What kind of world do we live in?

Its almost sad to say, but I somewhat expected it. The Police have charged Virender Singh, owner of the Liquor shop in Otara that was held up the other day with two charges of "injuring with the intent to injure" after he knocked about two youths from a gang of 5 who tried to hold up his store last week.

I understand the need for a reasonable amount of force to be used. But in that situation...how would you have known what force to use and what would have been reasonable? You are in a situation where your life is being threatened, you have something to fight back with...use the damn thing. Do you think that Mr Navtej Singh the poor shop owner who was shot and killed, if he fought back, would he have been charged if he had shot and killed in defence of his shop?

If some punk tries to break into my house not only does he have myself and two grumpy dogs to contend with, they have my wife who is 6'2" and from America to get through. Be assured, they won't walk out unscathed, if they walk out. Be damn assured that if someone wants to break into my home, I will defend it. That is no threat...that's for sure a promise.

This is simply a sign that the terms 'victims rights' mean little in the scheme of things. It seems that an offender is being seen to be a victim. I say that because the shop owner, has been charged first publicly. We've not heard if the two crooks who did the damage in the first place have been brought up on charges yet.

Let me look at this another way.

• Teachers are banned from using the strap in school...school discipline now is at its worst level in history. More suspensions, expulsions, standing downs than ever before.
• Parents are now barred from using reasonable force discipline on their own children...family discipline flies out the window...parents have no means of discipline over their kids as even a time out corner or groundings can be considered abuse and a breach of their civil rights.
• An idiot last week is on the front page of the Waikato Times claiming some degree of Police brutality after road racing in Te Rapa, failing to stop for police officers in a marked car, driving over the alcohol limit, in an unregistered and unwarranted car, and had to be chased down to stop, you wonder why the Police were a little over zealous in their approach?
• Shop owners are charged for defending themselves and their businesses after young kids walk in with knives? I wonder what would have happened if the kid walked in with a knife and the kid had a gun pointed at him? Charges would have likely been laid as well against the shop owner.

I would actually like to have the Police explain what reasonable force is to a point where a jury if it was required could make a black and white determination over if it was or not. I highly doubt they could.

This is just stupid. It will never go to a jury trial, he may get fined but even that is an injustice. Someone needed to do something and now, unfortunately our Police force are making Mr Singh a public example for the wrong people. It is just showing to the young criminals, that I can get away with this if I walk in there and they beat me up. So what I threatened him, so what I was going to steal from him. So what, I was under age and going to steal booze. To me, that's a consequence of what they were going to do.

Drop the charges. Its not worth it.

Leaders debate...I dont think there is one

I find it really ironic that we call a bunch of adults, moaning about what they see governments not doing, and what they think they can do better, leaders debates. Of all things to call a true test of leadership, is to simply BS your way though a bunch of questions with no real answers to show for the time spent.

Then now you have Uncle Helen and Mr Key saying they arent coming in onto this debate because in their minds, people want to hear from the people who have a real chance of becoming Prime Minister. Or should I say, this countries Prima Donna. Because both Clark and Key are acting like them right now.

So what if Shaples, Hide, Peters, Anderton and the other minor parties may have no chance in hell of becoming Prime Minister and that is by no means being represented by those leaders, each of them however wants the opportunity to express their points about what their party stands for. Personally, though they are members of our house of representatives, leaders of the political world we currently have in the sad MMP environment and this grand-standing by Clark and Key is nothing more than a slap in the face to them all.

Its not about who other than Clark will lead this country. for Helen Clark, I'm not completely happy with over the last 9 years what is perhaps the greatest social degredation this country has ever seen, with the removal of the importance of the marriage, the legalisation of prostitution, and wha is perhaps the biggist increase of youth drunkenness because they saw fit to drop the age.

Then you think about John Key and his band of merry men. To some degree I'm concered that there are some who are going to play him like a puppet. You have MP's on his list that have not seen power since the last time National got the boot. Bill English, in line to be New Zealands deputy Prime Minister is a failed National party leader, ousted by a list MP (Don Brash). Call me paranoid, English wouldn't be the first National party person to drop the leader while in the PM's chair. Remember Bolger and Shipley? Shipley became NZ's first woman PM by bumping Jim out of his possie.

You can't call it a leaders debate because I do not see an ounce of leadership in any of them. Though it is time to vote to see who is going to have the biggest share of the sandbox...unfortunately this our form of democracy...sad though it may be, we get a chance to be a part of this process. This is perhaps the best chance for people to have their say when it comes to things that concern them. No party will have all the answers you want but they will have at least the best options...better than Labour right now. I'm sorry, Red wont be getting my vote this year. Perhaps either way.