Put the world to rights with the Discussion Group!

Discussion Group leaders Eve and Howard Marks

We meet once a month and have an average attendance of between 8 and 10 members. The subjects are wide and varied - something for everyone. After each meeting notes are provided to each attendee giving an outline of the subjects discussed.  By this method a 'diary' can be kept by the individual member.  These notes will be on display at the U3A Open Day in September 2009.

We're a year old - and celebrated with champagne!

The Discussion Group is a year old. Here nine of us prepare to mark the anniversary with champagne and cake.

Eve writes: It was our first Anniversary.  How time flies.  We celebrated with champagne and chocolate birthday cake for the first half-hour, and Mike Eldridge-Doyle came especially to take lovely photos of the Group, which he has put on the website. Thanks, Mike.

We settled down after a while, and got on with discussing (and putting right wrongs) starting with Council Estates!!!!!

In the beginning, apparently, Council Estates were inhabited by professionals, doctors, teachers, nurses, etc, but, gradually, as they moved on, the premises were occupied by mainly ordinary working class people or those on benefits and the flats gradually became ghettos.

We spoke about the stupid rule that everybody, including women who look after each other's children, must now undergo a police check, for which they have to pay. It beggars belief and we all agreed that it would have an adverse effect on many, many people.

Where would we cut benefits?  This was in the light of David Cameron’s announcement that, if the Conservatives won the general election, they would deduct money from the long-term disabled to try to encourage them to return to work.  As there are nearly three million unemployed, we couldn’t quite see where there would be vacancies for them, especially if they didn‘t have any particular skills.  We thought that cutting MPs, councillors, civil servants and quangos' expenses instead would go a long way to cancelling the National Debt.

Maybe the champers was making us feel morbid, but we started talking about the new law that it was OK to commit suicide if one was physically unable to perform any functions without assistance.  No conclusions were reached on this one, as we all felt it was a very personal thing.

Apropos the recent torture and violence committed by children against children, we discussed at length what the next generation would grow up like. How would they take their place in society?  What if they became politicians?  Policemen/women.  Would anarchy reign?

We ended up on a lighter note discussing designer clothes, handbags, shoes and accessories. Are they REALLY worth the high prices?

DISCUSSION GROUP HELD ON 10 SEPTEMBER 2009

We kicked off on a light tone, taking our cue from Kay, who had just come back from holidaying with her sister in Taunton.  She spent the whole of August having a really wonderful time, finding the people so friendly with a lovely village atmosphere.  So we discussed the merits of living in Town or Country, and, of course, attention turned to living in Southend - which, we all thought, has deteriorated with shops closing, too many buildings being erected, binge drinking, drugs and rubbish garlanding the streets.

     Our attention then turned to more topical things and the two boys who tortured the two boys of their own age. We wondered if people were born evil. The Group, after a lot of views being given, thought that television and computer games had a lot to answer for.  The television should be out of bounds to children after nine o’clock and computer games were too violent and should be monitored more closely by parents, who, we thought should be made responsible for their childrens‘ behaviour, by the courts, with fines or prison.

     The talk then turned to U3A Open Day:  The verdict was that it didn’t go too badly, but perhaps some alternatives would have been nice. Dancing (Line Dancing was mentioned) or a Sing-a-Long.

     Are we becoming a Police State? This was seriously discussed.  It was thought that, in future, all televisions would have a spy camera inside them in order to monitor every household in the country.  Identity Cards were not objected to if they would thwart terrorists, but, on the whole, we all said that for a democracy, rules and regulations were getting out of hand.

     We discussed at some length whether the Lockerbie bomber should have been released, and where has Ronnie Biggs gone?  Also, most of us agreed that it would be a good idea to bring back the death penalty, and if a prisoner was sentenced to ‘Life’ it should mean For Life.

     Last, but not least, what has happened to MPs' Expenses and Second Homes? Seems to have died a death!

This is a great discussion group page and we welcome contributions from all our U3A members. Do have your say here on any topic!

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