War veterans should be helped to adjust to civilian life, says MPs

According to a group of MPs and unions, veterans returning from active combat should be offered help and advice to tackle problems with readjusting to civilian life and thereby stemming the rising number of veterans entering the criminal justice system. This proposal from the all party justice unions is part of a national strategy to reduce offending among veterans. The recommendations put forward by the MPs include: that those returning from combat should be given a psychological assessment before leaving the service, police monitoring arrested veterans and referring them if necessary to specialist help and requiring GPs to ask patients if they have served in the forces. Many of these veterans have experienced terrible things and they should receive help in order to reduce the amount of criminal crimes.

Reaction
I think that it is a very good proposal to offer war veterans psychological help in order for them to be able to return to normal civilian life. It is startling to know that many of these veterans when they return home end up in criminal justice systems for committing violent crimes. They need to spend more time preparing the soldiers for when they have to leave and give them the help that they need even if they themselves do not ask for it. It is for their own well- being and the well-being of those around them.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jul/05/war-veterans-military-soldiers

Britain in the grip of epidemic of loneliness

A major report by the Mental Health Foundation suggests that more than one in ten people in Britain feel lonely often. This is due to the many pressures of modern day life and technology.
The internet has changed the way people communicate with each other and some experts argue that some of these social networking sites undermine social skills and the ability to read body language. A report by the charity The Lonely Society suggests that technology can be used to reduce social isolation but it doesn’t include the physical contact that benefits our well-being.
The report also stated that when loneliness becomes chronic it can affect our health and can lead to depression. Some of the groups who are at risk of isolation are the elderly, those unemployed and people with disabilities and they should be offered support.

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I think that social isolation is a big problem in the society. Many people experience feelings of loneliness at some point but because of the busy lifestyle they find it difficult to make time for family and friends. The internet has made it possible for people to stay connected with each other though it has made socializing less possible. Even though you can interact with someone online it still is not the same as talking to someone in person. This can cause people to feel lonely and become depressed due to the lack of social interaction. Also technology has made people lazy and not wants to leave their homes which only make the loneliness worse.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk

Migrants from new EU states increase London homeless tally

In the city of London the amount of rough sleepers has increased to about 4000 people a figure that has gone up from the 2.500 listed three years ago. The main reason for this increase is the amount of migrants who come to the big cities in search of a better life. Many of them leave their own country in search of a better life, but unfortunately encounter that it is very difficult to find a job in London. Therefore many of them end up being homeless and isolated from society. British charities say that while a large scale of migration from these eastern European countries has reversed, many still stay in the UK thinking that it is only a limited safety net in their own country. However, since June 2007 many of the migrants from the new EU countries have been flown back home to be reunited with family. Many of them did not know that in their country they will receive help and have free access to social services.

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It sad to see so many migrants leave their own country to go to a big city thinking that there they will have a better life. Instead they realize that it is not easy to find a job in the city of London and therefore they end up sleeping on the streets, benches or just anywhere. However, it is good that now the governments in their own countries are trying to help these people get out of this situation. By paying them cash benefits and free access to services in social integration centers. It is a lifestyle that is difficult for many people to get out of without help and it is good to see that they are being helped.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jul/05/migrants-new-eu-london-homeless

Sexual remarks teacher sacked

James Lumsden a math teacher was fired after telling girl pupils that if he were their pimp he would be very rich and commenting on another girl’s breasts. Last Thursday he was reprimanded by the General Council for England, which ruled that such remarks and other comments amounted to unacceptable professional conduct. In 2007 James Lumsden was fired from Southfield school for girls in Kettering after he received complaints about his comments. He admitted telling 9 year students during a math lesson that if he were their pimp he would be very rich but they would be the ones who take the risks. He, however denied that his comments amounted to unacceptable professional conduct.

Reaction

I think that it was a good decision to fire him for such inappropriate behavior. As a teacher I do not think that he was setting a good example for his pupils. Teachers have to be very careful about what they say and do in front of their pupils and those comments could easily be interpreted as sexual harassment. However, I think that this should make schools be more cautious when it comes to hiring teachers. Schools should inquire about the track record of teachers to prevent these kinds of situations from happening. I hope that he thinks about his conduct and changes if he should want to continue teaching

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jun/28/sexual-remarks-teacher-sacked

I've got a blog

Hello everyone,

I've finally managed to understand how i have to use this thing..great !!!
anyways,from now on I will be posting my summaries of articles and other cool stuff on my blog. I'm looking forward to reading your comments...bye.