A new Mind report relates a shocking catalogue of harassment, assault, victimisation and discrimination against those who suffer from mental health problems in England and Wales. This leads me to wonder about therapeutic treatment for people who are so discriminated against — when someone is factually being persecuted in their own home, where does paranoia begin?
“Reclaim the night” is a women-only march in London, demanding justice for rape victims in a country in which, according to the British Crime Survey (2001) there are an estimated 47,000 rapes every year, around 40,000 attempted rapes and over 300,000 sexual assaults — with a paltry conviction rate of 5.3%.
As the UK government moves to make it a crime to justify terrorist acts, I have to ask: don’t mainstream journalists justify terrorism every time they use the phrase ‘in response to’ in a description of terrorist acts, as they are particularly accustomed to doing when reporting on the conflict between the state of Israel and Palestinians?
For many of us, listening to music adds to our quality of life — and even helps maintain our mental health. So how would it feel if you suddenly found yourself at a paid download service selling music for one-tenth what iTunes charges? What if you could download entire albums for less than you’d spend on a cup of coffee? Would you grab all you could? (After all, it is good for your mental health, right?) What about those nagging ethical questions telling you such a cheap music download service could not possibly be legitimate? Yesterday, I had exactly that experience. I’d like to hear how others might experience it!
As a video message from one of the London suicide bombers offers the first direct glimpse into terrorist motivations and psychology, public statements from politicians continue to suggest that they are unwilling or unable to engage in fact-based analysis of the terrorist threat.
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