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Since the ban on smoking indoors in public spaces the naughty ones have been forced outside into cattle pens they call the smoking area. But looking at it now, it’s interesting to see what this has meant for smokes and non smokers.

Working in clubs both before and after the ban there has been a clear difference. The government wanted to ostensibly stop the affect of second hand smoke on those innocent lambs who decided to destroy their livers instead of their lungs.

They thought that by ostracising the smokers by banishing them outside would cut don the amount of smokers and make people smoke less.

If anything, I’ve seen an increase of smokers as the people who don’t smoke accompany their smoking friends and gradually over time take up the themselves. It’s what happened to me.

Add to this the fact that now a new social culture has grown around the smoking area. In a club it’s certainly the easiest place to pick up members of the opposite sex. It’s quiet and you have the ultimate chat up line at your disposal. Got a light?

So instead of ostracising the smokers, the smokers have ostracised the non-smokers by creating their own little exclusive VIP area where entry is a cigarette. Well done government.

For the last week, whenever you turn on the TV there is something about the earthquake that has horribly devastated Haiti. The Haiti earthquake is undoubtably a massive human disaster but over the last week it has said as much about the rest of the world as it has about the Haitians effected by the earthquake.

When asked about the death toll, Lt Gen Ken Keen, the US military leader on the ground, said of the figure of 150,000 – 200,000 that “The international community is looking at those figures, and I think that’s a start point.” As in he thinks it will be more. That’s a lot of people.

For those that survived the initial quake, there have been food shortages and a lack of medical supplies. It is a scene of true hell. Having said that, I’m going to risk facing the wrath of the left wing bigots by saying that as horrible this disaster has been, for those that are left, this may be a good thing for the nation of Haiti.

Now, before you hit the comments button to moan, hear me out. By most economic measures, Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. But money doesn’t buy happiness I hear the commie’s out there scream. Well comrades, Cite Soleil, the largest slum in Port-Au-Prince has been called “the most dangerous place on earth” and the country has a literacy rate of 65.9%, the lowest in the Americas.

For most of the last half century there has been a brutal dictatorship under the Duvalier family, “Papa Doc” and “Baby Doc” who ran the Tonton Macoutes, terrorist death squads.

So it was a pretty horrible place to live before the Earthquake and the people had literally no hope. Yet in the last week, we have seen the EU pledge $604m in aid, along with the World Bank pledging $100 as well as America with an immediate $100, along with private donations adding hundreds of extra millions.

So despite the Human suffering we are seeing now it may be for the best. A concept hard to deal with when looking at the emotional news pictures. This will see long term investment put into Haiti which will improve healthcare, education, security and their economy which will hopefully see Haiti flourish from one of the most unhappy nations in the world to one which can support itself and give it’s residents a true quality of life.

The subject of racial profiling is undoubtedly a touchy one. It’s also one that is ever present in the media as our liberal and tolerant society struggles to deal with the issue of race and supposed racism. But is it right or wrong?

Racial profiling is using the persons race to distinguish what their characteristics and traits may be. It’s a hot topic as anything to do with the subject of race is one that everyone is keen to avoid so as not to sound racist.

To give an example. Statistically, a higher percentage of black people commit crime than white people. This is not a racist statement but a fact. It’s not because they are bad but merely to do with economic situations. If you are poor and disadvantaged, you are more likely to commit crime.

Where Racial profiling comes into it is the reasoning that if more black kids commit crime, would it be reasonable to stop and search more them disproportionally to other races?

It’s the same situation in airports with muslims. Do you stop more muslims as in the current climate they are more likely to commit an act of terrorism?

It’s a tricky situation as if you answer yes then you run the risk of alienating innocent people as they continually get searched in line with their racial profile. If you answer no, then you are ignoring the issues around you.

At the moment, the police have to stop and search people with racial equality in mind. Still, a disproportionate amount of black teens are stopped and searched though. It’s a tricky one. At the end of the day, it’s a necessary evil and one that I don’t think people should walk on egg shells around. Too much racism is called by ignoring the facts and pushing peoples view underground.

On the internet and in the press there has been outcry over a radical muslim group that calls itself Islam4UK. The press reported that they wanted to march through Wootton Bassett to protest against what they see as the British occupation of Afghanistan. To say that there has been public backlash is an understatement.

It all started a week ago when Anjem Choudary declared that he was seeking permission to organise a march through the town made famous as the first port of call for British soldier’s bodies being repatriated to the UK. Mourners line the streets and the media look on filming and taking photos.

Choudary and his cronies wanted to carry 500 empty coffins through the street to protest at innocent civilian deaths, instantly provoking condemnation by the media, moderate muslims, politicians and a huge group on Facebook numbering over 600,000 people.

Our prodigious Home Secretary as well as the local and county councils and the police all succumbed to the media and what they viewed as an easy opportunity to get political points and said they would ban the march.

But what you have to ask is, “would Islam4UK have gone ahead with the march or was it just a propaganda exercise?” And you can’t help feeling that it was. It stirred up racial hatred from people who normally wouldn’t care as well as highlighting the ridiculous virtues of democracy. The freedoms of expression, speech and the right to protest.

The whole thing has been a huge victory for the extremists thanks to the naivety of the politicians and media. They should let the march go ahead and let the disgraceful act speak for itself. If they don’t then they are going against the principle of democracy that they claim to uphold both here and in Afghanistan. Decide for yourself.

Recently, a shocking act of violence has spun Germany back into racial waters. A pregnant Muslim woman who was racially abused by a  Russian man was murdered in a German Court while giving evidence against him. This has sparked international condemnation and has brought tensions between Christians and Muslims further towards the boil. Again.

It all started when Marwa el-Sherbini asked the Russian, Alex W if her 3 year old son could use the swings in a local park. He went off on a tirade insulting her about her hijab, calling her a “terrorist” and “Islamic whore”. Her was arrested and sued by her for the racial attack. He was ordered to pay €780. Although things went badly wrong when he appealed.

The case went back to court bringing the two face to face again. As she was giving evidence Alex W ran at her and stabbed her 18 times in front of her 3 year old son, killing her. She was pregnant. However, things got a lot more shocking when her husband, Elvi Ali Okaz, ran to her aid. He was shot and critically wounded by a policeman who believed him to be an attacker. He is now in intensive care.

This is a truly shocking and horrific story. The event has sparked an international situation between the victims native home of Eygpt and Germany. Eygpt has condemned Germany’s lack of political response and the focus of the western media on court security as opposed to the racial side.

But this event has been hijacked. Everyone is looking to use this situation for their own advantage in a series of staged media events. For example, the general secretaries of the Central Council of Jews and the Central Council of Muslims, Stephen Kramer and Aiman Mazyek made a joint visit.

The Jews could not resist jumping on the racial band wagon to remind Germany of their past. Kramer said, “I think the facts speak for themselves.” If only this worked in Palestine.

And what of the Muslim nations response. Well commentators have said that the incident has been hijacked by the Egyptian government to stir up anti-western sentiment to divert away from bad press at home with national strikes against the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak.

There are multiple tragedies here. The lack of court security, the death of a pregnant woman at the hands of a racist and the shooting of her husband. But maybe the biggest, is the peverse attempts by various people and institutions to use this incident for their own agendas.