Taser Guns - A recipe for disaster

Amnesty International voiced their concerns last week of the possible introduction of Taser guns in the United Kingdom. They were very right to do so.

I didn't actually know too much about these guns or what they could do to threaten our society.

I decided to do a phone interview for Smoke Radio with Steve Ballinger , a press officer from Amnesty UK to find out what their viewpoint is on this.

He was a very interesting interviewee and was clear on where Amnesty stands on this issue.

Lethal weapons only for special trained officers

They do not actually oppose the introduction of Taser guns full stop but they are campaigning to ensure that only the specially trained officers will be given them.

The Amnesty International UK Press Release says:-

"Stun guns are potentially lethal electrical weapons. The pistol-shaped Taser delivers 50,000 volts of electricity into a person’s body. The result is excruciatingly painful, causing a person to fall to the ground and, at times, lose control of their bodily functions."

Death from a Taser gun

Since 2001, Amnesty have found that over 300 people in the United States have died after being shot by a Taser gun.

This itself is enough to convince me that this weapon should not be introduced in the police force in England and Wales.

Amnesty investigated the death of a man from the the U.S. who was believed to have suffered an extremely painful death after being shot by a Taser.

Amnesty Press Release

Here are the guidelines from the Amnesty International press release for the introduction of stun guns in England and Wales:

Officers carrying Tasers are trained to firearms officer standards on an ongoing basis

Tasers are used as a weapon of last resort – in situations which fall only just below the point when lethal force should be used.

Roll-out is highly restricted and then only to specially trained officers

The Home Office has demonstrated how the use of Taser will be consistent with its obligations under international human rights guidelines and what policies and procedures are in place to prevent misuse of electro-shock weapons.

As usual, I am in agreement with Amnesty on this issue.

I do believe that the police force have a duty to protect themselves and citizens but the introduction of these guns could cause more damage than good.

After interviewing the people of Harrow at the local shopping centre, some very interesting viewpoints were given.

One lady was concerned for those with pacemakers as it could be life threatening if they were to be shot at.

Another was worried about them being used in public places such as in a football match. She said that innocent people could be hurt if they were shot on accident.

This is why Amnesty have issued this press release and have had discussions with the Home Office.

If Taser guns are to be used by the police force, it should only be for those who are specially trained and in circumstances where no other option is left.

Yes we are losing our freedom

It's funny how things happen when you lease expect them to.

My last blog was about the Terrorism Act, Section 44 which gives the police the right to stop and search anyone that they want.

A day after writing the blog, myself and another student were pretty much interrogated by staff at our town shopping centre.

Our weekly newsday

As a weekly task, we are sent out with audio equipment to interview local residents about a variety of topics. This weeks topics were transport in London and Taser guns (see next blog for more information on Taser guns.)

We were able to conduct a small number of interviews with some very friendly people until we were approached by security who wanted a word with us.

After answering questions about what this piece of equipment was, what we were doing, what questions we were asking, where we were from; we went to see management.

In the dingy basement was the managers office. Again we were questioned.

Both aspiring journalists, we were sort of exited about the prospect of being given a warning under the Terrorism Act as it would be an interesting piece to write about. Sad really.

But the truth is they let us go on. I don't think they thought we were possible terrorist suspects. We promised to leave within fifteen minutes.

A step in the wrong direction

Even so, we both felt a little uneasy about being stopped as we had. It has got to the point where two students doing some harmless interviewing are being questioned in a local shopping centre.

After this weeks attacks in Mumbai, security should and will be at the top of the governments list.

But when two girls are being questioned for walking around with a voice recorder, it answers the question of my last blog perfectly.

Yes we are losing our freedom.

Are we slowly losing our freedom?

I heard a student last week talking about his experience of being stopped by the police in the streets of Harrow, for having a digital camera in his hand.

Under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, the police have the right to stop and search anyone in a specific area.

Prior to this, they only had the right to do this if they had 'reasonable grounds' to be suspicious. It is now a power that the police hold in all circumstances.

I was unsure what to make of all this.

Public safety top of Met agenda

Following the 7/7 bombings and other threats of terrorism, it must have been at the top of the Metropolitan Police's agenda to ensure that this would not happen again.

There has been a 50% increase in the number of British Transport Police patrolling the Tube in the last two years according to an LU spokesman.

Rubbish bins were also taken away so that suspicious packages could not be hidden in them. It was announced last month that new 'bomb-proof' bins would be introduced.

These are all reasonable measures to tackle the threat of another terrorist attack. But is giving the police the right to stop and search a person even if there are no 'reasonable grounds' to do so, a step too far?

For a student to be on the streets taking pictures of the local area for a project, and to be stopped by the police, is in some ways a breach of all of our civil liberties.

I am unsure why he would have been stopped in the first place as I am not sure what harm a Sony digital camera could have on anyone. But there you go.

Where have our civil liberties gone?

We are living in a society where our civil liberties and human rights are being threatened.

They are being threatened by both sides - the extremists who are trying to harm us and the government who are attempting to protect us, but are harming our rights by doing so.

It is crucial that the government take safety measures to ensure that we are safe in society but I am not sure whether this has been taken one step too far.

I will be on the streets of London in the next few weeks both taking pictures and filming for various projects.

It will be interesting to see whether people feel that I pose a threat and need to be searched, taking photos with my camera - something that has been part of our culture for the last hundred years.

I asked two students what they thought of the Terrorism Act 2000, Section 44

Dominic Masters, Student

"Unless the police have reason to be suspicious of someone, they shouldn't have the right to stop and search them. It is taking away our civil liberties. Everyone is becoming too suspicious of everyone."






Gwenno Rees, Student

"It is important that the police have these powers as they are there to protect us. As much as I wouldn't like to be stopped under the Section 44, they need to exist for our own safety."

Brand New Show - Cakes & Crisps

Cakes & Crisps is the latest addition to Smoke Radio, the University of Westminster's own station.

The show, which is aired between 1-2pm every Tuesday, comprises of mainly music, entertainment and fiery discussions about any topics of the week.

The three presenters are Faye Lyons-White, Kirstie Nicols and myself, Ffion Rees.

The show is in it's third week and has been going well so far, although we are still experimenting as it is all new to two of us. Faye was actually involved with her student radio at Leeds University and won silver for Female Presenter of the Year.

Other than that I am still in the process of learning. It's hard to know what exactly our audience wants to hear.

With three of us presenting the show each week, we decided that the best entertainment would come with us chatting about our views on the important issues that have been in the news or anything that has affected us young people of Britain.

For example last week, the topics varied from Laura leaving the X-Factor, changing your name for charity and the long term effect that i-pods could have on your hearing.

The great thing is that the three of us are friends from our Broadcasting course but are all very different people.

Faye is very outgoing and straight to the point and she is obsessed with Hollyoaks. Her own blog has been very successful as she writes about every single episode, updating anyone who missed it. She is also interested in current affairs and always has an interesting view on things.

Kirstie is a biker chic and has a blog purely discussing issues that effect riders. She has already discussed her experiences on Cakes and Crisps and I am sure that more will come.

I am interested in political issues and current affairs and tend to have a view on just about anything. Faye is hoping to introduce a 2-minute Welsh lesson once a week on our radio show where I will teach a few funny or crazy words, just for something different.

If you are interested in listening to Cakes and Crisps we will be on air Tuesdays 1-2pm. Go to smokeradio.co.uk for more.

WaterAid Madagascar

All Images: WaterAid / Marco Betti


















The WaterAid Madagascar project is one of many examples as to why this fantastic charity came to existence over twenty years ago.

It's main aims are to tackle water and sanitation problems in poor countries, and to provide hygiene education as a means of preventing the spread of disease.

WaterAid works in conjunction with local teams and organisations in 17 countries including Ethiopia, Nepal, Mali and Madagascar.

There is a strong emphasis in the importance of working with local communities to ensure sustainable developments.

I began working for WaterAid over a year ago, as a volunteer speaker. This gave me the opportunity to visit schools, churches and youth groups to share the work of WaterAid and to plan fundraising events.

When moving to London, I decided to apply as a volunteer fundraising assistant. This position has given me an interesting in-depth insight into the work of WaterAid and the specific projects in which they have in each country.

One which has caught my attention is the WaterAid Madagascar project, where the images above and below were taken.

This charity has many projects based in both rural and urban areas of the 17 countries and Madagascar is no exception. There have been significant developments in this country over the last year.

President Marc Ravalomanana considers water and sanitation to be at the top of his agenda which makes work for WaterAid much easier.

Partners in Madagascar have been busy designing water wells and sanitation facilities in many communities and it is estimated that WaterAid will impact on the lives of around 30,000 people in this country this year.

This is one WaterAid project of many that are successfully reaching the targets set and are planning to reach even more people than originally thought.

The impact that this charity is having worldwide is phenomenal and it is growing more and more each year.

If you are interested in getting involved in raising money for WaterAid, you can take part in running, triathlon, trekking, singing events and much more.

You could also organise your own event suitable for what you are interested in.

For more information go to http://www.wateraid.org.uk/

Review of Hairspray, Shaftesbury Theatre

The Shaftesbury Theatre, Image: Ffion Rees

Based on the issues surrounding racial segregation in 1960's America, I knew that I would no doubt love the West End musical Hairspray.

It's soulful, rhythm and blues music makes the show upbeat and the audience has no shame in standing up and dancing along to every song.

Having started in 1988, this musical still remains one of the most popular shows for both young and older audiences. It has won 27 Major Awards including the prestigious 2008 Olivier Award for Best Musical.

The story is set in Baltimore, 1962 where racial tension is clear and the The Corny Collins Show is still segregated.

Young Tracy Turnblad wants to become star of the show and decides to audition, even though her strict mother disapproves.

Tracy quickly become the most popular member of the show and fights for the right of her African-American friends to be able to take part.

The show only allows black children to appear on the show once a month when they have "Negro Day". She successfully integrates The Corny Collins Show.

Performed everyday in the Shaftesbury Theatre, the cast include Michael Ball, Ben James-Ellis and Liz Robertson. It should no doubt be at the top of your list of musicals to see.

There are plenty of themes with importance particularly the issues surrounding race but the humour and music means that it is easy to watch and more fun than serious.

I would highly recommend Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre, it is one that should not be missed.

The Royals...a Welsh perspective

A conversation sparked debate in our radio class today regarding the royals. The discussion was in short whether in fact they are an important part of British society and have a place in the news.

Coming from an anti-monarchy family, I was rather lost as to what my own opinion was of the whole institution.

Comments from classmates varied although apart from myself, an Irish student and a half -Spanish half -Welsh student, the majority were in agreement that this tradition was an important one.

They bring money to the country, tourism and are part of centuries of tradition. Somehow I still can't seem to agree with them.

From an old mining village in south Wales, I grew up in a strong Welsh culture where there is still anger over the fact that we don't have a Welsh prince, we have an English one with the title of being ours.

I never really thought about it all too much and tended not to have a strong viewpoint on this.

But what I realised today was that a number of English people have great respect for the royals and all that they bring to the country. And that's great.

For me, I realised that I didn't feel this passion and proudness of a tradition that goes back ten centuries ago.

Maybe this is because I consider myself Welsh before British.

It could be because my first language is Welsh and this is were my proudness lies.

Or maybe it's because secretly I am hoping that we will have another 'Llywelyn', a prince of our own who knows what it is to be a proud Welshman.

Palin's relationship with the press

Sarah Palin has lashed out on the press for her negative portrayal that was endorsed worldwide.

She points out that a free media is part of a democratic society although twisting her words was 'unfair' in attempt to make her appear stupid.

An example of this was when Palin most recently had said that Africa was a country but she insists that this was taken out of context.

Following Obama's win this week, the Republicans have been in disagreement as to why they lost and whether the choice of Sarah Palin contributed to this.

John McCain was scrutinised by many for the way in which he had chosen Palin. He had interviewed her by phone and met her once, then gave her the position as running vice-president.

The media in some respects made a joke of Palin, although a number of her interviews were no doubt comical.

Journalist Katie Couric was witness to this when interviewing Palin and some have argued that this was the beginning of the decline in poll numbers for the Republicans.

During one interview she was asked what newspapers she reads and was unable to name one, using "I read all of them" as an answer. In another renowned interview, she was unable to name any other court case in the U.S. other than Roe v Wade.

Although I have to admit, I was always very wary of Sarah Palin, it seems a bit late for the Republican party to be criticizing her. Surely they should have questioned her ability early on when it seemed she was continuously making mistakes.

The Republicans clearly want to work on improvements for the future when the next presidential election comes around but it seems that all the American people want right now is change.

Palin has offered her help to the media to improve their relationship "I want to ... help restore some credibility there".











Image: Ffion Rees

New era for the USA

I was pleasantly surprised in the late hours of Wednesday morning when it was announced that Barack Obama would become the new President of the United States. In fact I was ecstatic.

For once I was pleased that I had made a bad judgement. Although the polls were in favour of Obama, I still had my doubts as to when it came down to it, would people vote McCain over Obama.

I have to be honest, it was the 'race issue' that I thought would be the decider of the election.

My faith in the American people was close to nothing and I had expected that some would vote Republican rather than having to vote for an African-American.

Turns out that this was an incredibly bad judgment that not only I, but many others outside the U.S. had made.

It is clear that during this time of economic downfall, the people knew that Barack Obama could offer what McCain could not. The latter wanted to introduce tax-cuts which would have been of great benefit for rich America but not so great for the poor.

Obama has been clear from the start what his policies will be and why.

I believe that his promise to withdraw troops from Iraq and sort out the health care system as well as reaching out to the poor was what won him the election.

After seeing images across the news of all kinds of voters turning out in epic numbers, Obama has made history by becoming the first black president of the United States.

He is without doubt what the U.S. needs at this time of complete crisis, both economically and socially.

Increased gun control is urgent

Following the deaths of Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson's' mother, brother and nephew, I can't seem to wonder whether it's just me who's been thinking about this huge issue of gun crime in the States.

Of course rare incidents like these happen worldwide and often cannot be stopped but it seems to me that this has become far too common in American society.

A string of shootings have taken place over the last few years, but Hudson's case is one of the most recent and was most covered in the media.

Prior to this I believe it was the Virginia Tech shooting that received huge speculation worldwide and caused concern for parents and students in the U.S. for their safety.

When Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people at Virginia Tech using two semi-automatic handguns, the first thought that came to me was how did this person get access to these weapons.

It turned out that he was sold them at a local store on two separate occasions. The law in Virginia states that those with mental illnesses are prohibited from buying guns.

Pro-guns activists argued that if the other university students had been allowed weapons on campus, they would have been able to protect themselves and others from the killer.

As a student myself, I can comfortably say that I would feel much safer on campus knowing that nobody had been able to buy weapons legally rather than knowing that everyone around me had them.

These pro-guns Americans are living in the past and need to realise that the need for carrying a weapon is not a fair argument anymore. With students, families and young children being killed far too often, this should be enough to make them realise that something needs to be done.

We will find out in around ten hours who will become 44th President of the United States. Those in favour of gun-control can be confident that Obama will tackle this issue without sitting on the fence.

He attended the memorial service last week for Jennifer Hudson's family, who had supported him throughout his campaign. Let's hope the Americans make the right decision because at this moment in time, tightening gun laws will be one of his priorities.

Could Obama be in trouble?

I have to be honest, I'm always logging on to YouTube to see the latest videos that have been uploaded.

Particularly with the lead up to the U.S. Election, which has been of great interest to me, the website provides what the news in some ways cannot.

I have been able to watch lengthy documentaries filming ordinary Americans and what they have to say about the two presidential candidates.

As interesting as this has been, it has also made me seriously consider some of the reasons why Obama becoming President might be much more of a struggle than I had previously believed.

Pro-Obama videos are in their hundreds on YouTube and has been an effective way of reaching out to young Americans who were unsure who they would vote for.

But it has also been of favour to the McCain campaign.

I had started to notice that a number of, very often young Americans, had posted videos of anti-Obama hatred.

Mainly filmed in the southern states, there is a clear hatred for him and they are not afraid of expressing this.

There are pretty harmless videos of 'rednecks against Obama' and so fourth who clearly don't really understand what the debate is about, but are stuck in their old ways of voting Republican.

What strikes me is that the most dangerous people are the Democratic voters who refuse to vote for an Obama presidency. There is plenty of footage of Clinton supporters who claim that they have never voted Republican.

But when asked who they would vote for if it were Obama v McCain, they quickly change their

tune.

It seems absurd that if you had always had a democratic way of thinking, you would change to Republican if it were not Clinton running for President.

But it is more than clear what the issue is here. These working class southerners have come to terms with the power that women now hold in their societies.

They are happy enough to accept that an educated white woman is ready to be President.

So why not Obama? Nobody can argue that he is not educated enough.

Although he lacks the foreign policy experience that McCain has, he is a well travelled and well educated middle class man, with fresh ideas on how to run the country.

Most of his opponents won't admit that the problem here is the colour of his skin.

Born to a Kenyan father and a white American woman, it is all too much for some traditional working class Americans to accept.

Although Obama has received fantastic press worldwide and is currently leading in the polls, it is still possible for McCain to win.

I hope that I am wrong in my assumption and that Obama will become President of the United States.

I have come to realise that a strong community exists of working class Americans, often very religious, who have strong doubts about Obama.

These people will have a huge impact on who will eventually win the Presidency.

Some 'Celebrities' should just give it up

Spread across the papers, Internet and being widely debated over the radio is this weeks most recent 'Kerry Katona' incident.

During her appearance on This Morning interviewed by Fern Britton and Philip Schofield, viewers quickly realised that something was not right.

Texts and phone calls came in their hundreds and eventually presenter Philip Schofield asked Katona if everything was ok. From the moment the cameras began filming, she had been mumbling her words and seemed very agitated.

With a history of drug use and family problems, hardly a day goes by without the mention of her most recent scandal.

The BBC reported that following her interview on This Morning, she was fuming with Schofield for embarrassing her on live television.

For the viewers at home, it seemed like a reasonable question to ask a guest who was in a clear state both mentally and emotionally.

It is now the end of the week and featured on the BBC News Entertainment page is Kerry Katona's response and the fact that she will remain contracted as the face of Iceland.

For someone who has clearly had a hard childhood followed by drug abuse and a broken marriage, I, as I'm sure many others, feel some sympathy towards her.

But a point comes when you have to wonder why these people are in the spotlight in the first place. She was a member of girl band Atomic Kitten who she left after a few hit singles but apart from that and a disastrous MTV deal in which they filmed her daily life, she has not been very successful.

Living life in the spotlight without having any particular talents to back it up seems to be a real soul destroyer for many of these 'celebrities'. The same applies to Jade Goody who made a fortune following her time on Big Brother, although she has suffered one trauma after another.

For some I think the time comes when you have to pack it up and realise that you are not getting any success anymore. It would do both Katona and her family so much good if she considered doing just that.

She has been lucky enough to have the short success that she has had and the money to keep herself going, which most people could only dream of having.

But it's even more of a shame when someone so fortunate pops up on our screens once in a while to tell us how miserable her life is and what the next crisis is that she has to go through.

Knife Crime - Tarnishing the reputation of youths nationwide

Prior to my move to London, I have to admit that the current issue of knife crime had made me think twice.

I do believe that the image of London has been slightly tarnished by this craze of gang violence and knife attacks, although what I have learnt is that in fact it is only existent in a small number of areas and even then only on a small scale.

The image of teenagers and young people has also been affected.

Although violent crimes are increasing in many areas of the United Kingdom, particularly areas of London, when compared to the number of young people living here, it is a small fraction of the population that take part in this culture.

The increase in violent attacks not only mean that people are losing their lives but for the majority of young persons in the UK, their reputation of being good citizens has quickly disappeared.

It comes as no surprise that we hear the elderly speak openly about their fear when walking past a gang of youths, with every right to be no doubt.

But for the majority this is an insult for everything that they do. A high number of young people are members of youth groups, sports teams and other organizations and would never be tempted to participate in such violence.

It is a real shame that such a tiny proportion of the population behave in such unthinkable ways and along the way, are ruining the reputation for the majority of the youths of Britain.

London three weeks on...

Trafalgar Square, London / Image: Ffion Rees

I have been living in London for three weeks now and am starting to get used to this fast-paced 'everyone gets on with it' sort of approach to life.

I have to admit that a number of people warned me before my move, some very bluntly saying that I wouldn't last more than a week.

But here I am three weeks on having a fantastic experience.

There are things about home that are irreplaceable - there's nothing nicer than a home cooked meal or walking down the street where everybody knows everything about everyone.

In London, people don't seem to be that interested about the person sitting next to them on the tube and I have quickly learnt not to apologize when I bump into someone, as everyone does it to each other.

As much as I can foresee that this is not where I will spend the rest of my life, I am so pleased that I made the final decision to come to this city and experience this completely different way of life.

There is always something to do in London and things to see and that is what I have really come to love.

I have not once sat in my room bored, complaining that I have nothing to do to keep me entertained.

And if I wasn't here, I wouldn't be going to the London Assembly to see Boris Johnson tomorrow which I am very excited about.

I will let you know how I get on...

Palin causes embarassment again

It seems that there is no limit to the embarrassment that Sarah Palin can create for the Republican party at the moment.

Her most recent controversy revealed that she had abused her power as Alaska's Governor by sacking a senior state official, over a family feud.

Then yesterday, a new video was posted on YouTube which was a dedication to all the ridiculous things Palin has said since she became vice-presidential nominee for the election.

What really drew my attention was when she was unable to name any Supreme Court decision that had ever taken place, other than Roe v Wade.

She is expected to know many cases having been Governor of one of the states of America but surely she could have thought of one to make herself look a little more educated.

I would think that the majority of Americans would know the Brown v Board of Education case, a landmark decision of the civil rights era that ended segregation within schools.

Palin would have been in her twenties at the time, so you would hope that she maybe would have known this or another obvious one.

I think at this moment in time we are lucky to be anything other than American.

If Obama wins the election he will reform the country but if McCain and his sidekick win, it will be an even scarier country to live in.

The thought that this woman could quite possibly become vice-president is absurd and it seems that Americans are starting to see this, but let's hope they do this before they cast their votes.

The Boris approach

Houses of Parliament/ Image: Helen Catt

Our course tutors have planned a trip for us next Wednesday to the London Assembly for a conference with the Mayor himself.

It's interesting as I tend to be very liberal in my views on the majority of issues. There are very few topics that I have a conservative view about.

So I was doing my research on Boris Johnson so that I could get to know more about him, particularly his beliefs and his ideas for London.

It struck me that after reading his list of priorities, I was in fact in great agreement with the Conservative politician on the majority of things.

His ideas on policing seem firm and fair, with particular emphasis on the extent of power he wants to give to the Police Community Support Officers.

As London is by now my home away from home, using the tube has become part of daily life.

For a woman I have no issues with this during daylight although at night, I have to admit that I don't feel a hundred per cent at ease.

It's clear that Boris Johnson has introduced some new measures to the underground by creating safer exit and entry points at the stations and providing well lit areas. As a female, the introduction of this itself would have been enough to convince me to vote for Boris.

What also caught my eye was the Mayor's Fund for London in which he provides finances to support voluntary groups who get young Londoners off the streets.

With the recent issue of knife crime, this is a means of giving parents the opportunity to send their children to groups who provide them with something positive to do with their spare time.

Of course these are some of the issues that Boris Johnson sees as important to tackle during his time as Mayor of London. Whether he is successful in doing so is another matter.

But reading some of his policies have been valuable for me as sometimes, I am too quick to jump on the Labour party bandwagon.

His ideas seem to be based on common sense and getting straight in there to tackle the issues. It will be interesting to see whether he is able to fulfil these ideas.

The Mermaid Girl...

I watched a programme tonight which really got me thinking.

It was the story of the 'mermaid girl', an eight year old girl from the States who sufferers from a rare condition which means that her legs have been stuck together since she was born.

This made particularly interesting viewing as it was for once a documentary showing an extremely disadvantaged child with an extraordinary positive outlook on life.

What was very interesting was the mother's concerns, in particular the fact that she was unsure whether giving birth to her child had been the right thing to do. She questioned whether it would have been kinder to end the pregnancy rather than letting her daughter live a life of pain and suffering.

This got me thinking about this weeks result of the Naomi Hill case in Britain. She suffered mild cerebral palsy and at the age of four, was drowned by her mother at their home.

Whether you let your child live or you terminate your pregnancy before it is too late I think is for each person to decide for themselves.

It is clear that the mother of Naomi had suffered great stress and serious mental health problems for years prior to the murder, which the court was in complete agreement about.

Even so, does this justify the murder of your own child? No, not in my opinion.

I have no right to assume what I would do in her situation as I have never had to experience what it must be like to raise a disabled child.

With official help available or even adoption if needed, what was done to Naomi was unforgivable.

The Extraordinary People documentary really gave light to the hard work that so many parents of disabled children worldwide have to do each day. But for many it seems that it is not a chore, it's simply loving your own child.

It was refreshing to see a family who have such a positive outlook on life and don't see their daily lives as a chore but the opposite. It's a real shame that Naomi's mother saw her child as a burden and made a decision that she will now regret for the rest of her life.

New Aids research gives hope

Image: Euan Denholm

In Northern Uganda, millions of people have been

displaced because of war and HIV/Aids

Although my trip to Uganda, East Africa was four years ago now, the issue of Aids is still strife worldwide and is the issue that I feel most passionately about.

Working with communities who had been so badly affected by the virus was heartbreaking although it is clear that what keeps them going each day is their faith and hope that one day a cure will be found.

Although they have not yet been able to find a cure, researchers are always looking for new evidence as to when and where this virus began although it is generally acknowledged that it was in sub-Saharan at the turn of the 20th century.

It was great to see that this year both Aids and Cancer researchers won the Nobel Medicine Prize as it really is a means of publicizing this hugely serious issue.

Their work was so successful that they managed to 'screen blood products' so that the spread of the disease could be limited. It was these French scientists who in fact discovered the HIV virus in the first place and that it was this that caused the Aids.

It always gives me great pleasure to see that people are dedicating their lives to the research of Aids and that eventually one day, a cure might be found.

The discrimination against those who suffer, in both African countries and worldwide is clear. This along with the severe pain caused by the virus means that victims shy away from their communities.

It would be amazing if a cure could be found very soon although at the moment it is crucial that work is done overseas and here in the UK to ensure that those infected with this deadly virus are given the love and care that they so desperately need.

Many charities such as Concern Worldwide have been working with communities heavily affected by HIV/Aids.

Image: Concern Worldwide

Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade...my Harrods experience

Images: Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade

I was taking some time out this Saturday to take a trip into central London, to do a couple of 'touristy' things.

I had been to Harrods once as a kid one Christmas, and remember thinking how huge it was in there.

Unlike most things that always look larger than life when your a child and actually aren't that big, Harrods is still huge!

When leaving to head to the Knightsbridge tube station I had absolutely no idea that I would be bombarded by anti-fur campaigners outside the Harrods entrance.

Anti-fur protesters

I am aware of the very influential campaign against companies who make their money from selling fur clothing but had no idea that every Saturday this was going on.

They are furious that Harrods are selling items made from the likes of beavers, rabbits, wolves and squirrels. It remains the only department store in the UK who sells them.

If only I'd known before spending my money

A feeling of utter guilt came over me that I had only five minutes ago spent £5.50 on some food and drink in there. If only I had seen them before entering, I certainly would have reconsidered spending my money.

I have always had great admiration for people who give up their time to protest against things that really do matter. It is a topic that I had never seen being protested against before and I believe that this is the way you can really reach the public like no other.

This along with a number of other issues should be explored much more within the media which would certainly contribute to supporting the coalition against the fur trade.

Even so, I have been convinced this weekend that there are people who really do care about these issues and that the best way possible of touching people is to be public with your opinions.

5 reasons why Obama should be president and McCain should not

With the U.S. election quickly approaching, I thought I'd share my views as to why Barack Obama should be made President of the United States and why John McCain should not. Here goes...

It's time for change

1. America is currently in a crisis and drastically needs change. With public opinion of the war in Iraq gradually changing, Obama will offer new ideas and new hope for the people of America

Gun control

2. On controversial issues affecting the American people, Obama is seen as a 'traditional realist' and has vast knowledge on what needs to be done. Following college shootings such as the famous Virginia Tech massacre, he is determined to introduce stricter laws on gun licensing

McCain believes that the right to bear arms is fundamental and this will therefore mean that shootings are not likely to be controlled if McCain wins the election

Women's rights

3. If McCain is elected as President, the women of America will no doubt lose some of their rights. He is strongly against abortion except in the case of rape or incest, and would like to overturn the Roe v Wade case of 1973.

Obama has a more progressive view on this issue, arguing that teens should be taught about absistence and contraception but abortion still needs to be available

Global warming

4. Obama's presidency would affect the rest of the world, particularly on the issue of global warming. It is crucial that the next president holds strong views on what is needed to be done and that it is a priority to them.

With McCain's choice of vice-president arguing that global warming is not man made, I don't think anything further needs to be said on this topic

Biden v Palin

5. No surprise but my final reasoning as to why Obama deserves Presidency is that he has made the right decision in choosing Joe Biden to become vice-president and McCain has made the completely wrong choice.

Biden has been a long-time member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and has served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He will certainly erase any doubts that the American public has had of the lack of experience on the Democrats front.

The appointment of Sarah Palin has received great national attention and the thought that she could become vice-president of the United States is horrifying in itself. I will leave you with a quote, and you can decide for yourself:-

"Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending soldiers out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan." –Sarah Palin, on the Iraq war, speaking to students at the Wasilla Assembly of God, June 2008

9/11 video

Moving on to a completely different topic, we were given an exercise in class this morning. A video was shown of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the twin towers. We were told to type what we were thinking whilst watching.

It hit me that it was seven years ago from now that I was sitting in my history class when the news hit the UK. Knowing what we know now, watching the footage over is a strange feeling.

A plane hits the building and heavy smoke fills the air. The tower begins to collapse and people look down from windows wondering what they can do. Streets are filled with people screaming and running for their lives as the smoke gets closer and closer.

It is clear that nobody knows what is happening or what will happen next.

My first blog

Not only is this my first blog, this is my first week living in the 'big city' of London. For a just-turned twenty one year old from the South Wales valleys, it can be a hugely daunting experience.

Moving to a city where I have yet to meet another person from my side of the world has been both new and exciting but I have great sympathy for those who have traveled from afar and have no opportunity to use their home language.

Although Welsh is certainly a minority language, there is no doubt that over the last few years there has been a rapid growth in it's use.

With the opening of the Welsh assembly, people have come to accept that it is actually used widely within communities across the country and that bilingual signs should exist in public places.

I am always reminded of my grandparents' experience when they were children, when people became almost embarrassed to use their own language.

A recent BBC Trust report revealed that Wales, behind Scotland and Northern Ireland, is extremely under-represented in the news.

I would love to think that I could contribute to giving Wales a fair place within the British media, starting with giving light to the sudden growth of a language that has almost been forgotten for the last few decades.













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