A few weeks ago a sign appeared by the door of my regular pub, reading "The Prince Albert is now over 21s on Friday and Saturday nights by order of the Police".
Mother. Fucker.
I've tried phoning several numbers to find out why this was done and what legislation was used to do it - and got no useful response from any of them. I have now invoked the Freedom of Information Act and am waiting for a response. But to be honest, the information I'll get (if I do get it) will be irrelevant. There is no excuse for a blanket ban on a section of society.
Age based exclusion is just as wrong as racism.
The reason racism is wrong (immoral) is because it targets, excludes and victimises people based on matters out of their control (their race). Racism is mistaken because the fact that certain members of an ethnicity commit crimes does not mean all members will. Racism (in the justice system) punishes the innocent for the crimes of the guilty. All of the faults of racism apply to ageism, which is exactly what this method of policing is.
Instant justice also takes away the rights we deserve as people - there is no chance of defence while your sentence is quickly formulated and little or no method of appeal. These punishments are often low key and slip by unseen.
Instant justice is also normally used to favour the comfort of the middle-aged middle-class over all other groups in society - this is not creating justice, but shifting the problem to weaker, more voiceless parts of society - in this case the young, and a very small minority (only the drinkers of the Prince Albert between the ages 18 and 21 are affected - there is very little chance that this minority will ever become big enough to be heard - forcing them to remain in the repression of tyranny of the majority). This problem-shifting and class favouritism is a crime in itself and should be halted immediately.
I have come to the conclusion that the police force either don't understand why racism is wrong - or they would not act on ageism - or they don't care that racism is wrong, only avoiding it to avoid bad press. They have now found a form of discrimination that does not attract masses of media attention and are now using it to maintain their approval level among the parts of society that matter to them - the middle aged middle and upper classes.
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6 comments:
The police neither understand why fascism is wrong (and this is a fasism) nor care that it is wrong because they are, essentially, fascist. Anyone attracted to being a policeman wants to maintain a right wing status quo. If you argue with them, they reply with brute force - so you can't win. It is frightening that a 'left wing' government has given them - and is still giving - increasing powers to do just as they will. Being turned away from the pub will be nothing compared to the infringements on our liberty we will all suffer if our basic human rights continue to be infringed in this way. Fight for your right to party!
Nah, just kidding. I think you're right. Police shouldn't have the ability to exercise their powers in this manner, that is too say with little or no methods of defense or appeal, nor in such a way to appease the the objections of the majority middle class. However if you're invoking some idealistic notion of Millian liberty, which i think you are, then I think that this was an appropriate decision (harm principle dawg) and I would think that YOU of all people should Know this. Comment back yo!
Re: Comment back
SWEET application of Mill. like it alot. as per the Guiliani comment I know the boxing bells were idiotic also like how he dismissed the ACTUAL FACT that the 9/11 bombings where,in part if not wholey, blow back from the American interventionist policies with "Thats absurd!"
What about us smokers eh? We've been banned from every pub and restaurant in the country. For 'everybody's good'.
It's just the thin end of the wedge - now they've got rid of the smokers who else don't they like?
Those 18-21 year olds are a bit of a nuisance. Fat people might need some guidance. What about those middle aged drinkers at home?
Surely no sacrifice is too great when you know what's good for everybody?
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