Another day, another sad news story about a child-killing by an ex-soldier:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-26339701

Jailed for the death of his 19-month-old daughter. He had suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and was medically discharged from the army.

He told two Army doctors before his daughter's birth that he believed he was likely to harm his child if they were left alone together. The failure of military doctors to share that information with the Army Welfare Services or civilian safeguarding agencies was described as a "serious error".

This ex-soldier has been jailed, but when is the army as an institution going to take responsibility? Until it does, no tank parades thank you.

[quote="firsttimerSW11"]NVN used to be a forum for information and healthy debate; more and more I see it turning into a site which seems to be all about slagging everyone else off and making personal digs at other people. I am actually starting to hate this site. I still use it for information but it's harder to find interesting posts between the nastiness and nanny posts.
[/quote]

Thanks for the feedback and for using NVN.

I've now removed all the posts in the "looking for a nanny" section out of the new posts list. That should make the visibility better of interesting posts, fingers crossed.

The meanness is an interesting issue. On the whole NVN tends to be self-regulating and when I'm about to step in and ask people to tone it down someone else does before me (much like you have done).

That tends to bring it back to niceness for a while but some weeks it's just worse (or better) than others.

I keep an eye on it and will continue to do so and if you see anything unpleasant please let me know.

Thanks for using NVN!

:-)

NVN used to be a forum for information and healthy debate; more and more I see it turning into a site which seems to be all about slagging everyone else off and making personal digs at other people. I am actually starting to hate this site. I still use it for information but it's harder to find interesting posts between the nastiness and nanny posts.
There are always going to be people pro-army and just as many anti. Why not live and let live and be thankful for the fact that we are all entitled to our opinions without fearing reprisal or persecution? It doesn't have to become a personal slagging match.

Much as I am amused sometimes, other times it just makes me want to close my account and be done with it.

[quote="Moop"]I personally found clapset's comments on tooting more offensive. I don't even live there but I found the tone arrogant and prejudiced.[/quote]

So did I...!!!

I personally found clapset's comments on tooting more offensive. I don't even live there but I found the tone arrogant and prejudiced.

@ pap. Yep, I used to be a policeman and worked on numerous serious crimes including the offences mentioned. That information came up as part of profiling and correlating offences/occupations/opportunity/etc.

[quote="mungomuffit"]It was in one of his previous threads - I think it was in one of those numerous fisty-cuffs between him and clapset that it became apparent both are hims (not that I'm saying there is anything intrinsically wrong with the other sex, just that their way of arguing strikes me as rather testosterone fuelled at times, don't you think?)![/quote]

For the record, and as a search of my posts will show, I have never had any arguments with clapset on (or off) this website. I think you may be thinking of chelsea dad. Still, no harm to make a sexist generalisation when you have the chance.

From the posts mentioning me that you are making on many threads (including ones I have never even posted on) I worry that you are getting a bit obsessed with me.

[quote="juliantenniscoach"]@pap Statistically one of the highest % of sex offenders are lorry drivers e.g. Peter Sutcliffe, Robert Black. Would you demonise them all in the same way? I think not. Never let your own hubris get in the way of a reasoned discussion.[/quote]

First, can you provide a source to back up your claim re lorry drivers? In fairness, in my original post I posted a link to a story in the Independent newspaper re a report on the high rate of offending by ex-soldiers. That's rather more reasoned discussion.

Secondly, nobody's suggesting a parade of lorry drivers down Northcote Road are they?

[quote="Wheresmyschool?"]Have to say I don't normally wade in on the side of the establishment but calling an institution which stopped the spread of Nazi Germany, helped rescue France from occupation and has helped bring democracy to the Eastern Bloc hugely flawed is a bit much.[/quote]

Wheresmyschool: I'm glad that you enjoy my posts.

(1) Today's British army is not the army of World War II. That was a conscription army - completely representative of the male population. The British army now is a rather small 80,000 and not particularly representative of the population. I don't think anyone would claim that today's NHS is the same as the NHS when it was set up in 1948, so I don't see why the same should be said of the army.

(2) I am at a bit of a loss as to how the British army helped bring democracy to the Eastern Bloc. Yes, the soldiers sat on the Rhine for many many years. However, my recollection is it was popular protests let/orchestrated by a lot of brave dissidents that brought democracy to the Eastern Bloc.

To be clear, I have nothing against individual soldiers in the British army. I know several current and former serving members. However, there is a culture in much of the British army that has allowed abuses by soldiers to be carried out with impunity. There is a very high rate of crime by, and imprisonment of, ex-soldiers. Several times higher than the general population of males in the relevant age group. People who go around describing the army as heroes etc. contribute to this.

@MM how do you know he's a him?

just curious?

is there a secret place where NVN people meet in the "real world"?

@pap Statistically one of the highest % of sex offenders are lorry drivers e.g. Peter Sutcliffe, Robert Black. Would you demonise them all in the same way? I think not. Never let your own hubris get in the way of a reasoned discussion.

I have to say that even though I usually strongly disagree with Papinian I do enjoy his or her posts :-)

Another minor whiplash suffered at the hands of Papinian as I shake my head at your written word.

You should come with a safety warning!

@papinian Are you bored today ? Or just boring everyday ? Probably both...
What is the point of your silly post ?

Do you go through every case of abuse and murder, look at the ex career of the perpetrator and then condemn anyone associated with such a career?

Most of your posts are mainly to provoke a reaction in reasonable people, they do not to ask reasonable questions or encourage intelligent debate.

Have to say I don't normally wade in on the side of the establishment but calling an institution which stopped the spread of Nazi Germany, helped rescue France from occupation and has helped bring democracy to the Eastern Bloc hugely flawed is a bit much.