What is hacking you off today?

[RobM]

Same here though. 18 to buy a drink, 16 to marry, 12 to buy Christmas crackers!.

 

[Userorange]

Same here though. 18 to buy a drink, 16 to marry, 12 to buy Christmas crackers!.

Law passed in the last few weeks. You have to be 18 now to get married in England and Wales (no exceptions). They have also raised the age you can buy a scratch card from 16 to 18. As both activities are lotteries this can only be a good thing.

 

[RobM]

Law passed in the last few weeks. You have to be 18 now to get married in England and Wales (no exceptions). They have also raised the age you can buy a scratch card from 16 to 18. As both activities are lotteries this can only be a good thing.

Oh! Cancel my wedding! I didn't know that.

 

[RHB]

There has been a fair amount of activity in this thread that has ended up being moderated. The majority of it has focused on gun crime in the USA. Can I please ask that this thread is kept open for stuff that is hacking you off, not branching out into an ongoing discussion on other issues. Many thanks all.

 

[londonblue]

It really depends where you live. The big cities have transformed into hellscapes but my little town in SW Colorado is beautiful and safer than anywhere I've lived in England. Gun ownership and stand your ground laws mean that there are far fewer burglaries or random assaults than there are back home. Very few people will risk death for a flatscreen TV or because they want to act like a big man in front of their mates.

I own a few guns and keep them safely locked away. I wouldn't let my kids near them and I do agree that you should be 21 before being able to purchase a firearm. The bigger crisis here and in many 'civilized' countries is the fragmentation of our society and the complete abdication of any responsibility from all levels of government towards mental healthcare and safeguarding the vulnerable in our society.

Doesn't that depend on the size of the screen?

 

[Mad Cyril]

I went out drinking with my brother and felt so rough the next day I missed my hotel buffet breakfast.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I went out drinking with my brother and felt so rough the next day I missed my hotel buffet breakfast.

The solution is to drink at lunchtime .Have a civilised meal with drinks in the evening.

 

[Benfleet A1]

My sons school is asking for volanteers to attend Pride in Southend. He is eleven.

 

[blueblueblue]

My sons school is asking for volanteers to attend Pride in Southend. He is eleven.

You've lost me, what's the problem?

 

[Mad Cyril]

My sons school is asking for volanteers to attend Pride in Southend. He is eleven.

If this sort of thing happened 30 years ago we probably wouldn't have so many footballers, politicians and actors living closeted lives.

I am sure there is an option to opt out as there is for sex education lessons but my feeling is that those who grow up ignorant of other cultures and sexualities are going to find themselves marginalised from society in the future.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

My sons school is asking for volanteers to attend Pride in Southend. He is eleven.

Hmm, it is an awkward situation, you, I am sure, will want your boy to grow in an inclusive, tolerant and understanding manner, and also want to protect his innocence and childhood, whilst worrying about adolescent years ahead. Any sex education stuff at school can be a toughie for schooling, staff and students And parents.

 

[blueblueblue]

Hmm, it is an awkward situation, you, I am sure, will want your boy to grow in an inclusive, tolerant and understanding manner, and also want to protect his innocence and childhood, whilst worrying about adolescent years ahead. Any sex education stuff at school can be a toughie for schooling, staff and students And parents.

It's not awkward at all, kids are growing up with the whole alternative lifestyle.They know more about it than us adults.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Hmm, it is an awkward situation, you, I am sure, will want your boy to grow in an inclusive, tolerant and understanding manner, and also want to protect his innocence and childhood, whilst worrying about adolescent years ahead. Any sex education stuff at school can be a toughie for schooling, staff and students And parents.

I look back with regret at some of the things I have said as a young person that were not motivated by prejudice but by a complete lack of empathy and understanding as well as maturity.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I look back with regret at some of the things I have said as a young person that were not motivated by prejudice but by a complete lack of empathy and understanding as well as maturity.

Yes, you are not alone in that..

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

It's not awkward at all, kids are growing up with the whole alternative lifestyle.They know more about it than us adults.

Strewth mate, you seem intent on a stance of reading worse into postings. In my understanding Benfleet was speaking honestly in finding the social education of his very young boy a situation he was unprepared for, I didn't read homophobia into it as a malignant dominant thought process.
And I believe that shutting or "shouting" down discussions on such subject does harm and can perpetuate issues of misunderstanding and/ or prejudice.

 

[Benfleet A1]

Hmm, it is an awkward situation, you, I am sure, will want your boy to grow in an inclusive, tolerant and understanding manner, and also want to protect his innocence and childhood, whilst worrying about adolescent years ahead. Any sex education stuff at school can be a toughie for schooling, staff and students And parents.

Its not awkward in him learning this kind of stuff at school, I've mellowed a lot over the years and I realise its not the 80's anymore and believe it or not, I really have no problem with anyones sexualality. But I do object to my kid, any kid of this age being asked to attend a event such as this when they are still more interested in Xbox or Super Mario, it just feels wrong.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Its not awkward in him learning this kind of stuff at school, I've mellowed a lot over the years and I realise its not the 80's anymore and believe it or not, I really have no problem with anyones sexualality. But I do object to my kid, any kid of this age being asked to attend a event such as this when they are still more interested in Xbox or Super Mario, it just feels wrong.

At what age should they start growing up? He will be wanting to go out on his own soon.

 

[RobM]

Hoodies over baseball caps. Looks daft!

 

[Benfleet A1]

At what age should they start growing up? He will be wanting to go out on his own soon.

When they are ready when it comes to this sort of thing. And when he goes out with his mates in the future he'll makes mistakes like we all did and I hope he learns and grows from them.

 

[Userorange]

This has been bugging me for a long time now. The leagues are finished. There are finals being played and obviously there are winners and losers in all of this. What really gets me down is the cameras zooming in on some little lad, amongst fans whose team has just been relegated or lost in a final, sobbing his little heart out - more than that actually - clearly distraught at what has happened.

And what has happened has to happen. For the game to work there has to be winners and losers. But to look at these kids clearly distressed you'd swear there had been a tragedy in the family or the puppy had just been run over by a bus.

So come on mums and dads. Teach your children some perspective in life before you take them to the game. Make them understand that being a fan is guaranteed to bring with it huge disappointments no matter who you support. You would be deeply concerned at your child getting into that state at school or any other setting, so make sure it doesn’t happen after the match.

As for the broadcasters. I don’t want to see images of clearly distraught children because you think it will bring about a collective “Awww! Poor little lad”. It’s really painful to watch and there is a difference between a cute little sad face and a young child in clear emotional distress.