MP beaten unconscious near home

MP beaten unconscious near home

news.bbc.co.uk

Police have launched an investigation after Labour MP Anne Moffat was attacked, BBC Scotland has learned. Ms Moffat said she was mugged by a gang of drunken youths and left with broken ribs while jogging near her home, in Cockenzie, East Lothian.

The East Lothian MP was knocked unconscious and her watch and jewellery taken by her attackers.

She was treated in hospital in Edinburgh after the incident on Friday and branded her attackers "scum".

(visit the link for the full news article)

Hopefully the politicians will wake up to the extent of violence and thuggery on British streets now that one of their own has met the fate of ordinary people.

Something needs to be done to tackle this issue. National service of military or social variety, greater authority in schools, more forceful policing... basically anything apart from the status quo.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

You raise a valid point however National service of military type would not work.

Why you ask ?

Firstly as an ex service man myself i would not force my child into service much less let a government force my child.

However if it was my child's choice that would be fine with me.

What you suggest would be seen as some sort of blanket punishment.

Second how long do you think these kid's would take to go AWOL ?

The problem start's at home.

Most of this nation's kid's turn out bad due to the parent's not giving a rat's ass about them.

Send the parent's into national service if anything.

Teach the parent's how to behave and the kid's might follow suit.

Take care.

Regards
Lee










[edit on 25-5-2008 by h3akalee]

i live near this place, if she went out on a friday or satarday night she was a little nieve , im in no way saying her been attacked was good, she obviously didnt realise what its like at weekends...
thing is i cannot see anyway to sort this major issue without effecting the whole population, eg stricter booze laws, more ID, curfews' and so on eroding our freedom. there is a reason its got this bad.....

I can see action taken almost immediately given that someone in the political arena has literally taken it on the chin. Not that I condone this type of violence but if this were the average joe life would merrily go on. With all the scum out on the streets these days much harsher penalties do need to happen. In some twisted way this may be a good thing (obviously not to the victim).

brill

I was mugged - left unconscious with broken ribs not all that long ago, quite similar really except I'm not daft enough to jog anywhere (I God intended me to exercise he wouldn't of made me so lazy!) I was bad enough that I was unconscious when the ambulance found me (it was right next to the main road through my town) - the crew thought I'd been hit by a car! It was only when a driver who was passing as I was knocked out came back to check on me (I can't remember any thing at all).

All I got was a lift home, I was probably concussed or something cos the report says I insisted I was OK and wanted to go home. A week or so later a copper came round for a cup of tea and said "nothing we can do - you can't remember anything, so you can't help us - no CCTV, case closed!"

It was 1/2 a mile from my house - for all I know whoever did it see's me all the time... Good job I'm not too bothered, I could see how it would really affect others, all that happened to me was I put on weight and lost loads of work

Guess you have to be a loud mouthed overpaid MP to get on the BBC website!

(this post was prob more of a mini rant than contributing to the thread - oh well!)

reply to post by h3akalee


Agreed. In fact mandatory national service would affect the economy by stopping intelligent people from going into university earlier and contributing to the economy.

Hence a split system should be in place. 3 options for school leavers:

1. University course. There ought to be regulations imposed to stop ridiculous subjects such as "David Beckham studies" from counting; minimum attainment at board exams a necessity for any course.

2. For those not intellectually inclined, an apprenticeship or a job in an industry where they can learn skills, contribute to the economy and be proud members of society. Anyone who wants an apprenticeship should be guaranteed a place somehow... this would also eliminate the supposed shortage of manual skilled labour.

3. For those that do not want either of the above options, mandatory military or civilian service. Either learn to fire a rifle in defence of your nation, or clean up its path etc.

What would not be an option is loitering about doing nothing, claiming welfare from the state to spend on booze and cigarettes and, run around mugging people for drug money.... which is somewhat reminiscent of the current situation.

[edit on 25-5-2008 by 44soulslayer]

Another victim of the sick and pointless "gang culture" shes very lucky she wasn't stabbed or worse, thats how it ends for a lot of people these days, coming from a council estate myself I see this kind of stuff all to often, in situations like this you only have two options, stand your ground and fight or run your a*** off and hope they cant catch you.

The way the police in my area have been trying to combat this is by......yep you've guessed itstalling CCTV cameras on street corners! do they stop the trouble? hell no! if anything its been getting progressively worse year after year, it may sound strange but I think the police are letting this culture grow on purpose.

reply to post by 44soulslayer


I dont agree with anything you posted.

There is a thing called the free spirit.

It's blatent in your post that you do not beleive or maybe understand what this mean's.

Forcing human being's into certain catagories or to take a certain path is the greatest insult i can imagine.

There should always be a choice it should always be down to the individual.

No matter if that choice is to become priminister or to become a murderer.

So on that note i will leave this thread well alone.

Take care.

Regards
Lee









[edit on 25-5-2008 by h3akalee]

reply to post by 44soulslayer


Could'nt agree more!

When i see the state of this country, and the laughing stock our justice system is, i swear sometimes i feel that my kids are all thats stopping me going into the vigilante business!

CX.

reply to post by h3akalee


Fair enough, thats your opinion to have.

I only proposed a system such as this because we have an entrenched system of governance. There is no true libertarian alternative to this form of government.

As such, a system of free choice which you propose (and is currently in place) is not optimal because it leaves people to claim welfare off the state and run amok in violence due to their own laziness and inability.

So the choice in my opinion is clear. Either have a purely libertarian society whereby I am not forced to pay tax to subsidize the "free will" of thugs; or have a society where there is a safety net of welfare, infrastructure etc etc but have options for people to take and bracket them.

I hope you will come back and let me know your views! Please dont give up on debate, even if you disagree with me.

Who you are makes a BIG diference in police response.

Some years ago United States Senator William Proxmire (of Wisconsin) was mugged while he was jogging in Washington D. C. By noon the next day the FBI (not the local police) had arrested the muggers. This was because he was a member of Congress, not a private citizen, who the police would have ignored until the corpse began to smell.


As for vigilante action, I like the way one person cleaned the drug houses out of his neigborhood.

One Sunday a classified ad was placed in the paper reading:

Buisness Opportunity- Perfect location for drug dealing. Sucessful houses opperating at -----street addresses---- . Ask about the police department's "NO HASSLE POLICY". Call: ---Mayor's Phone--- ---Police Chief's Phone--- ---Prosecuting Atttorney's Phone---

All the houses were raided by Sunday noon and Bulldozed by Monday night.

(I guess the officials did not like the phone calls they got about "How dare you offer a house for drug dealing?????!!!!!")

Now if the advertisment sugested that was a good area for a mugger to set up shop because the police would not bother them.......

Public service of some kind right after High School, if your not going on to colledge or two years after you graduate or flunk out of colledge. Only thing I can see wrong with this is that these public service type groups would be run by the incompitant relatives of those incompitant politicians who would vote it in. Then there would be the inevitable lawsuits over pay and benefits,..... slavery,..... lack of medical,......dental,...... opticle,....... retirement,......lunch periods,...vacation,........ sickdays payed.....adinfinitum!!!!! Nawww, wouldn't work!!!


Zindo

Yes of course .....
scream for more police and tougher laws
You have absolutely no idea this is what they want you to shout
your that braindead that you really think its more dangerous now ...
BS! late 70 you had a much higher chance to get your head kicked in then now ..
Kids are kids and yes they do stupid criminal things
Its not worse then it was so stop your Police state propaganda
The status que is right as it is
stop wasting all my tax money on WAR and stuff some in entertainment for the kids
Stop your BS about Crime is UP and your helpless pathetic calls fro the government to help us because the kids are out of control
You are really that blinded ?
Just another step into the direction they want you to turn ..
ask the government
dont blame parents NO NO NO instead shout for LAWS to be made and ACTIONS to be taken against our children . Yes your so blind ...its a joke really . go on , help the pigs even furtehr to remove the unit called family
Not long and all kids are property of the state you will see ....
and people like you make it happen

Shame on you for beeing so blind and conditioned

BUT stay on ATS to educate yourself and build some more twisted mindlfows completely removed form the world

mmm, i wonder how long it will be before the stasi, sorry police, arrest every known mugger in the vicinity?

i think the uk has a problem with youth crime as there is no corporal punishment in school, if you know from a young age that if you do something wrong you get punished, they would think twice about doing it.
the stasi, sorry police have no respect from these people as they know that the police cant do anything to them and if they go to court the judges let them go free as the gaols are full, and if they go to gaol all of there mates are there getting stoned-some punishment eh?

Ya see... now if we would start beating our congress people unconscious on a regular basis they might start listening to the people.

The solution is not a bigger and more agressive government, the solution is a smaller government with poeple showing love and respect towards each other more, more personal responcibility, not government respocibility.

-Jimmy

I was carjacked by some of these little b******* a few years back, and now have PTSD, there is only one way to deal with these kids in the intrim, and that is a piece of their own medicine, but nobody is going to allow vigilantes to do anything, so my plan would be this.

Arrest the ones responsible then sentence then to 200 hrs of community service, but this time instead of letting them do silly little jobs, put them all in the brightest orange boiler suits you can find, slap on an ankle tag, and make them repeatedly sweep the streets or clean graffiti in the area the crime was committed and the area they live, No talking or letting on to people just make them work so everyone can see justice being done, if they stop and chat with friends each violation adds an hour to their sentence, we would soon see how cool the b******** think they are, and it would deter others from doing it. you cant be cool in a bright orange suit, and if they decide orange is to be their new medal of honour, make them wear the colours from the football team they hate.

something has to give, and if it goes o like it is, i can see vigilantes doing it for us. i know i wouldnt think twice doing to those what they did to me and my family.

One more thing after the police where called and who didnt lift a finger, the next day they mistook the guy next door for me, he had the same type of car, he woke up to a home made nail bomb on his car, if they hadnt been seen tampering with his car and him being told, i doubt he would be alive or his kids who he was taking to school, so ant doo gooders out there want to bitch to me about being to harsh, think again because one day its going to be you or yours.. I GUARANTEE IT.. do gooders are the ones to blame for the mess we are in, saying we are too hard on the thugs and taking them on day trips, people like that are just suckers for the puppy pout. and bring back the cane also.

These knee jerk reactions always tickle me:

"MORE POLICE"

"MORE PRISONS"

"TOUGHER SENTENCING"

"NATIONAL SERVICE"

etc etc

The fact of the matter is, that street crime has gone on since streets were invented.

Rome was a very dangerous city after dark, as was london in victorian and pre-victorian times.

Name any city on earth, and the conclusion will be the same with very few exceptions.

As for this idea that gang culture is something new - more rubbish.

Gang culture has always existed.

The idea that military service would somehow straighten ALL criminals out is another fallacy - it's more likely to make them efficient killers, if anything.
A quote from wellington:
"People talk of their enlisting from their fine military feeling - all stuff - no such thing. Some of our men enlist from having got bastard children -- some for minor offences -- many more for drink."

So to re-cap;
it's always gone on - the culture of drink has been with us since alcohol was invented, and drugs are merely a natural progression of that culture.
Street gangs and street crime have been with us for thousands of years - and yet some misguided souls believe that after all this time, they are the bright sparks who can stop it and who are the ones who have "found the answer"

reply to post by budski


A lecture against knee-jerk responses from someone who supported the 1997 handgun bans!

Seriously, Budski... I only put forth a couple of suggestions. What else could be done to tackle aberrant behaviour? I have no alternatives, perhaps you could enlighten me?

Are you suggesting that such behaviour is wholely normal, has been for centuries, and should continue to be so unchecked until the end of time?

If national service or better policing are not going to affect the levels of crime, what will?

National service will straighten out criminals from my (admittedly limited) experience. Kids would come into the corps at age 14 acting like brats. They left at 18 sensible leaders. All it took was the military environment in the CCF. Perhaps you may attribute their change to something else, but in my humble opinion it was the corps that caused the change in their attitude.

Edit to add: Im interested in the supposedly "softer" measures that may be taken as well. An example would be funding inner city boxing gym associations such as Boris is planning on doing in London. Will this really make a noticeable dent in crime?


[edit on 26-5-2008 by 44soulslayer]