UK: Abuse Of Uniformed Troops To Become A Crime
Of course this measure had to be made due to the lefts form of “Support The Troops” mantra.
Telegraph UK
Abusing troops in uniform will be treated as a criminal offence on a par with a racist attack under a package of Government-backed measures to improve relations between the public and the Armed Forces.
Following a series of incidents in which servicemen and women in uniform have been barred from stores or abused on the streets, a report ordered by the Prime Minister has recommended legislation to outlaw discrimination.
The Nation Recognition of our Armed Forces report, written by Quentin Davies, MP, highlighted one incident in which an officer in full dress uniform was refused entrance to Harrods after attending a Remembrance Sunday parade.
The store, owned by Mohamed Fayed, has insisted on barring troops in combat fatigues which the report said was “quite unacceptable”.
Discrimination against members of the military should “not be tolerated”, the report said, especially against those who “risk their lives for their country”.
Mr Davies recommended that assaults or threats of violence against anyone in uniform should be considered an aggravated offence, in a similar way that racism is an aggravating factor in such crimes.
Bob Ainsworth, the Armed Forces Minister, said the Government was now engaged in discussions about how such a law could be introduced.
“We’ve all heard of the instances of military people being discriminated against,” he said.
“I do not believe that they are widespread, but I do believe they are totally and utterly unacceptable.”
He added that they were no different to other forms of discrimination and needed to be outlawed.
Other incidents of discrimination highlighted by the report included troops at Birmingham and Edinburgh Airports being told to change into civilian clothes or avoid public areas, injured veterans being abused by members of the public at a swimming pool, and intimidation and abuse levelled at RAF personnel in parts of Peterborough.
The latter incident was highlighted after personnel there were told not to wear their uniform in public to avoid further incidents.
While the “current pressure” on the overstretched forces meant that reviving the Royal Tournament was unlikely, it suggested creating a “modern equivalent”, the paper suggested.
It was also proposed to relax rules that prohibit senior commanders from talking to the national press or MPs without the permission of the Ministry of Defence.
With just 260 cadet forces out of 6,400 secondary schools, the report recommended that more comprehensives set up their own units to learn about military values.
Mr Ainsworth also confirmed that the Government was considering marking a new national day of celebration of the Armed Forces by making it a public holiday.
Asked about the report’s call for an Armed Forces and Veterans’ Day, he said: “We need to look at the details of how and when we do this.”
Mr Davies, who defected from the Tories to Labour last year, also recommended that troops should be encouraged to wear military dress on all appropriate occasions in public.
The report also suggested more onus on local councils to ensure local units returning from the frontline are given home-coming parades.
The Ministry of Defence said it would respond in detail to the recommendations later in the year but was already working on ways to create an Armed Forces and Veterans’ Day , encourage uniform-wearing, expand cadet forces and encourage more parades.
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so, uniforms, burkas will be equally prohibited, good !
though the bobbies will have to keep theirs on,
in case one doesn’t kow on whom to shoot a rotten tomatoes
May 20th, 2008 at 10:35 amUmm…Franchie? Might want to brush up on your English a bit.
The article specifically deals with the effort to *stop* discrimination against those in uniform. It is not an effort to get their soldiers to stop wearing their uniforms.
And good for them. About high time someone is trying to do something over there.
May 20th, 2008 at 10:46 amRight ON
May 20th, 2008 at 11:09 amWell its definitely a step in the right direction.
next law should be to stop jerking off the Jihadis in Londonistan, and instead take back their country from them.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:14 amIacobus, that was my idea, in a coded language of mine
May 20th, 2008 at 11:15 amFranchie
your coded language
May 20th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Fayed is doing his own part for the war effort. But whose side is he on?
May 20th, 2008 at 11:32 amWon’t help anything. You can’t legislate public opinion, and its currently trendy to be an anti-soldier jackass in the UK right now.
Invite those ladies and gents to come join us over here, where they’ll be appreciated. Their leaders may be ineffectual dickweeds, but a Brit in uniform is always welcome here.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:32 amwhat really sux about this whole thing, is the need for a law. they shouldn’t have to be protected under a threat from a “judicial hammer”. its just common sense, someone who has volunteered to wear the uniform of their country, and purposefully put themselves at risk, should not have to fear the people they’ve sworn to protect. they should be able to wear it openly and proudly! this is the result of the left’s insanity!
May 20th, 2008 at 11:50 amI personally wish all of their soldiers would move over here, join up with us and let the haters over there rot. it really is a sad day when there needs to be a law in order to fill the lack of respect with silence instead of embedded appreciation.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:58 pmI agree wholeheartedly!
Move America Forward has hired a lawyer to bring charges against Berkley for allowing the constant harrassment and defacement of property on the Marine Recruiting Station by the Code Pinkos.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:39 pmIf Move America Foraward is bringing charges against the pinkos thats great, but they should not have to. Thats what we pay our taxes are for…
May 20th, 2008 at 3:06 pmWhat? No more buggery?
May 20th, 2008 at 5:54 pmOnce again we go back to Kipling:
I went into a public-’ouse to get a pint o’beer,
The publican ‘e up an’ sez, “We serve no red-coats here.”
The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an’ to myself sez I:
O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”;
But it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins,” when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it’s “Thank you, Mr. Atkins,” when the band begins to play.
I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-’alls,
But when it comes to fightin’, Lord! they’ll shove me in the stalls!
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, wait outside”;
But it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide,
The troopship’s on the tide, my boys, the troopship’s on the tide,
O it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide.
Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap;
An’ hustlin’ drunken soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit.
Then it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy how’s yer soul?”
But it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll.
We aren’t no thin red ‘eroes, nor we aren’t no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An’ if sometimes our conduck isn’t all your fancy paints:
Why, single men in barricks don’t grow into plaster saints;
While it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, fall be’ind,”
But it’s “Please to walk in front, sir,” when there’s trouble in the wind,
There’s trouble in the wind, my boys, there’s trouble in the wind,
O it’s “Please to walk in front, sir,” when there’s trouble in the wind.
You talk o’ better food for us, an’ schools, an’ fires an’ all:
We’ll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow’s Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.
For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!”
But it’s “Saviour of ‘is country,” when the guns begin to shoot;
An’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;
But Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool - you bet that Tommy sees
Some things never change.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:01 pmTBetc.;
May 20th, 2008 at 9:57 pmThat should be a required memorization piece for UK students, all grades, all schools.
franchie;
May 20th, 2008 at 9:58 pmI think your code needs some debugging. Get help, ASAP!
Brian, true for the average, not if your an initiated, then you need the clue : empathy
May 21st, 2008 at 1:23 amcall your state reps and ask them to sponsor this bill. It’s an election year…who would vote against the troops?
May 21st, 2008 at 7:17 am