Give them a slap

[usedbustickets]

quote:sandgrounder    Posted - 27 March 2011 : 15:06:08 I can't understand why people march anyway. Nothing ever changes. Politicians will never take any notice of what the people want!

Sandgrounder perhaps you've not felt strongly enough about an issue to make your voice heard, particularly making your voice heard on behalf of others.  Thankfully there are people who will get up out of their armchairs to make a point to politicians, not just a very important right in a democarcy, but perhaps a duty as well.

Sometimes you are going to win the argument with the politicians, sometimes you are going to lose ... but it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all

[usedbustickets]

Highlander I'm not suggesting that they do not report it, but they should get it in perspective in their coverage against the main event which was a successful and peaceful march by probably half a million people.  Sadly yobs kicking in windows is a regular weekend occurance on many high streets these days, but you don't see those making the front page or the main item on the news.

[peter16]

Could be that the police want the march to be more successful,this time around they are also in line for job cuts.

[Highlander]

usedbustickets - I would say that the reports I saw did put the violence in proper perspective. So we will have to agree to disagree on that aspect I fear.

[sandgrounder]

quote:Originally posted by usedbustickets

quote:sandgrounder    Posted - 27 March 2011 : 15:06:08 I can't understand why people march anyway. Nothing ever changes. Politicians will never take any notice of what the people want!

Sandgrounder perhaps you've not felt strongly enough about an issue to make your voice heard, particularly making your voice heard on behalf of others.  Thankfully there are people who will get up out of their armchairs to make a point to politicians, not just a very important right in a democarcy, but perhaps a duty as well.

Sometimes you are going to win the argument with the politicians, sometimes you are going to lose ... but it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all

Do you really think that Cameron and Clegg will take any notice? They will take just as much notice as Blair and Brown did when they held the Aces!

[Colwyn]

The Government has, so far, made u-turns on withdrawing funding to school sports partnerships, anonymity for rape suspects, employing the leader's personal photographer as a civil servant, withdrawing Bookstart funding for young children, closing down NHS Direct and the sale of our national forests. In all of these the role of public protest was crucial. So, yes, protest sometimes does work.

[sandgrounder]

quote:Originally posted by Colwyn

The Government has, so far, made u-turns on withdrawing funding to school sports partnerships, anonymity for rape suspects, employing the leader's personal photographer as a civil servant, withdrawing Bookstart funding for young children, closing down NHS Direct and the sale of our national forests. In all of these the role of public protest was crucial. So, yes, protest sometimes does work.

I think the "U-Turns" were more down to internal pressure rather than public pressure:D

[Colwyn]

Another Government u-turn is on the way. HMG are to announce a new funding scheme to replace Educational Maintenance Allowance for the poorest 16-19 year olds. The scrapping of EMA was, arguably, an even worse attack on public education by this rotten-to-the-core government than the massive increase in undergraduate fees. Condemnation of this plan was part of the great student protest movement of a few months ago. I hope the protesters think they have won a significant victory (even if Sandgrounder may say it was all about behind-the-scenes mutterings).