03:46 p.m., Friday, February 1, 2002
OH MY GOD. Why haven't I heard about this before?

The pill, the IUD and every other form of contraception except for natural and barrier methods could be outlawed if an anti-abortion group wins a judicial review next month of the sale in pharmacies of the morning-after pill.

If you live in Britain: FAX YOUR MP. It's a free service. QUICK. If we leave this too long, IT MIGHT BE TOO LATE.
[by Beth] comments?

03:42 p.m., Friday, February 1, 2002
If this case was about a male teacher allegedly having sex with female pupils, there would be an uproar about how disgusting it was. As the article suggests, people are instead implying that it's all a bit of a fuss over nothing.

Not nothing, by a long chalk. Either it's true, and she abused her position power, or it's not, and she's had her career wrecked by these allegations. Either way, it's nothing to laugh about.
[by Beth] comments?

03:30 p.m., Friday, February 1, 2002
I'm not convinced that jail sentences are a good idea in 85% of cases. They don't work as a deterrent (just look at the crime figures) and I just don't get what it's meant to do for people to lock them up like that. Fair enough if they're going to reoffend (but see if you can help them, give them psychiatric care and see if they can be stopped from reoffending, and if they can't don't rerelease them!), and fair enough if you're going to take them away from circumstances that have driven them to crime and try and show them alternatives while they're in there - but in many cases, it just seems to be about punishment and making the victims feel better, not prevention and making people face up to their mistakes and try and make it better and any of the position things.

So this article, about the conditions in Dartmoor, made me sick. Suicidal inmates are kept in wire cages and made to speak through a plastic screen. Prisoners are referred to as shit. And our government is shouting out for the human rights of the Al Qaida and Taleban prisoners in Cuba to be upheld.

What do you think about prison as a punishment, or a deterrent, or retribution?
[by Beth] comments?