The Insanity Plea

Recently, I witnessed an accused person leaving court with an acquittal from a charge of causing GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm).
I was in court on a different official matter. I felt sad for both the accused person and the victims of his crime.
As I glanced at the family and friends of the victim , huddled together, heads bowed, my heart sank.
Their faces clearly showed their pain , bitterness and disgust at the outcome of months of court appearances.
The victim survived the vicious attack , but with disabilities for life.
He sat in a wheel chair speechless and looked very shocked.
I could only imagine how those people felt ; especially when the accused walked free; with a swagger and with a broad grin, like that of the cat that got the cream!
He walked free amidst cheers and back slapping for him from his supporters!
The accused person was acquitted by reason of insanity.
He was "free", sort of ; free to be taken away to a secured unit. Escorted by social workers and securities operatives who whisked him away, quickly, from the scene.
He had his day in court and the laws of the land had found him unfit to be held culpable for his actions. So be it.
Apart from the legal considerations, it is morally wrong and unfair to convict an insane person of crimes committed by him or her during the period he/she is adjudged "Criminally Insane ".
But where do we draw the line? Who qualifies for the Insanity Plea?
There are numerous cases of people committing murder or causing GBH because the culprit felt the victim had shown him "disrespect".
In another of such cases of GBH, this person who had committed similar offences twice before, re-offended. Since he was registered as suffering from "Severe Clinical Depression", he had been let off the previous charges and placed on a course of treatment and rehabilitation.
However, this time around,things were not that easy for him.
He had to be placed in a far-away secure unit, for his own good. With a complete change of identity !
The reason being that after weeks in hospital, his victim survived the stabbing by a hair-breadth and identified him!
This latest victim had two brothers who themselves were suspected to have undiagnosed serious mental problems. They had been on observation by the authorities for months for severe antisocial behaviour patterns ,even before their brother was stabbed.
They have vowed revenge. Nobody in their neighbour hood who knew what they were capable of doing ,disbelieved them!
If the brothers succeed in carrying out their threat and they are charged to court, what would their pleas be? "Insanity" or "Disrespect"?

Someone said every human being suffers, usually unnoticed ,brief mental derailment of about five minutes , daily.
Wouldn't it be just , simply wonderful to be able to exploit our perceived insane moments ? To do all those evil things which we would love to do ; but for the law and fear of reprisals which restrain us? Then plead insanity after being caught!
I mean, the list is endless. We could, all, decide to have a field day with this "Insanity" thing.
Every one knows someone who they would like to encircle that person's throat with their hands and squeeze hard.
Or we could decide to pay "courtesy visits" to the shops filled with all those luxury goods and gadgets which have caught our fancy.
We could take our pick of all the goods on offer and make our exit, quietly, with the loot!
And just in case , any overzealous store detective apprehends us at the store exit, just look at him , grin sweetly and plead insanity!
There was a case of a man who pleaded insanity when caught pants down with another woman , by his wife!

The Insanity Plea is not for persons with violent and ungovernable tempers or persons who have no regard for law and order,or for peaceful co-existence with others.
It is not for those who have no qualms about breaking the law but they think they are too "posh for prison"!

After every crime,the lives of both the culprits and the victims are shattered. Nobody is ever "free" or remains the same after shedding human blood , stealing or hurting people's feelings.
The freedom which can be gotten by a plea of insanity is only for those who , of a truth , are incapable of being aware of their actions.
If ignorance is bliss, then the schizophrenic mind is, indeed, seated on a throne in Cuckooland, completely oblivious and at peace in his world.
Pretenders to this "throne" plead feigned "insanity" in order to escape conviction.
They could escape conviction; many of them have done so , through the services of brilliant defence teams and by faulty judgments but they are never free because , for the rest of their lives , they have murdered their own sleep.
"...the VOICE of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the ground.
And now thou art cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand"; Genesis 4: 10,11.

The Countdown to Christmas Begins !

Christmas Lights on Regents Street ,London.


Oxford Street - A glittering Sight!

I saw my first Christmas lights and decorations for the year, three weeks ago( mid October) on my neighbourhood High Street Gifts Store.
As I went round the store, I heard one of the shoppers asking Imran , a non Christian why he had decided to display Christmas items so soon. He answered that he loved Christmas and was , always,excited by the season! Moreover , his suppliers had sent him Christmas catalogues since August.
He sent his order then and received the stock Christmas stock in September.
I have heard some comments, about "the commercialization of Christmas" . Indeed.
Same week, while driving around the West End, I saw that many large stores like Lillywhite in Piccadilly, Selfridges and M&S in Oxford Street and many others had put up spectacular decorations , as usual. And, of course,all the shops were well stocked for the Big Christmas Shopping Season.
In their usual style, shoppers from all over England and from outside the country have been thronging the Shops all over London in their millions. Very exciting!
Economic Recession? What Recession? No signs of that , at all.
Last night's Christmas lighting-up events were simply way-out GRANDIOSE!
The traditional annual Christmas lights in Regents Street, Oxford Street and St. Paul's Cathedral were switched on simultaneously; signally the beginning of the annual Countdown to Christmas.
The lights are a sight to behold ! Very Beautiful! They were switched on by film stars - Jim Carrey, Colin Firth and Bob Hoskins and Robin Wright Penn in the different venues, respectively.
These Christmas lights will also be lit in almost all the streets in the city and they will stay lit until the 12th of January, next year, when the Christmas season ends, officially.

Oxford Street lit up for Christmas.

 

The London Community Choir and Star Opera singer , Andrea Bocelli from Italy, led 14,000 Londoners to sing carols at the St Paul's Cathedral lights venue.
The turnout at and the grandeur of these events yesterday, have surpassed similar events in recent years in London.
The organisers of these events have done a marvelous job, every year and as usual, this year, they spared no expense, at all, to produce a befitting array of colourful lights to honour the King of Kings.
May God, touch and richly bless the designers of these beautiful glittering lights extravaganza! May all the participants and organisers of these glorious Christmas events experience the Grace of God unto the Salvation of their souls . Amen.
Other famous venues whose Lights will be lit during the weeks ahead and which will be equally exciting to watch are:
Carnaby Street and its 12 surrounding streets on November 10th. The theme for the lights there this year, will be Love, Joy, Hope and and Peace.
As from November 19th, Bond Street and its surroundings will be transformed into a glittering Winter Wonderland ,complete with snow, fir trees and reindeers ; with fireworks! On the day, donations will be taken for the Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Then the famous Putney Christmas Market in Church Square will be lit up on November 27th while the exciting Enchanted Woodland in Syon House Park will sparkle delightfully as from November 20th.
The usual complaints about global warming carry no weight because London and other U.K.cities are always lit up and sparkling with millions of lights every night, all year round, anyway.
The special recognition and high regard given to Christmas, world-wide,makes this Great Season one which billions of people look forward to.
As for talk about Commercialisation and Christless Christmas ;what is all that?
Which one is the "ChristFULL" Christmas? The cheap and dull one?
In the U.K., Christmas celebrations totally eclipse,put in the shade; all other events from mid October to mid January ,the following year.
Who else on earth could command so much world-wide recognition and respect that the countdown to his birthday celebration starts two months before the D-DAY?
Who else but Jesus Christ , the Son of God and the King of Kings !
No wonder, the Three Magi went shopping for gifts fit for THE King and they started their journey of thousands of miles to Bethlehem at least six months, BEFORE Jesus Christ was born ; to present the special gifts to him personally!
They recognised that the birth of the God-man on earth deserved special celebrations.
No honour is too early or too much for my King. So let the festivities begin!
May the Glory , Peace and Joy which comes with Christmas fill the whole Earth . Amen!
Here is wishing you a Merry Christmas !

HIS BELOVED

Tell me who admires and loves you, and I will tell you who you are.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:10.
Our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive; the risk to be alive and express what we really are.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18.

Treading Milk

The mouse story which I first heard ,sometime, in my pre-teen years, came to mind last week .Maybe you have heard it before , but the lesson the story teaches is ever-fresh.
Three mice fell into a jug of milk. They tried to get out but couldn't.
After a spirited battle , two of them became exhausted, gave up and drowned in the milk.The third mouse kept on treading the milk with its tiny legs and arms in a desperate effort to stay afloat. After a while, the milk under the mouse churned into cream , then into cheese. By its unrelenting treading efforts,"Mousey" became a cheese maker!
Thereafter, the poor little, thieving fellow was able to climb on the solid cheese , climb out of the jug and to scamper to its well-deserved freedom! Cheery story!

However, it is not cheery news to hear that, as at date, 2.47 million Britons are unemployed; most of whom are 25 years and younger!
It is scary that fresh graduates are now starring unemployment in the face .
More so, because just a couple of years ago,there was a sharp increase in the number of youths in the U.K., eager to further their education by going to "Uni".
Then, university graduates, going into first time employment were spoilt for choice of good offers.
As a parent, a social worker and a mentor to youths, I have been a strong advocate for diligence by youths, as a key or a solid foundation to a brighter future.
Diligence in getting degrees or acquiring other skills and qualifications to make one a professional in one's chosen field.
Considering what I know about the life-style choices of majority of boys and girls in the U.K., I knew that the increase in youths willing and determined to do something good with their lives was a miraculous answer to prayer!
Ambitous youths do not deserve unemployment at the end of a long period of hard work.
Thankfully, official measures are in place to alleviate the strains of unemployment in the society.
A degree is an essential asset when entering the top rung of the labour market.
It is indispensable in order to excel in most high-flying careers . As such, some top professions insist on a first degree as an entry qualification for their members.
Also, it is on record that a university graduate would earn at least £250,000 more than a non-graduate in their life-times.
Apart from the monetary advantage , a university degree does not confer the certificate only. The degree course prepares one for a higher social standing in life due to social interactions and connections between undergraduates on campuses. Some of these undergraduates are the future leaders of nations. I know from personal experience that these undergraduate-years connections are an enduring asset. Proverbs 22: 29.
My point here is that prospective graduates should not be discouraged from pursuing their dreams by unemployment, even in this harsh economic climate.
There are cheery signs , already, that the crunch time in the country is easing up . The economy is reviving; things are getting better.
What to do if unemployed after graduation? Faith and prevailing prayers are essential.
However, Faith without works is dead.
If you "exercise faith by claiming and declaring" all the prosperity promises in the Bible, "confessing positive , thinking positive", or whatever, from now till Kingdom come ; without acting out your faith; you would be wasting your time. Proverbs 13:4, 2 Thessalonians 3:10
Life goals are achieved not only by blowing "hot air" and "blowing mouth"!
To survive , weigh your options, tread milk , like our friend , the little fighter-mouse and prayerfully attain your miracle by positive ACTION!
If option A is yet to come, embark on a course of action towards your goal.
Not much can be achieved by flopping,all day, on the sofa at home, eating crisps and flicking TV channels or chatting and texting on your "mobo" or banging on Twitter or Facebook , for hours.
If you are short of options , have you considered working abroad, maybe for a short spell,until you get your dream job in the U.K.?
Last week, I was on holiday in the Benalmadena Resort in the Costa del Sol, Spain.
As usual, it was buzzing with not only holiday makers from all over the world but also with workers in the Leisure industry like tour guides , drivers, reception staff, chefs, waiters , waitresses etc. Some of these staff were foreigners but, one thing all these staff had in common was their ability to speak English in varying levels of fluency!
Although we were in Spain, there was this atmosphere of feeling at home because the excellent service was offered mainly in smattering but passable English.
At dinner , on one of the nights, we were joking with the waiter who was obviously Spanish but was making a jovial effort to communicate with us and practise his knowledge of English on us. I suspect that most of these staff got the jobs because there is a high demand for English-speaking staff in most holidays resorts, worldwide.
English, being the world's lingua franca ,has made English-speaking graduates highly sought after for top-executive positions in multinational corporations, both in the U.K. and abroad, especially in Europe, China, Russia and other Baltic States.
The British culture of going on "Gap Year", a.k.a doing a sight-seeing world tour after graduation; is the icing on the cake and part of one's education.
However, in the present climate, instead of going on a round -the -world orgy after graduating ,it is wiser to return to Uni for a Master's degree.
In any interview, a higher degree gives you an edge over the other applicants for the same job.
Also, while you are still searching for that plum job,you could try your hands on the many short courses teaching trades and crafts like Fashion Designing, Floristry, Hairdressing, Event Planning, Web-design, Paper Arts and others.
These skills could become money-spinners, if properly managed.
Eventually, you will surely, attain your dream job because you are a winner and a survivor. You will not drown because you will keep at it.
Surely, as the Lord lives, he rewards diligence.

That they may live......

Hyde Park , London . 11 am Sunday ,6th September, 2009
After months of preparation , I joined 17,000 women this morning in Hyde Park, London to run the 5 kilometres race to fundraise for various Charities. I ran to fundraise for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. I finished the race in 41 minutes and 28 seconds. The winner was 10,000 metres runner, Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya . Her finishing time was 15.11 minutes.
Breakthrough Breast Cancer is the UK's leading charity committed to fighting breast cancer through well informed, well resourced and innovative research.They need supporters to help them achieve there vision of a future free from the fear of breast cancer.





Adidas 5 Kilometres Women's Challenge 2009

 

 

 

 

Thanks to all my Sponsors and to all those who have supported and encouraged me during the past months of preparation and training.
Special thanks to my running buddies and my Fitness Instructor , Jason Hasslock (slave driver!)
To the Adidas and Breakthrough Breast Cancer teams , kudos , for a job well done!

One Test for All

It is the duty of any ambitious athlete to maintain a disciplined and punishing training schedule for months or even years before a major event. Rippling muscles on their necks , shoulders ,arms, thighs, legs and "six-pack" hard, muscular midriffs are the end results of months of such sustained work-outs.
These muscles are essential for the athletes' peak performance.
No muscles , no medals!
This is why millions of people are suspicious of the motives behind the demand for a gender-check for Caster Semenya.
There is no dispute that Caster Semenya , the record clinching 800 metres female world champion looks like a man.
The South African female athlete DOES look and sound like a man!
And so what? Is that news? What should she have looked like?
Elegant, graceful, stepping gingerly on the tracks ;like a ballerina?
How many of the other world -class female athletes look like women?
Is is feminine to have those rippling, strong muscles of a weightlifter which are the trade marks of ANY top-class female athlete worth her salt?
One would not be surprised to hear demands for drug tests for "overperforming" unknown athletes from "nowhere"; but a demand for a gender-test for a female athlete who looks like a man ?
Strange.Very strange.
It was said that Caster came from NOWHERE to win the title. Very funny! From nowhere? Yet she defeated athletes from "somewhere " by a very wide berth. She and her coach were able to develope a winning strategy which gave her the gold medal in record-breaking time. To the chagrin of some people.
Their strategy, according to Caster was: "Allow them to run ahead , then at 200 metres to the post, sprint forward and kill them. Finish them !"
The gender-check should be not for Caster only , but should be extended to ALL leading female athletes. Especially the female athletes from Germany, Russia and the Eastern European countries. Have you seen the muscles these "women" parade?
Please, if you are reading this and you KNOW or you have seen any medal-wining female athlete , anywhere on earth, who has a feminine body, kindly "educate" me.
What does a "feminine body" look like? It is soft and supple. Not created for extreme physical exertion. Definitely, not rock hard and bulging with strong muscles!
When a man and a woman wear identical tight-fitting jeans and T-shirts, one should be able to differentiate between their body shapes. A flat and trim tummy looks good on anybody. A normal woman should not be flat and straight, front and back, like a ruler!

Since "feminity" is the issue now, it is interesting that the "powers-that-be" in the multi-billion pounds Fashion Industry have a very different mind-set to the World Athletics Governing Council about what the female body should look like.
The latter thinks women should look like women; but the former does not think so.
So while we are at it , why not extend the gender -check ; coupled with a sanity -check to the "beautiful women" who strut their stuff on catwalks and those women and girls who would do ANYTHING to maintain the "in-look" of looking skeletal and as flat as the back of a double-decker bus?
In order for them to comply with the dictates of the "all-knowing" Fashion and Fitness Industry?

It is one thing to make a personal choice to reduce oneself to a neurotic state by trying and failing to achieve some perceived "perfect shape".
What is unacceptable is the mind-control by a group of people to foist their own concepts of "beauty and good looks" on the whole world.
The truth is :the healthy female figure is one that is neither obese , flabby ,skinny or extra thin.
What is normal, feminine or attractive in a size 4 or size 0 woman? With a flat skinny chest and flat skinny bum; with all her bones and tendons jutting out? Also, it is unhealthy and unattractive for anyone, male or female to be overweight.
It is unfair to put pressures on women and young girls to become thin in order to be "acceptable" as attractive and desirable.
Such pressures have caused suicides and mental illnesses like anorexia, bulimia , clinical depression and self-harm amongst the female populace.
Who reserves the right to determine the "acceptable look" for any human being? Acceptable to whom and for what purpose?
There are professional demands on some women for them to look like "Mr Atlas" or like a flat plank of wood. There are also women who are content to choose what size they want to be; that is healthy and based on their Body Mass Index (B.M.I.)
Different women have different B.M.I.s.
Women should not live their lives based on the dictates of the Fashion and Fitness Industry.
Some women are obsessed with the desire to be thin while many others are elated when the answer to their question:
" Does my bum look big in this?" is; "Yes, it does!".
Such women spend thousands of pound on bum and bust enhancing tablets, injections and implants.
Whereas some other women prefer for their pelvic bones, shoulder blades , ribs and spinal column to jut out through their size 0 clothes.
Muscular , beefy, flabby, thin or skeletal , the bottom line is: what message is being sent out by the person?
Is it " I am an athlete, or a model,or I keep fit and trim or I live my life according to the dictates of others"?
Or is it "I please myself; I don't care what others think of me:
if you don't like my shape, get ON YOUR BIKE "!
Whatever the message is, show some understanding and sympathy for why certain people look they way they look.