get away with so much nowadays. To give a verbal warning to a recidivist juvenile will inevitably go in one ear, rattle about a wee bit and then come flying out the other side. Stop violent youngsters fuelled on drugs and alcohol because they are the ones who, because they nearly always get away with it, end up killers or rapists etc. Victimsof crime cannot get a quality service because the police are too busy emroiled in paperwork designed to meet statistical deadlines set by courts, Children's Reporters, their hierarchy and ...politicians. The whole "Under 16" situation needs to be reviewed as we are struggling to control a serious social and political problem in Scotland.

#141
How many people would the Vtech killer have killed with a brick before he was overcome?

In 2005, 547 suicides occurred in Scotland (393 males and 154 females). In Scotland, suicide is the most common cause of death for men aged 15-44 and women age 15-34.

(Source http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files/ar05.pdf)

Just another death statistic comparison as per the vehicle related one. (Sorry could not find stats for 2006)

Since most of the stabbings are done by teens. Allow people 25 and older to carry a gun. Then watch the crime rate fall.

#1,#2,#3.
Hey you squawking political migets.

You have no concept of what its like to live in the world's No.1 murder nation.

Which also happens to be the world's richest and most powerful military.
That's my country the USA.

So you squawk about 120 murders in Scotland , big deal.

When you compare by poppulation ratio of the USA and Scotland, these are the results on murder stats.

USA pop. 300,000,000 : 17,100 murders in 2006
Scotland pop. 5,100,000 : 120 murders in 2006

So in 2006:
1 in every 42,500 Scottish murdered in Scotland.

1 in every 17,600 American murdered in USA.

Have a fun day

Galactic Cannibal

My 64 year old stepdad got an awful kicking off local neds last year.

He needed two brain ops for 3 annuerisms as a direct result.

It took the police over 2 hours to respond and in fact threatened to arrest me for holding one of the neds while waiting for them if I didn't let him go.

They smashed my nieces flat up and smashed a window over the top of an 8 month old child with a brick.

They all got away with it except the ringleader who got a 6 month sentence...

It was all completely unprovoked. I could elaborate on how disgusting this was there was a lot more which happened and the police were not interested.

That's the labour policy on crime 4 you.

32. Conan, Here / 8:50am 23 Apr 2007

Hey Conan-man . If you are comparing Mercer Island Washington State with the entire USA on murder rates .
You Sir, are suffering from an acute anatomical position.

Anyway who the hell wants to live in Washington State if they don't have webbed feet.
And the closer you get to the OLYMPIA penninsula you might as well live in a tub of water.

Have a sunny day '

Galactic cannibal

#141 is quite right. As the NRA says, "Guns don't kill Americans; Americans kill Americans".

Comment@150....Shut it Galactica or you will get the rough end of my handbag ;)

104. Reading Public, Wisc/USA/Scotland/Happily Retired /

Sir were you, or are you a "cheer leader" ?

And did you wear a pants or a mini-skirt.?

Have a nice day

Galactic cannibal

Scotland violent! who'da thunk it. wasnt glasgow the the home of the razor gangs in the ap20/30s Just a long and honourable tradition for a bunch of indolent retards.

Something has gone seriously wrong in this country.
The lack of respect for others is palpable. I have not seen this anywhere in Europe or US. A serious breakdown has occurred which is apparently unique to this country. It cant help when there are 35000youths not in employment or training but the problem is already apparent before then. Looking at the under age drinking, drug taking , crime andSTD rates it will probably get worse. Nobody is taking responsibility for it. We need to start naming and shaming the parent(s). Put their pictures in local newspaper - shame them.

take the ned test

http://www.glasgowsurvival.co.uk/toys/glaSurvivalGame.html

155. CASEY PURVIS, west hills, calif /

Sir , I would dispute your notion that LA is the gang capital of the world.

Suggest any large S.E Asian city first, including Chinese cities .

But here back home, I would say it was Washington DC. where Bush and the real killers live.

Have a nice day

Galactic cannibal

Gee...I thought the Scottish mentality was if you ban guns no one will be killed???

You all sat there and badmouthed our American "cowboy gun culture" with the VA Tech killings, but I could promise you that if any of your knife wielding hoodlums came after me, a LAW ABIDING citizen with a LEGAL concealed carry permit, it would be ME that would still be alive.

I carry a 4" blade knife every day at work in my job as an environmental health specialist for our county health department, and have carried one since that age of 4...NEVER stabbed anyone!!!

I've also been trained in firearms use since the age of 4 by my father, a U.S. Marine WWII wounded combat veteran, I am now 56 yrs. old. I've owned firearms since I was 10, and currently own over 40 of them. I've NEVER shot anyone, but have used the mere presence of my handguns and rifle to stop criminal intents of doing bodily harm to both my wife and I on 3 different occasions. Had I not had them there was a very good chance both of us would have been killed.

Most of the crime in this country and shootings are the result of foreign bred and inner city sstreet gangs...not the LAW ABIDING gunowners.
I REFUSE to let these "types" represent our law abiding gun owners, and I will NEVER surrender my guns, as most of us feel.

So...go ahead and have another council meeting and ban something else...like gasoline, beer bottles, matches and rags so that the next person doesn't make a molotov cocktail and kill 100 people in a pub fire. But maybe they'll kill them with a rock next, and you can ban them too!!!

154. A Sweet Old Lady /

Clearly do don't own a snooth crocodile skin handbag. You must be a Green Earth dude.

Have a nice diasie

Galactic Cannibal

#153 Pictus
You almost have it right.
Quote:" Guns dont kill Americans,Americans kill Americans"
Try: "Guns dont kill Americans, Americans with guns kill Americans"

160. gunrocker, USA

Hey dude not against my TAZER model MI-18L.

Before you knew it, you would you would be on the ground stunned.
And when you opened your eyes you would be staring at the cops.

Guns and knives or other similar weapons are dinasours compared to the effectivness of the M1-18L.

Have a paronid day in our Good old USA

Galactic Cannibal

#162 The Gorm
Hi! I should have cited my source for the new slogan. It was London-based journalist Gwynne Dyer, in my morning paper. In an article entitled "Gun Control a Dead Issue in the U.S.", he argues that it's a cultural thing. He ends: "the British have bad teeth, the French smell of garlic, Americans tend to have more bullet holes in them than other people. The slogan should actually go: "Guns don't kill Americans, Americans kill Americans".
I'm happy to say that all Americans who I am fond of are still whole and not holed.

Whike the academicians, etc., try to figure out why folks commit crime and how to stop it, I suggest Scotland bring back the death penalty. I've read that it does not deter other criminals from harmng others, but it surely stops the executed ones from harming again.
Let's face it, there is some kind of genetic mutation or other personality disorder at the root of these crimes. Let's not wait till more innocent people are hurt/killed.

Tasers??? What a joke!!! Saw a policeman use those on a guy...never fazed him.

Paranoid??? YOU call THAT paranoid???
Tell that to my wife when she almost got gang raped by 6 guys while swimming at a remote lake park while I was away from our picnic site... and I put a quick stop to it until the police arrived...all thanks to my so called "assault rifle" that put an end to it in seconds flat.
Tell that to my wife when 2 gang members broke into our hotel room in the middle of the night while we were sleeping and tried to rob us, and I held a pistol on them until the police came again.
Tell that to ME... when a 6'6" criminal tried to beat my ass while I was out by myself fishing one day and my .45 pistol stopped him once he saw the presence of it. That's NOT paranoia...that's REALITY.

Hope you NEVER have to face that with your "stun gun" and someone rips it out of your hand and uses it on you!

Have a REALISTIC day in you fanatasy USA! :)

I reckon this is apolitical = apart fom the fact that Labour is useless. The culture needs to be stopped. How's about a bit of peace keeping in war torn countries?

Every country produces its fighters - let them fight. Let's not allow ourselves to drag down the savable when the born again cannon fodder can be used for the benefit of Scotland. Bring back the regiments in Scotland and let these thugs serve as UN peacekeeping troops. Scotland's contribution towards a safer world is our trained dross.

And they will thank you for it.

The Scottish Regiments are not thugs. The thugs are thugs.

Isn't print wonderful?

It would be nice if criminals obeyed the gun and knife control laws as much as they obeyed the laws against violent crime. Oh wait, they dont obey those either.

The problem isnt one of weapons or of "drugs, drink and deprivation," the problem is one of cost-benefit analysis- the crimnals do not have adequate risks to contend with when they consider crimes.

If 15 years is "no bother" maybe you should increase the penalty. Here in the US, most states will punish premeditated murder with life in prison or the death penalty. This murderer might have given it a second thought if he expected he might catch an axe in the neck for his troubles.

Similarly, an armed bystander (cops or civilians, not really important which) could have stepped in and shot our knife-armed stabber. The more our stabby friend resists or fights back, the more charges he ends up facing in the end.

The end goal should be to get these murderers off the streets permanently (not 15, out in 5 for behavior) so they can't reoffend, not to coddle them out of a misguided desire to be compassionate.

why are the parents not responsible for the actions of their young? who took that responsibility away from them?.

#172,

Actually, it was the United Nations. In their quest to solve absolutely copulatory expetive-ing everything they failed to distinguish between children in war zones and children in the "developed" world.

Hence, lots of American and European lawyers running about defending the "rights" of children and parents.

When I was Chair of the local School Board, 95% of parents wanted a dress code to support discipline in school.

The Headteacher produced a UN document and a letter from the Director of Education to defeat the aims of the majority on the grounds of "pupils rights".

When I was a lad, entitlement to "rights" came with a balancing "duty" of responsibilty.

The "duty" has been forgotten.

Tony Bliar deserves to be prosecuted to the gallows IMH. Alongside Dubya. Together, forever, in purgatory.

Ah, c.e.d., if only there were such a place as purgatory! Those two will likely be together all right, but in the Carlyle Group.

#160 Gunrocker

Why would any sane person want to own over 40 firearms?

Back to the subject. For murder, bring back hanging.
If they need someone to pull the lever--if ye want me thingme, ringme.

Hang the killers, birch the thugs, tell Europe's pro-crim courts to butt out. Also deport immigrants who commit an offence, and their off-spring.

Its called problem,Reaction, Solutions going on all over the world (Problem) lack of money,
drugs, the employment, and when there is employment the wages don't cover the cost of livings is what the government wants, (Reaction) people fighting. fear's
(Solution)The government will come in and say they will have more policing,and giving more power to the police, cameras on the streets,and then the chips placed in your hand or eye, they already started that in the states there are whole towns with people chipped and in Canada have more policing cameras on the streets,befor you know it it will be like Communisms our new world order is coming,

Many years ago, while cycling in a park, I was approached by a go-gooding Christian type acquaintance. Now I liked this guy despite his delusion. What he had to say was, two winos on a nearby park bench - a man and a woman, sharing something noxious know doubt, like Buckie or a can of Tennant's Super were being harrassed by a gang of youths - kids really. She (the woman) was terminally ill and the man was working on joining her. My religious chum was in the habit of taking food to such folks, because he knew that a cash gift would instantly wing its way to the Monks dan sarf at the eponymous Abbey of the jakey's favourite tipple.

"Would I watch out for them?" he asked, as he had to be elsewhere. "Sure, we'll swing by every few minutes until they move on", says I.

On one visit we found the two winos on the deck covered in broken glass, the remains of their fish supper, clods of earth and in tears.

I cycled after the ring leader - a ginger youth of 15 or so and beat th crap out of him. There is little doubt I went over the top. Since I had a padlock & chain round my neck, I removed it and, in a sudden reality moment, pulled my blow away from his head and glanced his leg instead.

Moral? None. Violence is in all of us. As we left I could see little kids in the group, mimicking the arc of my swing as the older ones helped the ring leader hobble off. Were they put off violence? Doubt it. Was I righteous in my wrath? Not really. Did I feel better? You bet! For a while.

Add guns to this story and you have the kind of murder many gun owners get the horn for. In the US they call this justifiable homicide, but I know the feeling and I know it was me that was the perp and the sentence for hassling winos is not death.

So vigilantes everywhere, your lust to revenge or slay righteously fools no one. The deterrence is fictitious and your own corruption is yet another click on the ratchet of violence.

Solution? Dun

#179 In the words of Harry Callaghan from Magnum Force.

"Pretty soon, you'll start executing people
for jaywalking.
And executing people for traffic violations.
Then you end up executing your neighbour
because his dog p*sses on your lawn."

In other words where does it stop.

As long as we allow Blair and Brown's Champagne socialists to become further attached to the USA's Global strategy of controlling planet earth militarly and economically, violence will increase each and every day. It's inherent as long as their prime motive is supremacy and subjegation off those who disagree with their aims.
The UK is no longer a a sovereign island with a rapidly decreasing industrial base; and what's left, being controlled by America's multi-national corporations. Very soon, what happened during the Thatcher era when unemployment reached its highest total in modern times, leading to hundreds off thousands of evictions and families losing their homes; this could be repeated. Violence, drug abuse, suicides, break-up of families reached record heights during this period of Thatcherism and the UK was on the verge of anarchy. This situation is the ultimate result of allowing 10 years of the most incompentent goverment ever;the priviledge off reducing the UK to Third World Standards by privatising the NHS, Education, the former utilities, transport and very soon, the precious air we breathe; should we remain gullible!
Beware of Blair and Brown's betrayals!

179. voltaire's janny / 8:57am 24 Apr 2007

Hey Voltaire's - man.
Public memory is short lived. If you want to see violence visit IRAQ or read a speech by one of the perpetrators of that violence which he calls "Enduring Freedom".

May 1, 2003

President Bush Announces Major Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended
Remarks by the President from the USS Abraham Lincoln
At Sea Off the Coast of San Diego, California

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. Admiral Kelly, Captain Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans: Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. (Applause.) And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country.

In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty, and for the peace of the world. Our nation and our coalition are proud of this accomplishment -- yet, it is you, the members of the United States military, who achieved it. Your courage, your willingness to face danger for your country and for each other, made this day possible. Because of you, our nation is more secure. Because of you, the tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free. (Applause.)

Operation Iraqi Freedom was carried out with a combination of precision and speed and boldness the enemy did not expect, and the world had not seen before. From distant bases or ships at sea, we sent planes and missiles that could destroy an enemy division, or strike a single bunker. Marines and soldiers charged to Baghdad across 350 miles of hostile ground, in one of the swiftest advances of heavy arms in history. You have shown the world the skill and the might of the American Armed Forces.

This nation thanks all the members of our coalition who joined in a noble cause. We thank the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland, who shared in the hardships of war. We thank all the citizens

181. wattie>x 1
hey attie - man
Your post is a classic Squawkers Post.

100% criticising 0% alternative.

Squawkers are a dime a dozen in this Scotsman link.

WE live now, yesterday is dead and gone. Stop squawking , move on to action...do something positive today that will help improve tomorrow.

Hey -man

have a nice day

#176 Wizard...

Such righteousness!!!

What does "sanity" have to do with my valuable collection of firearms that took me over 40 yrs. to collect??? The fact that I don't hunt, and don't have the heart to kill a poor four legged innocent animal, and that I enjoy reloading my own ammuniton and firing at paper targets with EACH of my "40" firearms of DIFFERING calibers and characteristics means I'm insane???
Or that I prefer to protect my and my families lives from some idiot criminal instead of choosing to remain a victim and hoping that a policeman gets there in time to save me??? I don't live in a fantasy world...I live by experience and reality.

CRIMINALS kill...I'm NOT a criminal, but a LAW ABIDING citizen, and that is a testament to my own upbringing from my parents.
I also work for our government as I said previously as an Environmental Health Specialist, but also left out that I'm Director of Emergency Services and Threat Preparedness and have passed NUMEROUS background checks. My firearms ownership, which is a guaranteed right, has NOTHING to do with the question of my so called "sanity"...unless it's coming from someone with a very limited scope of intellect.

I also have a large collection of vintage 1960 and 1970 "muscle" cars...I suppose that to some "sane" person (as yourself) MY "sanity" is questionable???... because an automobile kills about 50,000 people in the U.S. per year. BAN the AUTOMOBILE!!! After all you can use it for intentionally running people over!!!

And you guys condemn our "GUN AMOUR". As previously stated, where GUNS are condoned gun use and abuse plummets...POWER TO THE PEOPLE

#184 gunrocker
you wrote:
I also have a large collection of vintage 1960 and 1970 "muscle" cars

Hey gunrocker- man.

Once I crashed into a 1964 Mustang a guy had parked outside his house with a for sale sign on it.

I totaled it. He rushed out and was all smiles and shook my hand. And said now I can get real money from the insurance co. It was a piece of crap as the engine was blown.

Hey man nothing wrong with muscle cars.

But you are dead wrong on the TAZER M18-L. We have knocked a 1000 lbs bull/ heffer off its feet with only one blast. it got up in 10 seconds and we hit it again, this time wit a double blast and it stayed down for ove 30 seconds.
Thats a 1000 lb animal.

Show me a guy who can walk who weights 400 lbs

Get a grip man

Have a gun day

Galactic cannibal.

Galactic...sounds like cruelty to animals to me!!!

Don't think you can do it from 50 yds. though! :)

Poor '64 Mustang...funny story there, and did the same thing to my sisters '65 Triumph Spitfire when I was 16.

My '70 Mach 1 Mustang sends it's condolonces to the fellows '64. :)
..GR