This week, a journalist in a popular newspaper used the word 'gay' in a manner that reinforced negative connotations; yet again I was reminded me that there is still a long way to go in ending the use of the word gay as a pejorative term. Continue reading...
This weekend I watched Usain Bolt run the 100m as a VIP guest in the Olympic stadium; this time last year I was watching my home town burn in the summer riots. Had I made different choices I could have been watching the race from prison. Continue reading...
Exactly a year ago, hundreds of kids misbehaved really badly, so why has nobody asked the question? Have we - society, government, family - done something wrong? Why the loud silence? Oh, sorry, I forgot - they are they just nasty little rioters, and should go to prison. There is nothing else to ask. Where is the reflection, the understanding, the questions? Those arrested during the riots mainly came from deprived areas and had the poorest educational backgrounds. They set fire to their own communities, and looted consumerist goods − plasma TVs, "branded" fashionable electronics and expensive shoes. Why did they do what they did? Continue reading...
How many parents, teachers and academics have you heard dismissing social media as ridiculous or a waste of time? Continue reading...
