I was at the Angel last sunday. Fantastic atmosphere, all kinds of cultures, and religions. But all North Londoners, at least for the day, most of the day singing in unison. That Louis Dunford song got belted out more than a few times. So did the Tottenham Haters ditty and Allez Allez Alllez Arsenal. The "problems" people describe are exaggerated, magnified. At individual levels, people get along with their neighbours. In Leicester, substantial Hindu and Muslim populations. But a ton of pubs. Some people seem to revel in finding the division, while ignoring the unity. Often, I think, to excuse their own failings in life, which they blame on others. Ronnie Reagan, in his final speech as President, about the Americans, the French and the Japanese, while well meaning, was wrong. The irony is that Henry Nowak was both a British and Polish citizen. It was perfectly ok for him to honour the traditions of his father's country. In the Nowak household no doubt they would have enjoyed a Sunday Roast, but also Pierogi, Bigos and Borscht. Its ok for Anglo-Poles to retain a dual identity? Part of the resulting debate is about Police training, part of it is about knife laws, but a larger portion, on the forums, is about Sikhs' differences, and how being different is unacceptable, even primitive. Yes, there can be a debate about police training, but not about a return to 1960s normalities, which some want. The Hampshire Police stop and search statistics suggest contradictions. For those who don't know Hampshire, Hampshire is one of the least deprived areas of England (though obviously, there is Portsmouth and Southampton). It is 93% white, versus 80$ nationally. A significant portion of the minority population are Kukri wielding Nepalese, mostly around Aldershot, for obvious reasons. Knife laws? By all means. End all defences for religious and ceremonial reasons. But think about the net impact of that. The Sealed Knot society will never be the same again. Various dignitaries will be stripped of traditional attire for England's oldest ceremonies, such as the Lord Lieutenant, Beefeaters. Veterans would no longer be allowed to mark the deaths of their comrades in the same way as before. So there will be a cost, but its for others to judge that's a cost worth paying for making a crime, according to Parliament, that's "practically non-existent" to non-existent. While we are at it, we should examine the case for the continued sale of milk shakes on a take away basis. Nigel Farage, when struck with a milkshake, described it as "frightening". We banned conkers on the basis that someone could get hurt. So I assume there is full support to the end of that playground death match?
