As a retired police officer I sometimes find it difficult to understand the problems that the police have today in enforcing law and order, and in particular public order.
I talk to police officers on the streets and realise only too quickly that an era separates us. Most of them were not even born when I policed the streets, walked the beat, and occasionally became involved in very ugly demonstrations in the 1970s and very early 80s.
We were of course at an advantage. Technology was on our side. We had the radios. At the most, an organiser of a riot might have a telephone line, but more often it was just word of mouth.
The blunt events of the last week have shown the whole Nation, and by this I mean the United Kingdom, and also shown the world that social networking, media, blackberry messenger and so on, have all put the police on to the back foot. In my day, technology put us as a police force many steps ahead of criminals and rioters.
Today, there is nothing more sickening than watching media reports, a bunch of hooligans and also 'not so hooligans' standing behind the commentator, phones to ears, laughing and giggling as the voice on the other end tells them to move to the left or right a bit to get their pathetic mugs on camera. These are mindless people at each end of the line and, in extreme moments, one can feel that they are the face of future Britain - Britain in the making.
Not so.
All of us have on our minds particular images that will stay with us forever. Some of them we would rather not have. But others show a rather different Britain.
Being on the front line, as a police officer, as a firefighter, as a paramedic, is terrifying. The adrenaline rushes, the stomach churns, and there is no joy when the Inspector gives the order to his constables to charge. There is fear. And there is fear too at the thought of an army of lawyers, rubbing hands at the thought that there will be human rights abuse and a lot of dosh from the public purse; the possibility of being charged with serious criminal offences, of being brought to trial even; or if not that, then internally being reprimanded and seeing a career ruined when all one was trying to do was to maintain the Queen's Peace.
Thankfully, that problem was well and truly nailed by the Prime Minister outside Number Ten and then again in his statement to the House.
Thirty years of political correctness has done immense damage to the confidence of the police on the ground and to those in high command. As I say, I come from a different era, a different uniform, straps down and the very likely possibility of being put on a charge for allowing the truncheon strap to be seen below the tunic because that was provocative. Even the handcuffs were secured in a closed leather pouch. In those days of course we saluted.
I remember one night getting involved in a vicious fight between youths outside a nightclub. When men and women fight and draw blood it is horrible to watch and even more unpleasant to then have to somehow sort it out. So we ended up with a pitched battle; having the radio of course meant I could summon for assistance, and the fight carried on. Then the Inspector arrived! That was always a sign that matters were serious. I remember grappling with this thug - actually, later a quite pleasant lad - and holding him to the side I instinctively 'threw one up' i.e., saluted the senior officer; I remember his brown gloved hand even returning the salute.
Several other constables and sergeants were having similar fights all around outside what is now Cafe Rouge in the Cheltenham Promenade, and then within about 2 minutes we had regained control. The fighting stopped. On the way back to the station I asked this lad why, when just as they seemed to have us beat, did they all stop fighting. This rather bloodied face squinted and looked at me, my mate and then his mates - the others were in other police vehicles - and he replied, and I'll soften the language - Kaw, effin 'ell mate. That was a 'effing bad un. We 'ad you licked. But then you saluted and we just knew you lot have a lot of effin discipline.
That lad, and the others, went down for short terms, and in the years that followed we'd often chat on the street when I was walking my patch.
The sight of police officers this week standing back when apparently they are fully equipped to deal with disorder has shaken the nation. It has pulled us up short. It has exposed for all to see the damage that political correctness has done. It has shown us too the incredible discipline and fortitude of the police and all the emergency services. And it is that discipline that has stopped these riots from getting any worse.
The British Police are renowned throughout the world. They are second to none. For example, constables went out to Bosnia to teach that country's police a more democratic way of policing, and as a guest of the UN I saw that fully in operation. I remember my friend, the local police commander and constable, insisting that his officers wear the British police helmet, and it was a welcome sight after having seen the atrocities in the streets of Bcko only a year before.
The core values of British policing are still firmly in place. They've taken a terrific hammering these past 30 years because of political correctness, human rights legislation being used and abused to make money in so many cases, and a police force thus denuded of its ability to exercise its powers.
The general public has paid a very heavy price, and the fact that the riots have resulted in deaths says it all.
But there is a curious resurgence throughout the land. Sitting in Cafe Nero yesterday in the heart of Liverpool One which only the day before had been shuttered up one could not help but notice the quiet defiance of a law abiding public.
People of all ages, all groups, all communities, showing a body language that I have not seen for a long time. And as I walked through the teeming streets which only 24 hours earlier were eerily silent at 4 in the afternoon, there was a confidence in the air. It was palpable. It was a challenge to every idiot, every criminal, every thug - you just even think of causing damage and we will personally take you out.
That is the spirit of this great people. It is what always happens in the UK when a great cause is put before the people. We unite as one. We saw this in the packed House of Commons, we saw this in the fact that the Welsh, Scottish and Irish Parliaments all made their police forces available to the UK Capital and the English Cities; we saw it in the fact that the 3rd Rifles based in Glasgow were on standby. We see it in Northern Ireland, ready to come to the aid of Great Britain.
It is this that gives confidence to the world at large, to the English Speaking Peoples. Yes, we've had a bad week and we are now dealing with the problem.
We are an incredibly restrained people. It takes a great deal to get us motivated. But once a great cause is put before the people, we will not rest until we have dealt with the matter and found the solution. And we do so in a democratic way. But we will do it robustly. And this term deliberately used by the prime minister in his first address to the nation is now being carried through with over a thousand arrests thus far, and that great bastion of the people, the Magistrates Courts, sitting 24 hours round the clock.
We must listen to the justifiable grievances of people, but we must also temper it with realism - spotting those who are nothing more than criminals who hope to make out that they've had a hard time, a hard upbringing and are owed much.
One young woman was caught on camera two days ago rabbiting on about respect from the police; that when they show respect, she'll show respect. She was the classic example of the X Factor Brigade, the Celebrity Brigade, the Big Brother house syndrome. I say to you young lady. Don't waste my time with your petty arguments. Respect earns respect. So earn my respect by showing me that you are a capable young woman and able citizen. Thus far you are not. So get on your bike.
I commend, as I believe does the nation, the planned National Citizenry Service. It is what is needed.
And let us not forget that these rioters do not reflect the thoughts and attitudes of the majority of young people. Recall just how many young people throughout London and Liverpool, Manchester and Salford, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Nottingham, Bristol and Gloucester, all turned out because of twitter and facebook with their brooms, bags and dustpans.
Let us not forget the cafes and restaurants that then opened up and provided them with free coffee, tea and meals. Let us not forget the thousands of volunteers who made their way in to the areas even when the rioting was taking place, an open act of defiance to the thugs and the criminals orchestrating them, an open act of defiance to the gangland culture that has seized hold of our cities at night times.
And let us take comfort too at our approach - to be understanding and ready and able to listen to the grievances - by taking our lead from the young Malaysian who was robbed by the very people pretending to help him and which has gone round the world and shocked everyone - to see how he responded in an interview at the Malaysian Embassy. I have spent a lifetime working with young people and most surely, he epitomizes the best in what the majority of our young people here can and does give this Country.
Yes. Justice will prevail. Peace will return to our streets and with it a new resolve. As a People we will prove to the world that the Olympics are quite safe here and we will protect all - we will keep the Queen's Peace.
Ian Bradley Marshall
Liverpool
12 August 2011
Friday, 12 August 2011
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
NORWEGIAN EXAMPLE ... SYRIAN DISGRACE
When the world watched with horror and shock at the unfolding events in Oslo and Utoya a week ago, I remember distinctly asking myself how the dictatorships around the world would be reacting. In particular, I remember asking myself what would be going through the mind of the President of Syria as he goes about his daily business, suppressing those who have a different view, and trying at the same time to present to the West the image of a gracious family man.
This morning's news shows civilized peoples what that man is up to. He has been weighed in the balances and found wanting.
On the day that Norway holds its National Memorial Service in Parliament in the presence of the King and Crown Prince of Norway and of the Parliamentary President of Norway, a ruthless regime attacks its own people, kills them on the spot either by use of tanks or by snipers.
Here is the very reason why the people of Norway defied aggression, would not be put down and have demonstrated to us all the crucial importance of parliamentary democracy; moreover, that this democracy starts even in childhood as the older generation teaches its young ones how to live and how to continue to improve its democracy and freedom.
When Norway was occupied by the Nazis in World War II, the general population did that which no other occupied country did in like measure. People showed their total contempt by walking out of any shop or restaurant the moment a Nazi walked in. In the street they did that which was incomprehensible to the occupying power - the people turned their backs or walked to the other side of the street. They made it clear. The most evil regime had become a pariah in a very part of its short-lived empire that Hitler himself regarded as his "zone of destiny".
There has always been a warmth between this country and Norway, and to this day, the Christmas Tree that stands in Trafalgar Square is a gift from the Norwegian People as a mark of gratitude to the British People who tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to repel the German invaders.
The Norwegian People have set us all a tremendous example and which will serve for generations to come, as a reminder of just what democracy means, the way in which some people just cannot cope with the idea of freedom and democracy and the fact that regardless of how long the night of suppression is in any society, the light of dawn will follow and subjugated peoples will be encouraged to win back their freedom and democracy.
In the dark and evil days of 1940-1941 when the whole of Europe lay under the domination of "the most monstrous tyranny that has ever darkened and corroded the human breast", subjugated peoples in the concentration camps and elsewhere would whisper in defiance to each other the only English word they knew... 'Churchill'...'Churchill'.
Today and throughout the world the people of Hama are quietly whispering the only Norwegian word they know...'Utoya'...'Utoya'.
And just as the name Churchill filled an evil regime with dread, so too today will a small island's name Utoya fill an evil regime with dread.
For its days are numbered and there will be a reckoning. The Arab Spring will in time break out into full and glorious summer.
Ian Bradley Marshall
LIVERPOOL
1 August 2011
This morning's news shows civilized peoples what that man is up to. He has been weighed in the balances and found wanting.
On the day that Norway holds its National Memorial Service in Parliament in the presence of the King and Crown Prince of Norway and of the Parliamentary President of Norway, a ruthless regime attacks its own people, kills them on the spot either by use of tanks or by snipers.
Here is the very reason why the people of Norway defied aggression, would not be put down and have demonstrated to us all the crucial importance of parliamentary democracy; moreover, that this democracy starts even in childhood as the older generation teaches its young ones how to live and how to continue to improve its democracy and freedom.
When Norway was occupied by the Nazis in World War II, the general population did that which no other occupied country did in like measure. People showed their total contempt by walking out of any shop or restaurant the moment a Nazi walked in. In the street they did that which was incomprehensible to the occupying power - the people turned their backs or walked to the other side of the street. They made it clear. The most evil regime had become a pariah in a very part of its short-lived empire that Hitler himself regarded as his "zone of destiny".
There has always been a warmth between this country and Norway, and to this day, the Christmas Tree that stands in Trafalgar Square is a gift from the Norwegian People as a mark of gratitude to the British People who tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to repel the German invaders.
The Norwegian People have set us all a tremendous example and which will serve for generations to come, as a reminder of just what democracy means, the way in which some people just cannot cope with the idea of freedom and democracy and the fact that regardless of how long the night of suppression is in any society, the light of dawn will follow and subjugated peoples will be encouraged to win back their freedom and democracy.
In the dark and evil days of 1940-1941 when the whole of Europe lay under the domination of "the most monstrous tyranny that has ever darkened and corroded the human breast", subjugated peoples in the concentration camps and elsewhere would whisper in defiance to each other the only English word they knew... 'Churchill'...'Churchill'.
Today and throughout the world the people of Hama are quietly whispering the only Norwegian word they know...'Utoya'...'Utoya'.
And just as the name Churchill filled an evil regime with dread, so too today will a small island's name Utoya fill an evil regime with dread.
For its days are numbered and there will be a reckoning. The Arab Spring will in time break out into full and glorious summer.
Ian Bradley Marshall
LIVERPOOL
1 August 2011
Friday, 22 July 2011
APPLE AND CVN ARE INCOMPATIBLE
To the CEO and Directors of Apple
I write urgently and in respect of Apple's continued support for Christian Values Network (CVN).
I work entirely on Apple products.
I am a Christian and I am gay, and I respectfully invite Apple to view my website http://www.ianbradleymarshall.com and which stands on its own merits.
I am about to publish a second, very comprehensive anthology, which draws together Scripture and the gay lifestyle i.e. both being practised by an individual, to show that they are entirely complementary and not, as CVN would misteach, have us believe that homosexuality is an affront to GOD and "an abomination in the eyes of the LORD".
I have been delighted at the way in which Apple has been a very positive and active supporter of LGBT rights; indeed, Apple's stance on this issue has assisted me greatly in finding my own way through what was once a very oppressive and objectionable form of teaching and consequently sad life.
As a lawyer I can see that Apple has probably been caught on the backfoot. That is understandable.
Nevertheless, now that Apple has been alerted through this Petition by the All Out Campaign, it is imperative that the CEO and Directors review their policy and withdraw all support for CVN.
I note that Macy’s, Delta and Microsoft have already promptly withdrawn support, so I am a little puzzled as to why Apple is not in the vanguard on this occasion.
I note also CVN’s assertion that the Holocaust was caused by gay people. I respectfully invite Apple to view the link http://www.ianbradleymarshall.com/holocaust and which obtained full support of none other than the Yad Vashem Memorial, Jerusalem, Israel as well as Holocaust Memorials in the UK and Europe.
May I also invite Apple to view the link http://www.the-great-recession.blogspot.com and my letter to President Medvedev of the Russian Federation. That letter, sent through the Russian and British Embassies, will be published in the forthcoming Liverpool Dispatches in 2012 and because I am publishing all such Dispatches, I am considering posting this letter as a Dispatch and which will therefore be included in the publication.
May I respectfully request that Apple reviews its policy as a matter of urgency, for it would be foolish to ignore the size, professional standing and influence that the worldwide gay community carries.
My decision to move over to Apple was one of the best I’ve ever made. Do please not let me down at this eleventh hour. Millions of LGBT people put their faith, trust, hope and confidence in Apple.
Please do not sell them short merely to satisfy some rather bigoted opinions, or because one’s eye is on the daily share index.
Yours faithfully,
Ian Bradley Marshall
Liverpool
22 July 2011
I write urgently and in respect of Apple's continued support for Christian Values Network (CVN).
I work entirely on Apple products.
I am a Christian and I am gay, and I respectfully invite Apple to view my website http://www.ianbradleymarshall.com and which stands on its own merits.
I am about to publish a second, very comprehensive anthology, which draws together Scripture and the gay lifestyle i.e. both being practised by an individual, to show that they are entirely complementary and not, as CVN would misteach, have us believe that homosexuality is an affront to GOD and "an abomination in the eyes of the LORD".
I have been delighted at the way in which Apple has been a very positive and active supporter of LGBT rights; indeed, Apple's stance on this issue has assisted me greatly in finding my own way through what was once a very oppressive and objectionable form of teaching and consequently sad life.
As a lawyer I can see that Apple has probably been caught on the backfoot. That is understandable.
Nevertheless, now that Apple has been alerted through this Petition by the All Out Campaign, it is imperative that the CEO and Directors review their policy and withdraw all support for CVN.
I note that Macy’s, Delta and Microsoft have already promptly withdrawn support, so I am a little puzzled as to why Apple is not in the vanguard on this occasion.
I note also CVN’s assertion that the Holocaust was caused by gay people. I respectfully invite Apple to view the link http://www.ianbradleymarshall.com/holocaust and which obtained full support of none other than the Yad Vashem Memorial, Jerusalem, Israel as well as Holocaust Memorials in the UK and Europe.
May I also invite Apple to view the link http://www.the-great-recession.blogspot.com and my letter to President Medvedev of the Russian Federation. That letter, sent through the Russian and British Embassies, will be published in the forthcoming Liverpool Dispatches in 2012 and because I am publishing all such Dispatches, I am considering posting this letter as a Dispatch and which will therefore be included in the publication.
May I respectfully request that Apple reviews its policy as a matter of urgency, for it would be foolish to ignore the size, professional standing and influence that the worldwide gay community carries.
My decision to move over to Apple was one of the best I’ve ever made. Do please not let me down at this eleventh hour. Millions of LGBT people put their faith, trust, hope and confidence in Apple.
Please do not sell them short merely to satisfy some rather bigoted opinions, or because one’s eye is on the daily share index.
Yours faithfully,
Ian Bradley Marshall
Liverpool
22 July 2011
Monday, 11 July 2011
A SOUND AND PRACTICAL JUDGMENT
Many have asked me why I have not written during the past week given that we have had so many revelations that, to put it plainly, has shocked the Nation far more than the MPs Expenses Scandal.
A week ago my mind was more concerned with the loss of another soldier in Afghanistan, bringing the total number of men and women killed in action to 375. But I was watching events regarding the News of the World, BSkyB and of course the outrage of a private detective in the employ of the NoW hacking into the phone of a murder victim whilst the police investigation is still trying to establish whether or not the victim is still alive. Furthermore, that it was likely that over 4,000 victims had had their phones hacked into, and moreover, that there were corrupt police officers within the Metropolitan Police who had been paid large sums of money for allowing this to happen.
Then we learned of the same tactic being used with the families of those killed on active service. On top of that, another family, whose twin daughters had been murdered. It became clear to the public that which still seemed to be escaping the minds of those involved, the owners, the editors, the journalists, the protagonists, - that the News of the World had to go - and to go immediately.
This morning we now learn that emails handed to the Police by News International Corp revealed a corrupt royalty protection officer providing the NoW with detailed information regarding members of the Royal Family and, as the BBC News soberly pointed out an hour ago, bringing into question the security even of the Head of State.
The General Public have shown their disdain, a fact not lost on most politicians. Can the Government really now expect the public to endorse the Secretary of State's decision to allow Rupert Murdoch to buy BSkyB?
It matters not whether the niceties have been covered; that the Secretary of State is following due process of law. The public are in no mood to watch politicians make a botch of such an important decision. For too long, politicians at all levels have been in the thrall of the media and at times seem to act like rabbits caught in the headlights of a car.
The public do not wish to see politicians appearing on celebrity shows, secretaries of state and other MPs making an absolute fool of themselves and then getting above themselves because they think they have somehow become celebrities. Yes they have. Media Celebrities. And every politician should ask themselves one simple question: Have I become a media celebrity? Which in lay terms read as "Have I become a media stooge?"
I have been brought up to have respect for Parliament, our Institutions and the people who govern us, on both sides of the House.
But I will leave readers with this one sobering thought.
The House was packed last Wednesday for Prime Minister's Questions. The PM had returned from Afghanistan in the early hours. At 10.29am the BBC interjected to advise viewers that with PMQ about to finish, in one minute the Prime Minister would be making a very important statement to the House on Afghanistan and "so we ask you to please stay with us". I did. The House was packed of course. The camera went straight back to the House. The Speaker announced the Statement and the Prime Minister stood up and began to address Parliament.
Quite a few MPs also stood up. More than a hundred I would say from all parties and promptly walked out. Their demeanour and body language was clear. "This doesn't involve me. I'm not interested."
Anger? Is that an adequate description of how I felt? We are a Nation at war. Our troops from all four nations within our Kingdom are paying the ultimate sacrifice. As an ex serviceman I can assure readers that our troops do follow events back home very closely; not a few do watch PMQ. This ability to stay in touch with home is vital and essential, and something that in earlier wars, was well nigh impossible except for letters and food parcels through the Red Cross.
So if there are any Whips reading this, may I respectfully suggest Ladies and Gentlemen that you consider the impact upon the general public and upon service families in particular of MPs showing such blatant disinterest.
Blatant? Yes. Blatant! For how else can such behaviour be looked upon when the camera not only catches this episode, but also shows us MPs sending texts or tweets even as the prime minister or the opposition leader are speaking, when, even 5 years ago we would have been laughed out to suggest that there would be phones on the Floor of the House even when the House is in Session?
Let us hope that somehow the Government can hold things together; that the Prime Minister can stay in office, that an adequate explanation be given on the employment of chiefs of staff and that, just as the Nation does, Parliament reflects the mood of the People with sound, practical judgment.
Ian Bradley Marshall
LIVERPOOL
11 July 2011
A week ago my mind was more concerned with the loss of another soldier in Afghanistan, bringing the total number of men and women killed in action to 375. But I was watching events regarding the News of the World, BSkyB and of course the outrage of a private detective in the employ of the NoW hacking into the phone of a murder victim whilst the police investigation is still trying to establish whether or not the victim is still alive. Furthermore, that it was likely that over 4,000 victims had had their phones hacked into, and moreover, that there were corrupt police officers within the Metropolitan Police who had been paid large sums of money for allowing this to happen.
Then we learned of the same tactic being used with the families of those killed on active service. On top of that, another family, whose twin daughters had been murdered. It became clear to the public that which still seemed to be escaping the minds of those involved, the owners, the editors, the journalists, the protagonists, - that the News of the World had to go - and to go immediately.
This morning we now learn that emails handed to the Police by News International Corp revealed a corrupt royalty protection officer providing the NoW with detailed information regarding members of the Royal Family and, as the BBC News soberly pointed out an hour ago, bringing into question the security even of the Head of State.
The General Public have shown their disdain, a fact not lost on most politicians. Can the Government really now expect the public to endorse the Secretary of State's decision to allow Rupert Murdoch to buy BSkyB?
It matters not whether the niceties have been covered; that the Secretary of State is following due process of law. The public are in no mood to watch politicians make a botch of such an important decision. For too long, politicians at all levels have been in the thrall of the media and at times seem to act like rabbits caught in the headlights of a car.
The public do not wish to see politicians appearing on celebrity shows, secretaries of state and other MPs making an absolute fool of themselves and then getting above themselves because they think they have somehow become celebrities. Yes they have. Media Celebrities. And every politician should ask themselves one simple question: Have I become a media celebrity? Which in lay terms read as "Have I become a media stooge?"
I have been brought up to have respect for Parliament, our Institutions and the people who govern us, on both sides of the House.
But I will leave readers with this one sobering thought.
The House was packed last Wednesday for Prime Minister's Questions. The PM had returned from Afghanistan in the early hours. At 10.29am the BBC interjected to advise viewers that with PMQ about to finish, in one minute the Prime Minister would be making a very important statement to the House on Afghanistan and "so we ask you to please stay with us". I did. The House was packed of course. The camera went straight back to the House. The Speaker announced the Statement and the Prime Minister stood up and began to address Parliament.
Quite a few MPs also stood up. More than a hundred I would say from all parties and promptly walked out. Their demeanour and body language was clear. "This doesn't involve me. I'm not interested."
Anger? Is that an adequate description of how I felt? We are a Nation at war. Our troops from all four nations within our Kingdom are paying the ultimate sacrifice. As an ex serviceman I can assure readers that our troops do follow events back home very closely; not a few do watch PMQ. This ability to stay in touch with home is vital and essential, and something that in earlier wars, was well nigh impossible except for letters and food parcels through the Red Cross.
So if there are any Whips reading this, may I respectfully suggest Ladies and Gentlemen that you consider the impact upon the general public and upon service families in particular of MPs showing such blatant disinterest.
Blatant? Yes. Blatant! For how else can such behaviour be looked upon when the camera not only catches this episode, but also shows us MPs sending texts or tweets even as the prime minister or the opposition leader are speaking, when, even 5 years ago we would have been laughed out to suggest that there would be phones on the Floor of the House even when the House is in Session?
Let us hope that somehow the Government can hold things together; that the Prime Minister can stay in office, that an adequate explanation be given on the employment of chiefs of staff and that, just as the Nation does, Parliament reflects the mood of the People with sound, practical judgment.
Ian Bradley Marshall
LIVERPOOL
11 July 2011
Saturday, 11 June 2011
TROOPING THE COLOUR
I write today with very particular pride and on one of the very, very few occasions in the rank that Her Majesty the Queen saw fit to permit me to retain by way of a courtesy title, for life. This is indeed special to me, for it is only senior officers who are normally given this honour,and I am indebted to my then Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Ian Todd, for exercising his right to make the recommendation without my knowledge after I had relinquished my final command and resigned my Commission after 21 years incredibly enjoyable service.
I remember to this day, the arrival of the embossed letter signed by the Secretary of State for Defence and having to actually go and sit down at the long breakfast table to gather my thoughts before driving straight over to Mum and Dad.
It has therefore formed that umbilical chord to this day with all of our Armed Forces, regardless of rank, and to feel such pride and emotion for all the men and women currently serving in the Afghanistan War. On land, sea and air, our servicemen and women are exemplary in their duties and undaunted by the savagery of the fighting; fighting that has seen 77 men and women killed in action since the Trooping the Colour 2010 and a total of 371 since the war started.
I urge all readers to take a brief look at the incredible spectacle that this annual parade denotes, as each year one of the Regimental Colours is paraded before our Sovereign. For me it is doubly special this year, for it is the Colour of the Scots Guards. Yes, I might be English, but I am also British, and it is this curious phenomenon that few can understand beyond these shores, that as an Island People, putting aside the usual family squabbles, we are able to stand as one when the Colours of the Four Nations are paraded.
In watching the Parade through BBC iplayer, let us remember too that off the parade square, these men and women, of all ranks, are in active service. The horses are replaced with the Warrior Tanks; the scarlet red dress uniforms are replaced with full combat battle armour; the officers dismount and take up their commands in the field. Some have not returned.
On parade today were men who had been severely wounded in the last year, but having made full recovery, one for example having been shot in both legs, march once again to the Colours and before their Sovereign.
This is why I attach so much importance to the page on my website www.ianbradleymarshall.com - War in Afghanistan. Whether it is realised or not, we are a Nation at war. There is a determined enemy that would have all the values that we hold dear, wiped from the board.
To our teachers around the world I would say this. Take your subject seriously and educate young people as to national and world history. It is disconcerting on the day of the Queen's Birthday and this vitally important parade, that I found myself talking with young people and peers who have bought into conspiracy theories and who seem hell bent on seeing the United States of America as 'the great satan'. When outlining some very basic points - points that to be frank I take for granted - the reaction was thus: why have we not been told these things?
To young people particularly I counsel and urge you to read widely; be investigative; do your research. Learn to advocate. Above all, be mindful of the sacrifices that our troops are making for the sake of freedom, and not just our troops, but the troops of all the allied nations who are assisting us in this war. Those killed in action come from all the nations, but by agreed convention, each nation reports only its own fatalities and casualties.
Ian Bradley Marshall
Kenneth T Webb
Flight Lieutenant RAF VR(T) Rtd
I remember to this day, the arrival of the embossed letter signed by the Secretary of State for Defence and having to actually go and sit down at the long breakfast table to gather my thoughts before driving straight over to Mum and Dad.
It has therefore formed that umbilical chord to this day with all of our Armed Forces, regardless of rank, and to feel such pride and emotion for all the men and women currently serving in the Afghanistan War. On land, sea and air, our servicemen and women are exemplary in their duties and undaunted by the savagery of the fighting; fighting that has seen 77 men and women killed in action since the Trooping the Colour 2010 and a total of 371 since the war started.
I urge all readers to take a brief look at the incredible spectacle that this annual parade denotes, as each year one of the Regimental Colours is paraded before our Sovereign. For me it is doubly special this year, for it is the Colour of the Scots Guards. Yes, I might be English, but I am also British, and it is this curious phenomenon that few can understand beyond these shores, that as an Island People, putting aside the usual family squabbles, we are able to stand as one when the Colours of the Four Nations are paraded.
In watching the Parade through BBC iplayer, let us remember too that off the parade square, these men and women, of all ranks, are in active service. The horses are replaced with the Warrior Tanks; the scarlet red dress uniforms are replaced with full combat battle armour; the officers dismount and take up their commands in the field. Some have not returned.
On parade today were men who had been severely wounded in the last year, but having made full recovery, one for example having been shot in both legs, march once again to the Colours and before their Sovereign.
This is why I attach so much importance to the page on my website www.ianbradleymarshall.com - War in Afghanistan. Whether it is realised or not, we are a Nation at war. There is a determined enemy that would have all the values that we hold dear, wiped from the board.
To our teachers around the world I would say this. Take your subject seriously and educate young people as to national and world history. It is disconcerting on the day of the Queen's Birthday and this vitally important parade, that I found myself talking with young people and peers who have bought into conspiracy theories and who seem hell bent on seeing the United States of America as 'the great satan'. When outlining some very basic points - points that to be frank I take for granted - the reaction was thus: why have we not been told these things?
To young people particularly I counsel and urge you to read widely; be investigative; do your research. Learn to advocate. Above all, be mindful of the sacrifices that our troops are making for the sake of freedom, and not just our troops, but the troops of all the allied nations who are assisting us in this war. Those killed in action come from all the nations, but by agreed convention, each nation reports only its own fatalities and casualties.
Ian Bradley Marshall
Kenneth T Webb
Flight Lieutenant RAF VR(T) Rtd
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Human Nature
We people really do get our lines crossed at times. We hurt each other because we put commitments before people, or fail to understand the importance of the work being done that puts commitment before relationships.
For 30 years I have chaired family squabbles on a daily basis, often three or more, as I watch families tearing each other apart over the reading of the Will or the imposition of Intestacy; acted as the go-between for siblings sitting either side of me just feet away from each other; grown men and women who have somehow allowed a lifetime of resentment to build up and then threaten to destroy everything.
Given the extreme exceptions that we see on the media reports, the vast majority of us should always remember to honour, love and respect our parents. Already they have lived a lifetime before we've even started; and it is they who have put us on the starting block. They have made sacrifices that all too often we learn of only after they also have departed.
Many a time I have received the question from children who are suddenly bereft - "I never knew that Mum or Dad had done this. They never said. I never realised they'd suffered this trauma."
Come on! Look beyond our own immediate world view and look back over the years and decades. Discover who we are by looking up our history; not by genealogy, though that certainly is to be commended, but by asking questions direct. Has it ever occurred that Grandma at 85, looking at the beautiful photograph of herself at 25 in fact feels absolutely no different inwardly to the day that photographer attended the house or, if it could be afforded, she attended the studio?
Let us think beyond our own immediate world. Let us think beyond ourselves and be thankful that we breathe the air and live the life and freedom that our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents have done so at a cost that most of us will never have to pay.
Let our grandchildren know these things. It is never too late to teach them or to gently remind them.
Ian Bradley Marshall
LIVERPOOL
10 June 2011
For 30 years I have chaired family squabbles on a daily basis, often three or more, as I watch families tearing each other apart over the reading of the Will or the imposition of Intestacy; acted as the go-between for siblings sitting either side of me just feet away from each other; grown men and women who have somehow allowed a lifetime of resentment to build up and then threaten to destroy everything.
Given the extreme exceptions that we see on the media reports, the vast majority of us should always remember to honour, love and respect our parents. Already they have lived a lifetime before we've even started; and it is they who have put us on the starting block. They have made sacrifices that all too often we learn of only after they also have departed.
Many a time I have received the question from children who are suddenly bereft - "I never knew that Mum or Dad had done this. They never said. I never realised they'd suffered this trauma."
Come on! Look beyond our own immediate world view and look back over the years and decades. Discover who we are by looking up our history; not by genealogy, though that certainly is to be commended, but by asking questions direct. Has it ever occurred that Grandma at 85, looking at the beautiful photograph of herself at 25 in fact feels absolutely no different inwardly to the day that photographer attended the house or, if it could be afforded, she attended the studio?
Let us think beyond our own immediate world. Let us think beyond ourselves and be thankful that we breathe the air and live the life and freedom that our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents have done so at a cost that most of us will never have to pay.
Let our grandchildren know these things. It is never too late to teach them or to gently remind them.
Ian Bradley Marshall
LIVERPOOL
10 June 2011
Friday, 3 June 2011
An Open Letter to President Medvedev of The Russian Federation
110 Waterloo Warehouse
Liverpool
L3 0BQ
2 June 2011
President Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev
The Greater Russian Peoples
Via His Excellency
The Ambassador
Embassy of the Russian Federation
6/7 Kensington Palace Gardens,
London,
W8 4QP
Dear Mr President,
I write to introduce myself and to draw most urgent attention to the plight of my people in your Country, and which has been reported in the media during the past week.
A petition has been raised and signed by many and sent to you by one of the UK’s important social institutions, “All Out”.
In light of the subject I am taking the unprecedented step of writing to you personally, Sir.
I remember watching live the BBC News 24 coverage of your investiture and inauguration as President of Russia in 2008. I watched it in full because here was history in the making, and something that even in 1991 when I stood talking with East German and Russian guards at the Berlin Brandenburg Gate ‘checkpoint charlie’, I could not have comprehended.
I remember our journey across East Germany in the British Military Train; our own armed guards patrolling the carriages and the East German guards standing to, fully armed, at every siding and junction whenever the train stopped, to ensure that none of us alighted the train.
I recalled the sacrifices of your people in one of the most horrendous wars in history and the brute savagery of Nazism on the Greater Russian Peoples.
But your people prevailed. Somehow you withstood the dreaded Einsatsgruppen; and whilst military victory became the stalemate of the Cold War, nevertheless, justice and commonsense prevailed. The cause of the people became paramount and the voice of the people was heard and in time revolutionised Russia and thus eventually led to your own appointment as this Great Nation’s head of state.
A few days ago I was reading afresh President Nelson Mandela’s speeches; one in particular registered and is his address from the dock of the South African Supreme Court in Pretoria on 20 April 1964 as the First Accused.
He quotes the then South African Prime Minister Mr Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd during an earlier debate on the Bantu Education Bill 1953, about which Mr Verwoerd had declared:
When I have control of Native education I will reform it so that Natives will be taught from childhood to realise that equality with Europeans is not for them. . . . People who believe in equality are not desirable teachers for Natives. When my Department controls Native education it will know for what class of higher education a Native is fitted, and whether he will have a chance in life to use his knowledge.
I confess, Sir, that that pulled me up short! It was difficult to comprehend the mindset. But I recall also being taught about the War of 1939-1945 by my parents. Mum and Dad both lost brothers over Germany. But it was Mum’s comment one day that really stayed with me. “We suffered but nothing like the Russian People. They went through hell, and you must never forget that!”
For me it made your victory even more important.
Every nation, every people, every community on earth gets it wrong occasionally. But we also have the ability to stop injustice, and none more so than now Mr President.
My people have as much right to breathe the air and drink the water of life, to give to the greater good of our nation states and for the benefit of humankind, as the next man or woman.
I cannot accept that the Greater Russian People are acting as one as did the Nazis. That just doesn’t add up Sir.
I am a lawyer, and served as a police officer and in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. And I learned that when bigots (and believe me, the UK has its fair share of bigots) start trouble, it is the duty of the nation state from central government down to the local police station, to step in and protect those who are being victimised and bullied. It is the duty of every police officer to protect all people and to bring the bigots to justice where they have committed criminal offences.
There are some who argue that to even ‘think’ a hate crime, should be a criminal offence. That is a dangerous precedent for obvious reasons. A crime is a crime, regardless.
But I ask you to use your executive powers to give guidance and leadership to those communities who might still be a long way back in entering our 21st Century.
May I ask that you step forth, Sir, and protect my people in the same measured way that you stepped forth as you walked with determination and confidence through the Palace to your inauguration and to one of the most important global roles and international offices of state that anyone can ever hold.
I have the greatest admiration for the Russian People. I recall the amazing conversations with the Russian Guards at the Brandenburg Gate in 1991 and the pride I felt in actually meeting your people in the embassy gardens later that day in East Berlin.
Let us all move forward and be determined to bring freedom to all, and the sword of justice to those who seek to impose upon a section of its people the same twisted logic that President Nelson Mandela identified on the basis of race, and which we now see repeated in the current situation – one’s sexuality.
I have the honour to be,
Mr President,
Your obedient servant
Ian Bradley Marshall
Cc: His Excellency, the British Ambassador, Moscow
Liverpool
L3 0BQ
2 June 2011
President Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev
The Greater Russian Peoples
Via His Excellency
The Ambassador
Embassy of the Russian Federation
6/7 Kensington Palace Gardens,
London,
W8 4QP
Dear Mr President,
I write to introduce myself and to draw most urgent attention to the plight of my people in your Country, and which has been reported in the media during the past week.
A petition has been raised and signed by many and sent to you by one of the UK’s important social institutions, “All Out”.
In light of the subject I am taking the unprecedented step of writing to you personally, Sir.
I remember watching live the BBC News 24 coverage of your investiture and inauguration as President of Russia in 2008. I watched it in full because here was history in the making, and something that even in 1991 when I stood talking with East German and Russian guards at the Berlin Brandenburg Gate ‘checkpoint charlie’, I could not have comprehended.
I remember our journey across East Germany in the British Military Train; our own armed guards patrolling the carriages and the East German guards standing to, fully armed, at every siding and junction whenever the train stopped, to ensure that none of us alighted the train.
I recalled the sacrifices of your people in one of the most horrendous wars in history and the brute savagery of Nazism on the Greater Russian Peoples.
But your people prevailed. Somehow you withstood the dreaded Einsatsgruppen; and whilst military victory became the stalemate of the Cold War, nevertheless, justice and commonsense prevailed. The cause of the people became paramount and the voice of the people was heard and in time revolutionised Russia and thus eventually led to your own appointment as this Great Nation’s head of state.
A few days ago I was reading afresh President Nelson Mandela’s speeches; one in particular registered and is his address from the dock of the South African Supreme Court in Pretoria on 20 April 1964 as the First Accused.
He quotes the then South African Prime Minister Mr Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd during an earlier debate on the Bantu Education Bill 1953, about which Mr Verwoerd had declared:
When I have control of Native education I will reform it so that Natives will be taught from childhood to realise that equality with Europeans is not for them. . . . People who believe in equality are not desirable teachers for Natives. When my Department controls Native education it will know for what class of higher education a Native is fitted, and whether he will have a chance in life to use his knowledge.
I confess, Sir, that that pulled me up short! It was difficult to comprehend the mindset. But I recall also being taught about the War of 1939-1945 by my parents. Mum and Dad both lost brothers over Germany. But it was Mum’s comment one day that really stayed with me. “We suffered but nothing like the Russian People. They went through hell, and you must never forget that!”
For me it made your victory even more important.
Every nation, every people, every community on earth gets it wrong occasionally. But we also have the ability to stop injustice, and none more so than now Mr President.
My people have as much right to breathe the air and drink the water of life, to give to the greater good of our nation states and for the benefit of humankind, as the next man or woman.
I cannot accept that the Greater Russian People are acting as one as did the Nazis. That just doesn’t add up Sir.
I am a lawyer, and served as a police officer and in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. And I learned that when bigots (and believe me, the UK has its fair share of bigots) start trouble, it is the duty of the nation state from central government down to the local police station, to step in and protect those who are being victimised and bullied. It is the duty of every police officer to protect all people and to bring the bigots to justice where they have committed criminal offences.
There are some who argue that to even ‘think’ a hate crime, should be a criminal offence. That is a dangerous precedent for obvious reasons. A crime is a crime, regardless.
But I ask you to use your executive powers to give guidance and leadership to those communities who might still be a long way back in entering our 21st Century.
May I ask that you step forth, Sir, and protect my people in the same measured way that you stepped forth as you walked with determination and confidence through the Palace to your inauguration and to one of the most important global roles and international offices of state that anyone can ever hold.
I have the greatest admiration for the Russian People. I recall the amazing conversations with the Russian Guards at the Brandenburg Gate in 1991 and the pride I felt in actually meeting your people in the embassy gardens later that day in East Berlin.
Let us all move forward and be determined to bring freedom to all, and the sword of justice to those who seek to impose upon a section of its people the same twisted logic that President Nelson Mandela identified on the basis of race, and which we now see repeated in the current situation – one’s sexuality.
I have the honour to be,
Mr President,
Your obedient servant
Ian Bradley Marshall
Cc: His Excellency, the British Ambassador, Moscow
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