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Red Writing
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Still on the subject of Schools - THE biggest-ever investment in school buildings in Scotland, which will be funded through the controversial public-private partnership initiative (PPP), was announced yesterday by the education minister, Cathy Jamieson. Scottish schools are set to stock a new controversial book in their libraries, whilst the same book is likely to be banned in England. My worry about Strange Boy, by Paul Magrs , is not that the book is about homosexuality but about the young and impressionable age of the main character. Am I so out of touch with children that I have missed the fact that they have grown up and worked out their sexuality by the age of 10? I cannot believe children are sure about their sexuality before they even reach puberty, let alone during or after. Obviously I cannot really comment because I have not read it but it does seem sad to me that a book which is said to be about " a 10-year-old who realises he is gay and has his first sexual experience with a teenage boy" is being promoted at all. Have I also missed the legal age arguments? I agree there are many books about heterosexual first experiences and perhaps I am out of touch about the age of the characters in them but I would still be shocked if the characters were so young. Please let's get this into perspective.....this is a ten year old we are talking about (albeit fictional). Someone who is still only permitted to watch a PG rated film in the cinema. Who can still cycle on the pavement. Who can still go on bouncy castles. Who does't pay tax on their clothing. There are many very serious and complicated issues about this but my personal and very cynical feeling is that Paul Magrs has decided that since the abolition of Section 28 in Scotland, he has decided to take advantage of the rulings and cash in on the controversy he must have known would surround this book. I am prepared to admit I may be wrong about this but I would have to read the book to tell you and I am not convinced I really want to do that. I should also add that no matter what my own personal feelings about this are, I would not stop my own children from reading it if they wanted to. So my opinion on the original argument, i.e. should it be stocked in school libraries is yes. However, I feel this is a, shutting the stable door scenario. My argument is much more controversial and probably a censorship one, I am not convinced it should have been published in the first place! Apparently an asteroid narrowly missed the earth last week! Would we have noticed? Is this divine retribution for the whole world going football mad?? Wondering who is running the country? So are they. I'm sure they will let the people know once they have sorted it out!??? Coincidentally, today is the anniversary of the death in 1946 of John Logie Baird, inventor and pioneer in television development. I think he would be turning in his grave if he saw what sort of monster he had given birth to. Too tired to face writing class. Resorted to slumping infront of TV: Football: Why? EastEnders: Oh my God......even worse.....Why? Film - Nine Months; Hugh Grant, sweet.....but such a poor film. Started promisingly but deteriorated into farce. Big Brother - For God's sake, spare us. Deteriorated so much. Would love it if they all said they wanted to leave en masse. Might shake up the producers. Graham Norton: I use to like Toya Wilcox. One sentence and she brought back 20 years of insecurity. Thought about it, then felt SO SO sorry for her.....no experience obviously......does the old girl know how WRONG she is? Anyway, don't respect her anymore but not prepared to elaborate to those who missed it. Suffice to say, once you've tried it, there's no going back. Ali McBeel: Lost the plot.....missed too many episodes through lack of interest. Should have gone to my class.........in one night I could come up with a hundred more creative ideas than the dross which appears on our screens these days. A star in the making? Yes...just wait until I give up the day job. I was wrong. Sometimes old is not better. Barbaric victorian practices are still going on in psychosurgery. This is the controversial operation which Lena Zavaroni was undergoing when she died of complications and which due to a forthcoming law - despite the fact that it contravenes the guidelines set out by the united nations - will see an increase of occurances. Who gives anyone the right to interfere with another individuals brain without consent? "Cancer of the lining of the womb, endometrial cancer, is the second most common gynaecological cancer in the UK with approximately 400 cases diagnosed annually in Scotland. Of those cases approximately 20% of patients die.".........."A damning new report on the state of Scotland’s cancer service published today reveals that, in two-thirds of patients undergoing therapy for cancer of the womb, doctors did not follow the recognised guidelines in measuring how far the disease had advanced, which meant many did not receive adequate treatment." Read more about the report. Isn't it time the government invested more money into the NHS? Did you know that our "overall survival rates from cancer, which affects 25,000 people every year, are among the lowest in Europe. In 2000, about 15,000 people died of cancer." For those desparate to view how wonderful my digi cam is - see how well it takes all the flowers in my newly restocked garden.
Today in 1329 Robert the Bruce, King of Scots from 1306, died at Cardross Castle, on Firth of Clyde. He was buried under the High Altar in Dunfermline Abbey. It is somewhat hard to believe, that in this age of surveillance and lack of privacy the sound and image recording in the big brother household is so bad! STRESS TIP - GET OUT OF BED! Get out of bed earlier and use the extra time to do something you don't normally get the chance to do. Have a cup of tea and read the papers alone, take a nice long shower or have a soak in the bath, sort through your old clothes and put them in a bag for the charity shop. Once you have done the things you never get time to do, you can do the things you never imagined you would get around to doing! |
