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Drinking 'like child porn'



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Published Date: 22 June 2008
By Eddie Barnes
Political Editor
A GOVERNMENT minister has drawn a link between the damage to society caused by child pornography and people who drink too much at home.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, right, made the comparison as he justified the state cracking down on private behaviour which creates public harm. He said excessive drinking at home "impacts on the rights of others" by making demands on the health service, and often harms family and community life.

In an exclusive interview with Scotland on Sunday in the week after he launched controversial plans to tackle nuisance drinking, MacAskill said: "We don't simply allow people to do anything they want.

"We don't allow people to watch internet porn relating to children or some other vile matters in their own home because it impacts on others. We don't allow people to consume recreational drugs in their own home because they want to. There are things that we decide as a society, and as a Government, as a Parliament, that are inappropriate."

INTERVIEW: A saviour of Scottish souls – or Minister MacAskilljoy?



The full article contains 177 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 21 June 2008 9:52 PM
  • Source: Scotland On Sunday
  • Location: Scotland
  • Related Topics: Alcohol & binge drinking
 
1

Matt there,

somewhere 22/06/2008 00:52:50
"Drinking 'like child porn'"

= Government minister like idiot.

No. He IS an idiot.
2

missy,

Edinburgh 22/06/2008 01:22:17
oh for heavens sake.. that is really stretching a point
3

Euan,

Edinburgh 22/06/2008 01:40:23
Drinking 'like child porn'?

What?!?, how on earth is this any sort of comparison?

Mr MacAskill has some very worrying and quite frankly very disturbing views on what he thinks people should and should not do in the privacy of their own homes.

It is these sort of comments that will have the Government passing a bill in ten years time telling us we have to have a CCTV camera in every room in our households directly linked back to the local Police station...





4

bill inch,

EDINBURGH 22/06/2008 03:00:34
Sanctimonious or what considering this persons history.
He thinks he has been ordained after being given the title of Minister.
5

Allan(handofgod137),

22/06/2008 04:13:45
So as we already know he has experienced drunkenes, I suggest the police seize his computers and examine the hard drives.
6

Beth Boyle,

NY 22/06/2008 05:42:41
I can't agree with that statement. You can take a few drinks and not be an abuser but take a look at kiddy porn and you are just plain sick and really in big trouble. I am so against binge drinking but a wee dram from time to time never hurt anyone. What we need to do is put the social back in having a drink. A nice evening out and a few drinks is not like binge drinking. For those already with a drinking problem things are bit more complicated. Once an alcoholic the only way to recover is by never taking a drink again. Let's stop the culture of drinking just for the sake of getting drunk NOW! That way the corner pub will survive and we can all drink a toast to that!
7

yockel,

22/06/2008 07:37:56
Just when it looked like we were getting rid of Nulabour we get MacAskill.

Is this the true nature of the SNP or is it just too soon for Alex to ditch him?.
8

Kenny A,

22/06/2008 07:53:03
MacAskill is a moron. It is also insulting to compare people who drink, even those who do to excess with the perversion of child porn. This man needs to get a grip before he sinks the SNP ship.
9

Roy,

22/06/2008 08:41:40
MacAskill is continuing demonisation of young folk the same way as McConnell (remember him?) did with his 'neds' rhetoric.

And is this not from a Party that wants to bring the age of franchise DOWN to 16 years? Bit of a contradiction here about the perceived age of responsibility.
10

JayDeeTee,

22/06/2008 11:31:59
Disappointing to read this cr*p from this idiot. SNP gave us much hope when they were elected but all this clown is doing is bringing the party down to the level of that Liebour lot. Alex oughtt ot hink about ditching this muppet before he does any more damage.
11

Big Jock McDoc,

Scotland 22/06/2008 11:40:12
We are becoming a nation of automanons where we are not allowed to smoke, drink, eat and can't afford with all these tax raises to do anything.

12

Geomac 1,

Scotland 22/06/2008 13:16:17
Is this guy for real? Preacher Kenny seems to have lost his marbles.
Time for him to be given some gardening leave methinks!!
This guy is a distinct liability for the SNP - wsn't he the guy arrested for being drunk at some football match? Also seen recently loading his car boot with the dreaded booze for a party at his home? Do as I say and not as I do - typical politician!!
The ma's an ass!!
13

Dougie, Edinburgh,

22/06/2008 16:24:37
I sympathise with those who think he's a clown and a liability to the SNP but read what he actually said from the link above!

He explicitly said he's not comparing drinking to child porn. Newspapers like sensational headlines but that doesn't make them accurate.
14

Joe Macdelta.,

22/06/2008 17:23:34
What a plonker!
15

radge dug,

22/06/2008 17:50:04
Read the piece, that isnt what he says. Who here would disagree? All governments make laws about what we can and cant do. Do we then legalise drugs? How about just going for complete anarchy and get rid of all kinds of nanny/ big brother state?
16

radge dug,

22/06/2008 17:51:40
#13 - agree. Theres a few here who cant read and just fall for Labour-supporting Scotsman's sensationalist headline.
17

Jock 1O7,

At home, reading the Scotsman on the web 23/06/2008 09:41:43
Has this guy no brains? I'll drink at home if I want to, and it harms no-one.

Perhaps he'll start the book burning soon

t0sspot
18

Brianwci,

Edinburgh 23/06/2008 12:29:15
Kenny Mackaskil has to realise that perception is more important than reality, indeed an individual's perception is his reality.

The perception of the well meaning clampdown of Kenny's Department on various social activities, be it social drinking or prostitution, is one of heavy handedness, to say the least.....more Hitler than Kennedy.

The progress of this SNP Government has been phenomenal and in Kenny Mackaskil we have a hard working, well meaning general, however Kenny you are about to singlehandedly bring the SNP's honeymoon peridod to a close (aided and abetted by members of your team).

I've had radical views all my life but even I know that the more 'outrageous' the idea may seem, the longer it takes for the seeds of that idea to germinate before it's ready for the main launch.

In short, we have to have a huge section of the population with us before we can go forward with our complete programme.

The 'angle of attack' in these matters is crucial. Too steep and you and your ideas will burn up. Kenny, check your angles before it's too late i.e. maintain course but ease up on the speed of your descent and change your final landing place.

Brian Hill
19

Brianwci,

23/06/2008 12:36:26
Sorry for misspelling the surname, my comments posted before could make the changes. It should of course be Macaskill.
20

Stepford Nat,

23/06/2008 12:59:39
18 Brianwci

Hold back on your attack on the Mac - he's entitled to tell us what's good for us, and it shouldn't matter what the public perceives.

www.snp.org.uk - we're just as radical as anyone else!
21

connaughtboy,

stonehaven 23/06/2008 14:18:49
Alex, reign this idiot in before he damages the cause.
22

connaughtboy,

stonehaven 23/06/2008 14:19:09
rein?
23

Brianwci,

Edinburgh 23/06/2008 14:44:41
Stepford Nat. I hope you're joking when you say: "he's entitled to tell us what's good for us, and it shouldn't matter what the public perceives."

No party or individual has those rights in a democracy. By all means we want politicians to take tough decisions but never without regard to us, the general public.

Those of us who are questioning MacAskill's approach are doing so with the SNP's popularity in mind. The media are operating a negative drip, drip, drip approach to us, we don't wan't to hand them a fire hose to play with.
24

Stepford Nat,

23/06/2008 14:55:02
23 Brianwci

I disagree. The SNP should have this right. Remember they are a minority, so need to push harder.

21 Connaughtboy - no one can damage the cause. It's our density.

www.snp.org.uk - It's time! Please take your glasses back to the bar (& don't ask for a carry oot!)
25

,

23/06/2008 15:13:05
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
26

Royster,

24/06/2008 04:13:21
It's a bit of a leap to make. I'm surprised he made it.
27

A Friend of Fernando Poo,

24/06/2008 11:55:13
Our esteemed leader is obsessed with fomenting arguments with the British government. Pretty much any petty fight will do. Meanwhile MacAskill has been monomaniacal about drink and produced an 84 page proposal for an "intervention" for Scotland. He wants the entire country on a Twelve Step Programme.

Now he reckons that having a quiet beer in the house is like consuming child porn. I'm afraid he's drifted off into some disturbing fantasy. Next thing we know he'll be rounding up pubgoers and putting them on the Sex Offenders Register.

I'm afraid there comes a point where politicians are doing public damage. Can't someone get this man some help before it's too late?
28

archieA,

Edinburgh 25/06/2008 21:59:07
If this man doesn't resign in shame he should be sacked straight away. He is making the SNP look like idiots and this sort of thing will cost them a lot of votes. For heaven's sake, it's taken this long to get into power, don't throw it away on puritanical idiots like this

 

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