R A F Wittering And Uniforms in Peterborough
Posted by: DAVOhorn on 11 March 2008
Dear All,
I have heard everything!!!!
Britain is Bonkers and the Govt with it.
Why ????
If what i heard yesterday on the radio here is correct then:
Now in the effort to not offend any group what so ever, except if they be European White Anglo Saxon, the RAF decided the following.
Due to the upset caused to certain minority groups in Peterborough and the response of these groups :
Spitting at, Abuse to etc etc the RAF WITTERING Personnel
The RAF has responded in a rational and intelligent way.
To Prohibit the Wearing of their Military Uniform . So those who voluntered to join the armed forces to protect the many from the few are having to !!!!!!
Not offend the minority groups in Peterborough.
Now hang on is this not arse about face.
A foreign national decides to come to the UK , and seek sanctuary in the Safety and Security afforded the citizens and visitors to the UK.
This safety and security is provided by the Police and the MILITARY.
So The Armed Forces have to Kowtow to people who are offended by men and women in Uniform.
Might i be politically incorrect and suggest that those who are offended by the British Military living in the community and PROUDLY WEARING THEIR UNIFORM
GO HOME to wwhere ever they came from.
Even if they are born in Britain but their Heritage is not British then they go to a country where they will not be offended.
The reason given on the radio for this behaviour towards the military is due to the presence of the military in IRAN IRAQ AFGHANISTAN>
Boy it just gets worse.
Monty Python and Yes Prime Minister could not have foreseen this one.
If i am inaccurate in the above please forgive me, but as i say it was reported in Aussie Media.
regards David
Posted on: 11 March 2008 by Major-Tom
David
Yes, this is actually happening. I am as outraged as you regarding this. The lunatics have truly taken over the asylum !
Regards
MT
Posted on: 11 March 2008 by Tony Lockhart
Towards the end of my time in the air force (1981 to 1990) we were banned from wearing our uniform off-base anywhere in the UK. This was due to the heightened PIRA threat at the time. I was pleased as punch! I hated the uniform. It made us look like RAC rescue blokes.
I don't recall any media frenzy over that.
Tony
Posted on: 11 March 2008 by Bruce Woodhouse
Just to show it depends which media you read...
My understanding was that there have been problems in the town due to the behaviour of service personel, in particular an assault on a nurse by individuals from the base. As a result the decision was taken to reduce tension between the local louts (civilians) and (dare I say it) the louts in uniform. It actually seems a vaguely pragmatic decision to cool things off somewhat.
Not quite the same spin is it? Nothing to do with offending minority groups in my version.
Bruce
Oh and by the way, as a majority group, white anglo-saxon I find the presence of military uniforms (especially in groups) on my streets a bit unpleasant too. Is it necessary? If they are not working why do they need to be in uniform? I don't walk around town in a white coat and stethoscope. Ask the people of garrison towns like Colchester or Catterick what they think too.
Posted on: 11 March 2008 by Bob McC
Tony is correct. I'm sure the army were told not wear their uniforms in the seventies and eighties as well because of the IRA. Don't remember a dickie bird being said then.
Posted on: 11 March 2008 by djftw
It's very different military personnel being told not to wear uniform because of a threat from a terrorist group and them being told not to wear it because they're attracting abuse from the general public. One is for the protecting them, their families and the public from the consequences of potential terrorist attacks. The other is the hypocrisy of a certain groups of people who complain about the government not respecting their views, yet think it is acceptable for them to abuse people because they're not ashamed of the job that they do.
I'm not sure which paper Bruce has been reading, but have been through the BBC articles and the only reference I can find to a nurse is a military nurse being abused by locals.
Posted on: 11 March 2008 by Jo Sharp
The ban on wearing uniform in public in the 70s and 80s was indeed due to the IRA threat. They were running a campaign of placing bombs under servicemens' cars as well as shooting them as they drove home from work in UK and in Germany. The casualties included wives and children.
Posted on: 11 March 2008 by Jo Sharp
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Posted on: 11 March 2008 by JamieWednesday
Errmmm...well with first hand knowledge, so to speak, I can't remember the last time I saw a uniform in Peterborough, other than their occasional presence in the city centre for recruitment/display/ceremonial purposes, and I've been here 11 years now. I don't recall there being any trouble specifically invoving forces personnel either.
When this story broke, the general consensus among everyone I've spoken to was 'Eh?'. There is a huge amount of public pride and support for Wittering in Peterborough and other stations too (there's a fair few of them up here). No one seems to know where this story has come from. There's certainly plenty of locals with family in the forces, half my neighbours seem to be in the RAF and some keep getting sent back out to Afghanistan! We have a wide ethnic diversity (about 1 in 10 are recent immigrants) but I'm not sure that has much to do with it, as they're not 'going home' as it were and seem very happy here (farms and engineering firms are also very pleased for the labour influx as many 'locals' can't be arsed to work it seems).
All very bizarre.
Posted on: 11 March 2008 by Diccus62
I think it is sensible for any uniformed profession not to wear work gear out of work (if you get what I mean). Nurses are not allowed to do it, Police I don't think are. Lollipop folk tend not to go out for a pint in full regalia.
For me it would be - Off duty, in civvies, why attract the attention of a uniform of any description, for good or bad.
Mind, a Stripper might be different, but not one of those Chipperfield blokes
Diccus
Posted on: 12 March 2008 by DAVOhorn
DEar All,
The point i was trying to make based on the report here was that, if true , foreign nationals object to the British Military.
The foreign nationals have a choice and they have made the decision to live in the UK and they there fore respect the way of life of the majority population. Not impose their bigotry on the majority population.
As a recent arrival in good old Aussie i do not object to their way of life.
Indeed like many recent arrivals i have embraced the Aussie lifestyle.
It is a friendlier and more relaxed place than the UK and i find this very appealing.
But here we have many problems with many immigrant communities who have brought their SOCIAL RELIGIOUS PROBLEMS with them.
And apart from screwing the Social Welfare system for all that they can get choose to disregard the rest of aussie life.
regards david
Posted on: 12 March 2008 by DAVOhorn
Dear All
As an a former NHS employee .
THe wearing of a medical uniform out of ones place of work is for Infection Control Policy reasons.
That way after a hard days work acquiring assorted human detritus on my uniform i would not expose the public to it by venturing out.
The uniform stayed at work for this reason. If one was doing a home visit then the wearing of a unifrom outside was acceptable, but only for the purposes for which one was wearing the uniform.
The Military b the nature of their profession are essentially never off duty so the wearing of Uniform would be acceptable to me.
I would not find it objectionable to see people in Military Uniform walking around town.
regards David
Posted on: 17 March 2008 by Jonathan Gorse
If the story is true I find it very sad indeed. If it wasn't for the RAF and other service personnel we'd be living in a Nazi state now.
Jonathan
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by djftw
The whole attitude towards the military nowadays is disgusting. The government thinks it's ok to send them to war without proper equipment, pay them less than virtually everyone else who works for a public service, and not take proper care of the injured when they come home. The political left thinks that it is fine for them to treat them like criminals. You really have to ask yourself what the heck is wrong with our society when the only entity that seems to give these brave men and women who choose to put their own lives in danger for our benefit, the respect and admiration they deserve is The Sun newspaper!!!
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by Derek Wright
However the British Legion in Hampshire collected a record amount of money last Autumn during the Poppy Appeal, so the "public" were moved to put in more cash. One could always argue that the "public" should put in more or that the government should pick up the tab for all welfare needs of the ex services chaps.
So it is not just The Sun that is concerned.
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by Deane F
quote:
Originally posted by djftw:
these brave men and women who choose to put their own lives in danger for our benefit
How does British military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq benefit you?
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by djftw
quote:
Originally posted by Derek Wright:
However the British Legion in Hampshire collected a record amount of money last Autumn during the Poppy Appeal, so the "public" were moved to put in more cash. One could always argue that the "public" should put in more or that the government should pick up the tab for all welfare needs of the ex services chaps.
So it is not just The Sun that is concerned.
Glad to hear it, was a bit of a tongue in cheek comment.
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by djftw
quote:
How does British military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq benefit you?
That is straying somewhat from my point, the existence of the military and the people who serve in it benefits me. It guarantees our security, and if in order to do that we need military alliances which sometimes take us into wars that have no direct benefit to us so be it.
I haven't been sent to a concentration camp recently... oh yes that's right, my grandfather escaped from Poland, joined the British Army, and what do you know... now I live in a free democratic state where people don't try to kill me for my race, beliefs, etc. etc.
Yes the military obviously serves no purpose whatsoever, how could I have been so foolish...
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by BigH47
That's not actually an answer to the question.
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by Deane F
djftw
It seemed like a fair question given your statement.
But it is somewhat specious to claim high-minded ideals for everybody that chooses to serve in the armed forces. What they do when they are there is follow orders - and you can follow those orders all the way up the chain of command until you're beyond the military.
In other words your armed forces are an extension of your government.
The purpose they serve is the purpose of the government of the day.
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by 555
quote:
Originally posted by Deane F:
How does British military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq benefit you?
It's a complex issue.
I have grave concerns about the war in Iraq & the true Bush/Blair motives.
Afghanistan is different to my mind because when it was controlled by the Taliban they gave Al-Qaeda sanctuary & a safe base to operate from. The US gave the Taliban plenty of opportunities to hand over the 9/11 suspects. No doubt if Al-Qaeda had continued to operate freely in Afghanistan this would have led to more 9/11 scale terrorist conspiracies/attempts/attacks. Of course we should not forget the Taliban ruled the citizens of Afghanistan by fear & violence, just like Sadam in Iraq.
It's the same old story; the politicians send the services to do the fighting,
& they along with innocent civilians get killed, injured & generally suffer.
I support our armed forces, because they have to do what they are told,
& they signed up to serve & protect us all. Politicians are mainly scum!
War is stupid (but very occasionally less stupid than the status quo),
& the root of all terrorism is actual or perceived injustice IMHO.
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by djftw
quote:
Originally posted by Deane F:
djftw
It seemed like a fair question given your statement.
But it is somewhat specious to claim high-minded ideals for everybody that chooses to serve in the armed forces. What they do when they are there is follow orders - and you can follow those orders all the way up the chain of command until you're beyond the military.
In other words your armed forces are an extension of your government.
The purpose they serve is the purpose of the government of the day.
The government elected by the electorate of the day. So basically you are saying you have no faith in representative democracy?
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by djftw
quote:
Politicians are mainly scum!
That's a bit unfair, there are a lot of perfectly good people in politics with the best of intentions. There is a tendency for the slimier characters to weasel their way to the top, but it's the same in every profession.
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by 555
We will have to agree to disagree djftw!
There are a small minority of honest politicians who have the greater good of the nation & its' citizens at heart.
99% IME, as I worked for a certain large British broadcaster for 20 years & frequently frequently had to interact with them, are self-serving, money/power grabbing hypocrites.
How many politicians do you know djftw?
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by djftw
A surprisingly large number, it's an occupational hazard of being a member of a political party and usually the only person under 30 prepared to sit on committees! Although at 22 there are only two I can think of I've known for 20 years, family friends who have served as councilors most of their lives.
It's also a shame you're so disillusioned, there are a lot of things I don't like about politics at the minute, especially in Scotland, but I would like to think I could help in some small way to change things.
It's interesting you cite your work with a broadcaster as the source of your cynicism, we have a former BBC Senior Manager in the North East who is very enthusiastic, and has been a candidate a few times. 22 years in the beeb had made him very interested in politics!
Posted on: 18 March 2008 by 555
What level of politicians are you referring to djftw?
At a local level they are generally better IME; I was thinking the of more senior variety.
You may think me disillusioned & cynical, I would describe myself as realist,
but I admit I formed this view of politicians when I was about 12.
In terms of national & international politicians IMHO you are naive.
Seems to me the people of Scotland are currently better served than the English by government. I don't know how our Welsh friends are faring.
IME Senior BBC managers are also a bunch of self-serving, money/power grabbing hypocrites, so I'm not surprised your former BBC NE associate is very interested in politics!
