A WEEK on from the horrific events in Paris, what has actually changed?

Apart from the fact that 129 families’ lives have been devastated by the merciless slaughter of their loved ones by a bunch of savages, obviously. And that hundreds more will have to lead lives blighted by horrific memories and the physical injuries inflicted on them.

We’re told there will be nearly 2,000 more intelligence officers in the UK. Yet we’re cutting the budget for our police. Even when we DO have armed police, the Leader of the Opposition isn’t really sure that he wants them shooting to kill anyone, just like he’s not sure he actually wants to bomb the terrorists’ stronghold in Raqqa, Syria.

You know just by looking at him that Jeremy Corbyn would really like to settle this by negotiation but how do you negotiate with people who want to enslave everyone who is not an extremist Islamist and who sees their kingdom ruling the entire plant? What part of ‘you love life, we love death’ don’t the Corbynistas understand?

As far as I can see we’re no nearer to getting the surveillance rights that the spooks say they need to tackle this scum. Politicians would far rather grandstand about ‘privacy’, even though the vast majority of people in the UK don’t give a flying wotsit about the government snooping on their emails. They’d rather their kids were safe.

Perhaps, behind the scenes, our SAS are executing Mossad-style removals of those who are planning similar attacks this in our country. I do hope so. Just like I hope the governments of Europe are tearing up the Schengen Agreement - when were open borders EVER a good idea, anywhere? - and that ours is shredding the Human Rights Act, whose absurd strictures are, in part I believe, responsible for the spider’s web of inactivity which paralyses us whenever we want to tackle this particular brand of evil.

If we have learned anything from Paris it’s that when it comes to the big stuff - like keeping us safe from death and destruction - Euroland is about as effective as a chocolate fireguard and that we’re totally on our own.

Europe’s open borders policy has allowed wanted IS terror-merchants to travel freely around the continent. The Eurocrats have failed utterly when it comes to caring for the poor refugees who have flocked here from Syria. If they can’t cope with a few hundred thousand displaced people then how in God’s name will they respond if we ever come under a sustained attack by the barbarian horde?

David Cameron has said we need to adopt a ‘Blitz spirit’ and if that’s true then the only reason for it can be because this is, in effect, 1939 and the forces of evil are gathering.

So instead of listening to the shower of you-know-what that are running our affairs I would rather think back to my grandparents’ generation. They instinctively knew that you can’t appease a pitiless monster who wants to wipe an entire race from the face of the earth - you have to defeat them because their demands are neither logical, reasonable or even fathomable.

If we are serious about defeating IS and maintaining the way of life we now take for granted, THAT is how we will need to react. And soon.

Bournemouth Echo: Plea to the homeless: Come in from the cold

ACTUALLY, it is funny that Bournemouth Borough Council is playing bagpipe music to try and disperse the homeless people who are hanging round the Travel Interchange. To quote that line from the Judi Dench movie, Mrs Brown, when Prime Minister Disraeli arrives in Scotland: ‘Oh God no, not the pipes.’ But there’s nothing funny at all about being homeless; it’s desperate.

Having written more stories than I care to remember about Bournemouth’s brilliant St Paul’s Night Shelter and the amazing BCHA who work in this area, I know there is a lot of help at hand, just as I know that some homeless people refuse to access it - one gentleman told me he ‘couldn’t’ go to the shelter because of his dog. I told him dogs were welcome and he then said he didn’t agree with them having to be muzzled in the shelter’s public areas. I see his dilemma but how far can you go to accommodate the wishes of everyone?

What I do know that these agencies do a great job. Just as I know that if helping the homeless was as simple as giving them a flat and some benefit money, the problem would have disappeared years back.

Bournemouth Echo: File photo dated 27-05-1995 of New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu scores a try against Ireland in the Rugby World Cup match in South Africa PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday September 3, 2015. New Zealand's Jonah Lomu in 1995 and South Africa's Bry

SOME people use their strength for evil. Others, like the mighty All Black Jonah Lomu, for good. Before every rugby match this giant of a human said a little prayer, asking that he wouldn’t hurt any other players too badly.

His death at the age of 40 is a tragedy, especially for his two children. But even though they have been deprived of his company far too early, everything he gave them as a father and as a gracious human being will surely see them through until the end of their own lives. RIP, Big Man.

 


 

NO, IT’S not wrong to mourn the death of Diesel, the anti-bomb dog whose death in the Paris terror house has exercised social media this week. Because Diesel died, the lives of humans were saved. So the best tribute to her isn’t a meaningless Twitter hashtag - it’s making sure we treat her living canine cousins with all the dignity and kindness they deserve, for their selfless devotion to us.

Bournemouth Echo:

FINALLY we caught up with new 007 movie, Spectre. I am totally in love with James Bond so saw nothing wrong with the film at all but halfway through, my husband stared muttering about the ‘Dr Evil’ style baddies’ meeting.

‘Absolutely nothing happened,’ he raged.

Yes, I told, him, we’ve all been to that meeting..