Is there a case to answer?

I've come across a story in a couple of different places in recent days (although, sadly, not where I thought I'd seen it, so I can't add a link at the moment), about a school district in Minnesota which has had a spate of teenage suicides in recent times (seven in the past two years was the figure quoted), most, if not all, linked to homophobic bullying. The problem appears to have escalated since the adoption of a policy by the local school board in 2009 requiring teachers to be 'neutral' in their attitude towards sexual orientation, which has had the effect of not allowing action to be taken against bullies, lest it should be seen to be favouring LGBT students. It seems that the school board is heavily influenced, if not actually dominated, by fundamentalist Christian groups, so what might have appeared to be an unintended consequence of an 'equality' ruling may in fact be no such thing, and have been planned to institutionalise discrimination. I'm not sufficiently versed in US law to know whether such a mechanism exists there, but if an organisation in the UK had taken decisions, which in either omission or commission could be proven to have led to the death of an individual, that organisation, as I understand it, could be charged with 'corporate manslaughter'. I have to admit that I would find the prospect of the self-righteous having to defend their actions, or inaction, in a court of law an appetising prospect.

Best wishes
Querent

Beauty....or pornography?

I came across this picture a few days ago during my meanderings around cyberspace. I was entranced by its beauty, which is why I've 'borrowed' it. Given the ongoing hysteria about child abuse, I have little doubt that there are those who would consider it to be pornographic. I consider it to be a beautiful picture of a beautiful child, without any necessity of introducing sexuality into the equation at all. What do you think?

Best wishes
Querent

I doubt this marks a new morality, but what do you think?

I have to say I'm delighted to see the demise of The News of the World, because I've thought for most of my adult life that it's a dreadful, hypocritical rag trading on prurience, invasion of privacy and lowest common denominator finger pointing. That it's been felled by its own sleaze is all the more satisfying. Given News International's record, it will probably be replaced by something equally offensive, but I'm happy to dance on the paper's grave in the interim.

Best wishes
Querent

Can someone please explain something to me?

In what way, at all, is this not child abuse? How much psychological damage is this girl suffering by being told, explicitly or implicitly, that firing a machine gun at an unsuspecting target is OK? If someone of her own age, never mind older, gave her an orgasm, they'd be in danger of being locked up and having the key thrown away, but give her a machine gun, and that's absolutely fine and dandy. My contempt for these hypocrites knows no bounds.

Best wishes
Querent

Is this just too juvenile?

A frivolous little question to start the ball rolling. I've been playing a game called Runic Drops (http://www.freearcade.com/RunicDrops.flash/RunicDrops.html) moderately obsessively for quite a few months, and yesterday I finally managed to get to the top of the all-time high scores list, after several near misses and much frustration and grinding of teeth. I was, I have to say, quite pleased with my achievement. But should a fifty-something man even be playing computer games, still less punching the air at having proved himself as being more adept at wasting valuable time by playing the game for longer in one session than anyone else in the world? I think a bit of mindless 'down time' is a good way of unwinding, but others might say that my time could have been used much more constructively. What do you think?

Best wishes
Querent

A new thing

Querent
Que"rent\, n. An inquirer. [Obs.] 

quaesitum [L.] that which is sought for; an object of search; the answer to a problem.


I've been blogging for a while now, under a different 'nom de guerre', an enterprise which has recently run aground. This blog is an attempt at something rather different, a blog based on issues rather than personality, substance over style (I hope!). I'll put forward my views on questions that concern me, in the hope of sparking some interesting discussion. I'm not out to convert anyone to my way of thinking, I simply want to hear the opinions of others, with a view, without wishing to sound too pretentious, of helping to foster a little understanding and enlightenment. And I'm as open to being enlightened as anyone, so if people have anything they'd like to talk about, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or e-mail me. Any responses to the questions are welcome, however critical or congratulatory, but, please, no personal abuse - I'm looking to generate light, not heat.
I hope to hear from all of you fellow citizens of cyberspace soon!


Best wishes
Querent