THE ART OF RECLAIMING OUR STREETS

                                       

                                          THE ART OF RECLAIMING OUR STREETS...

The death of Sarah Everard is one mourned by all throughout the land, none more-so than her immediate family and boyfriend.  She is not the first female killed by a male and sadly will doubtless be the last.  Her abduction and subsequent death is currently subject to investigation.  The fact that the man arrested and now charged with her murder is a serving Metropolitan police officer makes the case even more newsworthy.   My sympathies also go to the police, this is last thing they need, another excuse for the left and others with a lifetime's agendas to goad them with.  That the officer in question had been involved in an indecent exposure incident three days previously is also part of the jigsaw as to why he was considered a suspect.  As with most crimes, it will all come out in the wash.  Only then will the world know the truth, until then it is a patchwork of speculation. 

The Yorkshire Ripper was responsible for a number of murders over a long period of time.  All the victims had family and/or friends who suffered great loss.  As someone who has lost a son of his own in unexplained circumstances,  I know what Sarah Everard's family must be going through.  What I'd imagine is the last thing any family needs is those hell-bent on causing disruption to society doing it in your name.

What is it then that gives this group 'Reclaim Our Streets' the right to hijack another family's grief and organise protests under the emotive banner of 'Vigils' and gather unlawfully on Clapham Common, London  and other towns and cities throughout the UK?  I have watched these hard-faced angry, driven ladies with a collective cause banging on about rights and men.  A female peer, sitting in that highly undemocratic chamber known as the House of Lords had some interesting and skewed thoughts on violence against women.  The lady concerned is a member of the Green Party and regales under the title of Baroness Jones of Moulscomb.  Not being familiar with her, I looked her up and there is a photo of her in full flow giving words of perceived wisdom to all those who give not a toss as to how she feels on the matter.  A more miserable looking cove would be hard to imagine.  She has the appearance of a female who's just smartened herself up after years of  camping at Greenham Common.  She was, apparently the London Deputy Mayor at some stage, what on earth did that once fine city do to deserve her?

Her address to fellow Club members included the following: 'In the week that Sarah Everard was abducted and we suppose, killed... I argue that at the first opportunity for any bill that is appropriate, I might put in an amendment to create a curfew for men on the streets after 6pm. I feel this would make women a lot safer, and discrimination of all kinds would be lessened'.  Can you imagine the furore if a male suggested a curfew for females after 6pm on the grounds that they were 'Asking for it!'  There would be hell to pay for any male making such a statement, and rightly so, but a female can make that ridiculous suggestion adding as she did, that she was 'Just trying to make a point'. Strange, deluded lady, but then she is a member of the Green Party, which just about sums her up really.

What infuriates me is that in a time of Lockdown and a combined effort to continue moving in the right direction with Covid, these 'Reclaim Our Streets' organisers were determined to go not only against the law regarding public gatherings but raise a lot of money very quickly in order to challenge both the police and the government through the High Court.  To my mind this has very little to do with Sarah Everard and everything to do with an opportunity to discredit the government, the Home Secretary in particular and make things as uncomfortable as possible for the police.  I'm not a great admirer of Cressida Dick, but she, and all her officers are on a hiding to nothing.  Despite being advised not to go ahead with their demonstration...sorry, protest... sorry vigil, there was a gathering on Clapham Common.  Women were arrested and taken away in handcuffs, frankly I'm appalled by the crass stupidity and bloody-mindedness of these people.  If they want the streets to be safe to walk through then they're certainly not helping the police by diverting precious man... and woman power from the streets by having them attend their misguided and mischievous gathering.

I have to say, as a lad who grew up in Clapham Junction and spent school holidays playing football and cricket on both Wandsworth and Clapham Commons, I was always told by my parents to be 'Home by dusk'.  It's what any sensible parent would have said in the 50's and 60's.  I wouldn't have walked the route Sarah Everard took as a teenager back then, I certainly wouldn't attempt it these days.  One has to ask why she felt confident enough to make that long journey on foot at that time of night.  Yes, any woman has the right to go about her business unhindered, but reality tells you that you have to take precautions, and the basic rule is to keep risks to a minimum. 

Sadly, social media is constantly used to drum up support for those with nothing better to do than snipe, bitch and in some cases seek to destroy society and democracy for their very limited ideals. 

'Reclaim Our Streets'?  I'd rather we reflected on our collective social duties, but in a culture of 'Me, me, me', I suspect that is about as long a shot as an announcement that as of 6pm this evening, there will be a bobby on the beat in every street in Britain... One can but remember the good times...