Worth buying today's paper for this alone.
But is she the sole voice of reason in Britain today?

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/column...s/article4575628.ece

well worth reading

Excellent article, although she does rather take Glitter's guilt for granted despite the dodgy Vietnamese legal system and media payouts.

I read another very good editorial on the same subject in the Independent over ten years ago.

Unfortunately such common sense views are rarely given the space or air time. It will probably be another ten years or so before we read such again - if such views have not been banned by then.

The article is ok

What it fails to address is the general erosion of Civil Liberties in the UK.

This is being done using "media scares" on Terrorism ( almost non existent in the UK - one successful attack post Iraq war - we were told thousands would happen ) and Paedos ( only 5 Foreign Travel orders were implemented against Sex Offenders so far - and less than 5% of the number who marched against the IRAQ WAR in London are on the Sex Offenders Register - many who were underage when their "offence" was registered )

It is a lone voice - but one that I think will get stronger. All decent people want to protect their children - but creating a total FEAR society equally ruins a child's life - especially when it is a FACT that each street does not have a terrorist or paedo waiting to jump on them.

Child abuse and terrorism are emotive subjects - it cuts deep. But our responses need to be measured - and caring - and though no repeat offender should be allowed to inflict themselves on children again - it has to be an informed decision. Ms J SMITH wants NO EVIDENCE to inform her laws - how can that be fair ? What sort of person is J SMITH that she wants the POLICE to be Judge and JURY ? If anything that would increase the chance of real dangerous predatory paedophiles ( Who tend to be in the Police - Political Power - Legal Power etc ) in getting away with it - the check and balance of a jury of ordinary people is the best we have got in making sure of fairness.

At present NEW LABOUR wants to set up Kangeroo Courts which will protect the guilty - frighten the innocent - and have no credibility.

Interesting comments below the article - all the negatives seem rabid and shouted whereas the positives are balanced and considerate.

Why do so many only go to the extremes? Surely answers are nearly always somewhere in the middle.