Souvenir

Paraphrasing would be slightly more accurate than that.

It's Birmingham Hospital asking service personnel to remove their uniforms so as not to offend Muslim visitors.

bazzz

Exactly. I don't think he joined up with the intention of risking his life for anything, or anyone.

bazzz

Oh great. Now I've get an image in my head of Maggie Thatcher being taken roughly from behind by Cyril Smith.

iaink

And you just had to share it didnt you


I was eating too.

Souvenir

Posting on your lunch break? Whatever next?

JonboyE

Because it is included solely to cause/increase/reinforce negative feelings towards Muslims who are perceived by a significant proportion of "white" Brits as being of a different race.

DAVIE_MAC

Senior Aircraftman Gary 'Tommo' Thompson

In civilian life, SAC Thompson was Managing Director of Sherwood Ducting Ltd, in Nottingham. He leaves behind, his wife Jacqui and their five daughters, Laurie, 24, Aimee, 22, Jordan, 20, Jade, 17 and Kelly, 16.




What also has to be remembered is the sacrifice and service that the reserve forces are providing on a daily basis. Normal civilian workers who decide to give up their time for something they believe in and who as above also are paying the ultimate sacrifice.

iaink

Its says far more to me about the idiots making policy at hospital than it did about muslims, and was (perhaps) fair comment about the way service people are viewed in the respective countries (which was the intended purpose I think) if that kind of thing is A: True, and B: Widespread.


If its not true, then yes, there was perhaps a racist element. I dont for a minute believe that the vast majority of UK muslims would be at all offended by a serviceman in uniform, so I suspect its political correctness of the highest order. Its probably well racist for an administrator to be making stupid decisions based on what he thinks a particular ethnic group would be offended by...but not for someone else to point out what british troops are asked to do as hospital policy.

bazzz

The thing about these stories is that they're always taken completely out of context by the idiots that write the reports. So it's difficult to know what's actually going on. The only people they'll allow to comment are those who are similarly outraged. Usually it's something very minor that's been twisted to suit the needs of the organ spouting this drivel.

Souvenir

You took the words out of my mouth. Policy makers, at the local government level and in hospitals, tend to be vociferous political animals and love to play the R-card. Oh look, that hospital is where?

The unit Souvette was with in TO had a Muslim Regimental Sergeant Major. I think he would have told the hospital to go **** itself.

iaink

It would seem to be a red herring anyway as the incident was about the fact that UK soldiers are treated in "mixed" NHS wards and anyone who wants seems (allegedly) to be able to walk in and have their say. THe MOD dont have a record of a complaint though....

It doesnt seem to be policy, but recomended precaution. I read that there used to be 9 military hospitals in the UK, but thats been cut to two, with one of those up for sale, and that troops in the field seem to wish to be injured sufficiently to be sent to the excellent US military hospital in Germany rather than some NHS ward in the UK. Very Sad, disgraceful in fact.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../ntroops02.xml


On the other hand there is a station commander banning uniforms in peterborough..which is frankly pretty sad. Have some pride, and tell em where to stick their concerns.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle3508223.ece

So many people with their heads stuck up there arses...who knew. Glad Canada isnt so bad.

bazzz

Why should soldiers get better healthcare treatment than the rest of us? Presumably they can buy private health insurance if they want.

iaink

Its not a question of better, its a question of getting the most suitable treatment in the most suitable environment. Thats the least we owe those who stand up and get shot at on our behalf.

Treating injured soldiers, some of whom presumably have serious psychological trauma to deal with, along side civies is clearly not an appropriate solution. Dont you think they have enough to deal with without suddenly finding themselves dropped into a civy environment?

Then there is the question of making sure the doctors are specialists in wounds of that particular nature. Surely a military (only) hospital is more likely to allow doctors to train for and gain experience of battle wounds; rough though some parts of Birmingham are, its not quite a war zone.

dbd33

There's the problem for the forces of the US and the UK and increasingly those of Canada. They're not acting on behalf of most of the population and so we don't feel that we owe them anything.

bazzz

Christ, if they're that incapable of relating to normal people, we probably shouldn't be letting them handle weapons. Don't the have to deal with civvies on a daily basis when they're out liberating the middle east?