Cold World Shadow

*These topics could almost write themselves these days but certain topics require more than Twitter

Boxing. Whenever a fighter is seriously injured, the ban hammers emerge wielded by the paper party mob (who to be fair have good intentions and there is nothing wrong with that of course). Boxing is a dangerous sport and nobody wants to see young men and women damaged. But a ban? Come now my friends, if we are going to stop something that might lead to harm, then we might as well get started on a pretty long list of eligible sport/hobbies.
Formula 1, motor sport, rugby, rock climbing, horse racing, even football (wouldn't want the precious dears breaking a fingernail now would we). Allow me a sip of tea on this cold Easter monday, oils the cogs. I admit, I am fairly surprised boxing has lasted as long as it has in this soulless, new world of cotton hearts and yoghurt knitters. This is an era of safety first and damn the consequences, to hell with the future James Hunts and Jack Dempseys. Thou shall not follow a path that might lead to a stubbed toe or split lips.
Are ye with me here? This attitude is infinitely the more dangerous. People aren't daft (mostly), we know the risks and simply chucking a few bans around really won't help, all that does is drive the sport underground to the badlands where the few rules that are in place are not enforced, a place where danger is multiplied tenfold. Im sure the staunchest yoghurt knitter wants this?

*****

Ban. Ban this, ban that. It must be hard living a life with hazard lights on. I don't know how they do it, really I don't. But then I have no iron morals to answer to. Its why the anti death, guns, hunting rabble can't get a bead on me online. All the names are true my friends, even the bad ones (hell especially the bad ones). You can't figh a honest reflection. Now obviously I do have morals and right and wrongs but im a poet before all else and in an effort to power up words its essential to play fast and loose with words.

Llawer o Cariad, a pasg hapus/lots of love and happy Easter x

The Gun Jaws and Changes

First things first, yes you read the title correct. Im being 'artsy', forgive me, sometimes I can't resist it.
Secondly I understand the "right to bear arms" but before we bear arms here, sit and bear with me a while. Thank you.

The husband of the US politician Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in Arizona, has called for action on America's gun laws following the latest mass shooting where 26 people were killed, 20 of them children. And I understand how Mr Giffords must feel (we never learn) but is now the time?
Shouldn't we be thinking about those who perished? Souls gone way before their time, before they even had chance to breathe proper?
As for doing what Mr Giffords suggests, America will have to either change their mindset to maybe a Swiss model (own guns but one of safest countries regarding gun crime), or introduce much tighter gun controls in the near future. It can be done. We managed to successfully ban smoking (almost) everywhere and tobacco was equally as widespread, powerfully lobbied for, and supported by the majority.
All it would take is a prolonged campaign to change the public mindset toward firearms and gun ownership. Until then, America will always have to deal with these kind of bloody shootings. Worse it will get im afraid but alas, Mankind seems to enjoy mourning, we never learn a damned thing. All that happens is prayers and flowery photographs will be shared on social media, some will weep a little but like the other massacres that went before it, most people will forget and carry on. They always do. And the saddest part is that sympathy is diluted by events we are doomed to repeat. Heres the general feeling from the rest of the world right now:

"Listening to the Americans online I give up. Its ridiculous. Who cares anymore? Let them have their precious right to bear arms and we will just watch in horror as they kill each other. If the needless slaughter of their own children with legally bought battlefield grade weaponry in a primary school doesn't change their views, frankly nothing ever will."

People are frustrated and angry, grief is paused while the world digests this latest terrible episode in its history. We understand how Americans feel about the 2nd Amendment, "the right to bear arms". We get it we really do but when we hear about protecting homes from home invasions etc one cannot fail to wonder if our friends across the pond spend too much time living in fear. And I wonder if a person can truly see themselves as free if they live in such fear?
Its not all doom however because Dai Jakes has been buoyed by hope this morning on hearing what President Obama has said; "These tragedies have to end, and to end them we must change. We, as a nation, are left with hard questions."
Yes you are, and I for one dont envy you at all. You must be prepared for Change (capital C.) I just pray its not more heavy rhetoric from a politician eager to soothe the pain of a nation. (I want them to be soothed but not by a paper tongue.) I love the United States and hate how it is being judged so poorly/harshly during these awful days of anguish by other countries citizens. They'll say they care not of course but don't believe it. They care, just as we do for them.
I dont wish to see a total ban on firearms (though in the same breath im glad we don't have this fear to need to rely on weapons here in the UK.) Just stricter controls on the damned things. Is this really too much to ask in the wake of this latest incident?

*By the way as a footnote; most people would be hesitant to shoot an intruder in their home, especially when confronted with real danger of losing their own life. (And the simple fact that its not easy taking a persons life, even if they are putting you at peril.) The average gun toting home owner is more likely to be the one on the sorry end.

Thug Idol

Are we really all that bothered by acts of violence in sports? Boxers David Haye and Derek Chisora ended up brawling at press conference and after the initial faux outrage in the headlines from newspapers and calls for lifetime bans, everything calmed down to the extent that this pair are now due to meet in a big figh night at Upton Park which will earn each of them nice paydays. And yesterday footballer Joey Barton saw red (again) and even after being handed a red card went on to try and headbutt and kick other players. Yet again there was the initial calls for Barton's head and banishment from football but this morning reports say he could only be facing a nine match ban. Like I said, faux outrage.
Whatever happened to sportsmanship and respect for the opposition? We are not that sincere when we say we would like to see it in our sporting events because we allow the thugs to continue to thrive and to hell with any decency. The commentators and journalists who condemn thuggery in one breath but say the player should carry on playing in another are simply pillars of bullshit and ought to be ignored like the idiots they support.


Handbags at dawn

Now im not for one minute saying players shouldn't be passionate about winning and obviously there are going to be times when aggression spills over in the heat of the moment but there must be a limit or else anarchy will reign which will cost the wholesome image of sport very dearly indeed. Do you doubt me? Well more fool you because I already believe that football is a game played only by brainless thugs who wouldn't know respect if it butted them in the face, and im not the only one so yes, by allowing players to get away with causing scenes like the one I witnessed yesterday by Barton it is indeed damaging. Is that really fair on those few who do play fairly and keep their anger in check? I don't want to dump players like David Beckham, who seems like a decent family man into the same Gucci labelled basket as oafs like Joey Barton and Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne but I can't help it. Football for me is a game played largely by pondlife and uneducated bozos, sorry Becks.
But of course it isn't only football which is guilty of 'yobbery' and I apologise for almost making it seem so. There are men (interestingly not so much women) in every sporting field who have crossed the line from being 'colourful' to downright hooligan. I dont have a problem with colourful sportsmen (think the late Brian Clough), they are much needed and sport would be infinately less without them. What sport doesn't need are people like the ones I mention in the first paragraph of this post and the sooner sporting authorities or officials realise this and ban them for LIFE the better. Believe me, football and boxing would be the richer from ditching violent thugs. Children have enough rotten role models with 'gangsta' rappers and idiot television programmes, without showing them that disgraceful behaviour can pay in sport.

Rights Away, Right Away

So more drugs are getting in prisons eh? Simple! Ban visiting to inmates. Does Dai Jakes have to think of everything? Its entirely their fault their locked up in the first place so little sympathy should afforded them. Take away their 'human rights' the instant they break the law so they cant whine we're breaching any rights, and for the term of the sentence the prisoner has less rights than a garden slug. A HMP prison visiting room must be an awfully desperate place to spend an afternoon for the family so my guess is they would be secretly over the moon at not having to travel to see their wayward family member. What doest thou think dear reader? Too draconian?
We could always go the other way and allow them all the narcotics they wish so they could drop like flies and be less burden on taxpayers? Either way works for Mr Jakes. And please don't try to bruise me with name calling (apart from 'barbaric', I like that one), its merely a suggestion and hardly ever likely to happen now is it? I burnt my toast earlier and just needed to vent.