Human Rights Yes, But No Common Sense

In recent months there have been a significant number of cases that most of us view with incredulity. Examples include :

The hate campaigner, Abu Qatada with his constant appeals then the European Court of Human Rights backing him.

Psychopaths like Jeremy Bamber who have a proper ‘Life’ sentence for their despicable crimes going to the European Court of Human Rights to have it reduced and winning.

There was a ruling by the European Convention on Human Rights that found the Human Rights Act applies to British soldiers while on both British military bases abroad and on the battlefield.

Another ECHR ruling is that we must give prisoners the vote as not doing so denies them their Human Rights.

Then we have the unnecessary case of Sgt Danny Knightingale the former SAS sniper being found guilty of illegally possessing a gun.

Madness

Common sense has gone out of the window these days. The Human Rights Act needs to be re-written to get rid of the abuses and abusers of the law.

Theresa May said in a speech a few months ago that: "We need to stop human rights legislation interfering with our ability to fight crime and control immigration. That's why, as our last manifesto promised, the next Conservative government will scrap the Human Rights Act, and it's why we should also consider very carefully our relationship with the European Court of Human Rights and the convention it enforces. When Strasbourg constantly moves the goalposts and prevents the deportation of dangerous men like Abu Qatada, we have to ask ourselves to what end are we signatories to the convention?"

A rarity! A Tory Minister from this Government actually talking sense. Is our membership of the ECHRs really limiting human rights abuses in other countries? I'm sceptical. But I have to ask, are we restricting our ability to act in our own national interest? Are we conceding that our own Supreme Court is not supreme?

I'd like to see the UK pull out of the EU so we have sovereignty to make our own decisions, but the current breed of spineless Tories are the last people I'd trust with human rights, employment rights etc as they appear to be amoral and on the side of the rich and wealthy. They're out to divide & rule, whilst us ordinary Brits are bled dry. Cameron has previously said he would scrap the Human Rights Act and change it to Human Responsibility, so far though nothing has happened as usual with him.

Decide ourselves

I'm sure, that we can unilaterally decide issues of genuine Human Rights. Too many cases in the UK are having ridiculous ECHR edicts thrust upon us. All this garbage such as, "it's an infringement of a prisoner's human rights" to not be allowed to vote. As far as I'm concerned if they can’t behave as a law abiding citizen then they lose that right.

The European Court has stated that it is supposedly an infringement of our human rights to have our DNA taken. If there was a DNA database of every British national from birth or for anyone choosing to live here I guarantee lives would be saved and it would be a huge weapon in the fight against crime. It wouldn't bother me in the slightest if the Police had my DNA on file because I don't intend in engaging in criminal activity.

Before the dreaded Human Rights Act reared its ugly head, life in the UK was pretty much the same as it is today. The only difference was that terrorists could be easily deported to face swift justice overseas. We are now having our hands excessively tied by Europe when it comes to deporting terrorists and criminals.

  

Family Life

One of my big bug bears with the Human Rights Act is that everyone is entitled to a family life. That’s fine, I totally agree, but only to the point where you become a criminal. At that moment you should lose your rights while you complete your punishment.

  

Amending not abolishing

I’m not saying do away with human rights, just that the UK should be in control of deciding what constitutes as a genuine human rights issue. We need to cut out all the loopholes that smart defence lawyers use to their advantage, and which frankly make a mockery of true justice.

We need to ensure we’re not in danger of throwing out the baby with the bathwater. The convention needs amending so toxic individuals like Qatada cannot hide behind it and we can get shut of them without it costing millions, but at the same time I would like to think we are still a civilised country with a respect for human rights and all that entails.

If someone is found guilty by due process then they have the right to appeal, that’s fair enough. If the appeal fails, after due process then that’s it. They should be either banged up or deported. It’s the endless exhaustive appeals dragging on for years and exploited by greedy Human Rights lawyers that cause the problem and why I believe the convention needs changing because without doubt, it is being abused.

The Human Rights Act should be retained but rewritten to take out most or all of the abuses of it. We have all heard of the ways in which this legislation has been abused. From Afghan hijackers to denying heroin to convicted criminals, the list is endless and needs to be brought to a halt.

Asylum Seekers

Human rights laws say asylum seekers must stop and stay at the first country they reach where they feel safe. Yet they all still come here.  So asylum seekers don’t consider places like France, Italy or Spain are safe? Please! The sooner we wake up to the fact that they have a perception they’ll get all our benefits if they come here the better. Personally, I think sending the asylum seekers back to the first EU Country they come to by using those laws would answer the problem.

 

There again, just about every other country sticks up two fingers to those rulings, anyway, while we accept every tiny aspect.

No Common Sense in Society – The Bigger Issue

Society today has put a disproportionate emphasis on the Human Rights of each individual and eroded the importance of the individual’s responsibilities to their society.

Because of this, people, particularly, some of the younger generation appear to have less or no respect for authority, older people or other people’s property and are generally less courteous and well mannered.

Running parallel to this is the Claims Culture. We are now almost conditioned not to go to someone else’s assistance in case we fall foul of the law or are sued for trying to help when something goes wrong. How did we get here? This just shouldn’t be the case, surely it’s both common sense and neighbourly to go to some else’s assistance and help where we can.

Schools which used to send children abroad on exchange trips are obliged to ensure that everyone, at home and abroad, offering accommodation to the visiting children is police checked, furthermore that all the accompanying adults have first aid training, however, before applying any medication they must have the child’s consent. So in the case of a diabetic child who becomes hypo-glycaemic and falls unconscious and therefore unable to request assistance, the first aid trained accompanying adults are unable to provide what could be life saving insulin injection, for fear of being sued or prosecuted.

Similarly, if we make a mistake and have an accident we should accept full responsibility for our actions, we shouldn’t be looking to push the responsibility all the time to a third party in the hope that we can sue them for compensation. To err is human, it’s common sense.

When I was young, if a youth did something wrong in public, a policeman might give them a clip round the ear and tell them off and that would be the end of it. Nowadays, this would be construed as assault and police officer would be suspended and charged. The youth wins and continues to do wrong because they know they’ll get away with it. Bad behaviour that was simply nipped in the bud years ago is now left to fester and grow.

Will we ever get back to having strong, close knit communities looking out for one another with the full protection of the law behind them? We should, but I can’t see it.

We are all responsible

We all have the common sense responsibilities to behave well; not be aggressive; violent or harm others; not to be cruel; not to be anti-social; to help and assist others; not to drop litter; to uphold the law for the good of society and the local community in which we live; not to steal or be dishonest; and to protect other people’s property as you would protect your own.

Two World Wars were fought to defend this freedom of ours, today people are just giving it up without even batting an eyelid.  It’s an insult to the people who have died protecting this country.  That lack of gratitude makes them unworthy of the sacrifices made on their behalf.

If a political party stood up and said what I’ve said I’m sure they’d get the vote of a majority of the general, law-abiding population. But they won’t, it’s not ‘Politically Correct’ to say it, but that’s another issue for another day.