Joined up thinking
As the SNP announced their plans to consider bringing forward legislation that might allow people to vote at age 16, according to the Gazette Bruce Crawford, the Parliamentary Business Manager said:
We cannot on the one hand say we are interested in the views of young people while on the other refusing them access to the ballot box until they are 18.
According to the YSI spokesman (visit their Bebo page and see how many members are under 25 and living on the islands!):
"How can the older generation expect a young citizen to fully embrace a society which treats them as second rate? Without the right to vote those of the ages 16 and 17 are being denied their democratic rights as an adult," he expressed.
That was last week.
This week, yet another consultation about a possible plan to maybe do something (this used to be called 'flying a kite'):
The Scottish Government is considering imposing a minimum price for alcohol based on its strength[....]
Increasing the age for buying drink from off-licences in Scotland from 18 to 21 is another suggestion.
Which given that taxation is a reserved power is a non-starter. Which might be the intention (as I think I might have said about other policies on a number of occasions.)
So you are a 20 year-old married student, studying (let's say) Theology at the Free Church College and you want to by a bottle of Cava to celebrate the birth of your first child. Going to the Co-op, Oddbins or even the finest vitners will be a criminal offense, so your only options are going into a pub or ordering it on the internet; which of-course is unrestricted.
Are we going to see neds going on a booze cruise to Carlisle or Berwick? Or just ordering the Buckast straight from the supermarket - after all Tesco and the Co-op will deliver in the locality. However, they do ask for your date of birth, as a security check.
"The Nanny State" I heard someone cry when this came on the radio. That however implies ability, care and genuine belief in what you are trying to do, rather than just going for easy headline.
We cannot on the one hand say we are interested in the views of young people while on the other refusing them access to the ballot box until they are 18.
According to the YSI spokesman (visit their Bebo page and see how many members are under 25 and living on the islands!):
"How can the older generation expect a young citizen to fully embrace a society which treats them as second rate? Without the right to vote those of the ages 16 and 17 are being denied their democratic rights as an adult," he expressed.
That was last week.
This week, yet another consultation about a possible plan to maybe do something (this used to be called 'flying a kite'):
The Scottish Government is considering imposing a minimum price for alcohol based on its strength[....]
Increasing the age for buying drink from off-licences in Scotland from 18 to 21 is another suggestion.
Which given that taxation is a reserved power is a non-starter. Which might be the intention (as I think I might have said about other policies on a number of occasions.)
So you are a 20 year-old married student, studying (let's say) Theology at the Free Church College and you want to by a bottle of Cava to celebrate the birth of your first child. Going to the Co-op, Oddbins or even the finest vitners will be a criminal offense, so your only options are going into a pub or ordering it on the internet; which of-course is unrestricted.
Are we going to see neds going on a booze cruise to Carlisle or Berwick? Or just ordering the Buckast straight from the supermarket - after all Tesco and the Co-op will deliver in the locality. However, they do ask for your date of birth, as a security check.
"The Nanny State" I heard someone cry when this came on the radio. That however implies ability, care and genuine belief in what you are trying to do, rather than just going for easy headline.
4 comments:
Salmond is a control freak. He would have us all turning into Stepford Wives if he had the chance.
Winston Churchill said on losing the 1945 election "When you get socialisum you get the Gestapo"
The trouble in Scotland is we have both major parties as left of centre (if you forget a few zenaphobic bigots that hide in the SNP) so you will always have central control polocies.
So we have the ultra control freak in London in Brown and our own Nationlist Controller in Edinburgh.
Talking of controller if Salmon puts on much more weight at our expense we can re-christen him the Fat Controller.
People under 21 behave badly enough after a carton of Ribena, never mind a bottle of Buckfast. Round up all those who think that education or employment are lifestyle options and fling them in the army where their energies can then be diverted into more useful activities. Better that than than sitting in a darkened room smoking pot and surfing porn on the internet.
"Winston Churchill said on losing the 1945 election "When you get socialisum you get the Gestapo"
This is the sort of English up with which I will not put.
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