Saving a life by giving blood!

Summary

Every pint of blood can save up to three lives. These are facts you cannot deny. Too bad, that the blood donation has been decreased with seven percent. While there is a very interesting solution, donate at your workplace, it doesn’t happen very often. In 2011 workplaces donated 16% of all the blood, this was given by approximately 1500 persons. The NHSBT (National Health Service Blood and Transplant) would love to see an increase of 30% before the Olympic Games. Only in North Wales and England need 7000 units of blood a day, and that is only for the general treatments and operation, so the emergency’s aren’t even taken into account. All the NHSBT can do is hoping for an increase. Words: 121

Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/jun/13/jubilee-celebrations-downturn-blood-donations

Opinion

When I hear this, I am not pleased at all. I am a blood donator and an organ donator, because I think it is a noble thing to do. It takes maybe half an hour and you are taken care of, you get drinks and food and enough time to recover. They test you very well, your blood-condition is tested and they look for things like leukemia and other kinds of illness. I don’t understand why people don’t give this little time and effort for men’s health. I hope this article will give other people the thought that this is a good thing to do, and that you can give other people life by giving a little bit of your blood. Words: 121

Smiling Killer - 36 years Jail time

Summary

Smiling killer Ensar Gol

"Have a look, all the English papers will talk of me tomorrow. The crazy wolf Kurdish Turk who covered London in Blood.” That is what his facebook post said, just a few hours before Ensar Gol killed his wife(Michala Gol) and his mother-in-law(Julie Sahin). He stabbed the two women approximately 70 times. He killed his wife as she slept in their bed. His mother-in-law and a friend of her came in as he was killing his wife, the friend pulled Gol off of his wife, and she could flee, unfortunately her friend Julie got trapped and was killed like her daughter. Gol got 36 years jail time, but as he heard the verdict he smiled, and as he walked out of the court room he laughed and pointed with two fingers at himself and playbacked “me, me, me.” As the verdict was spoken everyone in the courtroom cheered. Words: 148

Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2152857/Ensar-Gol-jailed-36-years-murders-wife-mother-law.html

Opinion

This case made me very angry. I think this is horrible. That these things can happen, I can’t get my mind to that. This man should be behind bars for the rest of his life. He attacked three women with no doubt, he just wanted it, because he was unhappy in his marriage. I think this man is too crazy to live in society. I am glad the room cheered as he heard his verdict, because I think they show this way that he gets what he deserves. I think it is very shocking to here he is actually proud of what he has done. I have written this summary because I think this is a very shocking story.

Owls abandoned

It is perfectly legal to keep a pet owl and during the harry potter hype a lot of fans bought one. Most of them did not think that the owl would bore after some time. Now people get enough of their owls, and the hype is over, fans of Harry Potter release the birds in the wild, which ìs illegal. JK Rowling did not want this to happen and pleaded the fans to not follow the hero, like she has said. Sanctuaries are full with abandoned owls now. One rescue worker has already more than 100 owls. Words: 97

 Link: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/hundreds-of-pet-owls-abandoned-after-840299

I think this is a very bad thing to happen. These birds need a lot of space, which a lot of people don’t understand. The thing is that these birds need to fly, and shouldn’t be locked up in a cage. I do understand why people would love to have these birds, they are beauty’s especially the owl of Harry Potter himself, but these birds can reach the age of 20, and so you will have to take care of them a very long time. People underestimate the care these owls need. Words: 92

Teachers in regions may be paid less

Teachers in regions may be paid less



The National Union of teachers and the National Association of Schoolmasters/The Union of women teachers announced a strike when Mr. Gove, education secretary, will scrap the national pay rates of teachers. There are plans to lower the pay rates for teachers in parts of the Uk when there is a low vacancy rate. When there is a high offer of vacancies and a low offer of teachers, the salary is high, but when it is the other way around, Mr. Gove wants to reduce the salary or to freeze the raise of the salaries. The plan is to introduce regional pay. This means that there will be attractive salaries in regions where teachers are hard to find. The problem is, that in regions where there are a lot of teachers available the teachers earn far less. This would not be fair according The National Union of teachers and the National Association of Schoolmasters/The Union of women teachers.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/teachers-in-regions-may-be-paid-less-7758135.html

Opinion

As a future-teachers I don’t agree with this of course. I think it is unfair. Teachers choose their profession because they want to help the future of the next generation. Sometimes it is hard for teachers to get a job, but I don’t think it is fair for the teachers who can find a job easily to get their salary reduced. I think this arrangement is just crappy. I think some teachers even are going to move to an area where the pays are higher. And what will happen when there are enough teachers in the area where there are now high vacancy rates? Will the salary diminish there when the schools have enough, when the vacancy rates are low enough? I think there just should be a national agreement on salaries for teachers, and the vacancy rates should be taken care of by another arrangement.

'Witchcraft' couple found guilty: Kristy Bamu left to drown after brutal torture

Kristy Bamu, a boy who thought he would spend a nice Christmas with his sister Magalie, and her partner Eric Bikubi, in 2010. It turned out very different. After a couple of days with his family his sister and her partner accused him of witchcraft. They thought he had cursed another family member. They tortured him with knives, sticks, metal bars, and a hammer and chisel. On Christmas day they put him into a bath, “to wash away the witchcraft”, he pleaded for death, and they left him to drown. The accused “denied murder” but they were found guilty. Words: 99

Murder victim Kristy Bamu
 


Opinion
This is a very heavy article. I can’t believe that people believe in witchcraft. I also think it is terrible you can abuse and torture your family like this. This people should have protected him, they should have looked after him. He trusted them. And Christmas is a family feast, you should love your family and have fun with them. In a video of a statement there was said that the victim had 150 injuries of the torture. I can’t believe these things happen and I get really angry when I read these kinds of stories. Words: 96

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9116089/Witchcraft-couple-found-guilty-Kristy-Bamu-left-to-drown-after-brutal-torture.html

UK first as killer sentenced in front of TV news cameras

“You lost your temper and murdered her in a sustained attack”. This is only one sentence of many in the conviction of David Gilroy. For the first time there has been a conviction broadcast on television. It is said that there has been written history today. David Gilroy got his conviction in front of a million public. He murdered his ex-girlfriend Suzanne Pilley, after she told him that their relationship was over. Then he covered up her body and her body has never been found. Judge Lord Bracadale, who spoke the conviction, hoped one day he would “give the whereabouts of her body”. He got 18 years of jail time.Words:110

Opinion

I think you can either be against or for it. It is a very strong topic to discuss about. I think this is very good. It gives transparency in the legal system of the United Kingdom. The man who is convicted was convicted for murder and I think those are good cases to broadcast, I wouldn’t watch a case of burglars, because those are minor offences, but things like murder or cases in which pedophiles are convicted I would watch those. The downside of these cases is when someone is found not guilty they could be stalked by people who are not convinced of their innocence.Words: 106

 http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4263870/UK-first-as-killer-David-Gilroy-sentenced-for-the-murder-of-Suzanne-Pilley-in-front-of-TV-news-cameras.html

Summary

Too many patients are sent home in the middle of the night

The times recently reported that too many discharges in NHS hospitals happen in the night. Over 8000 patients a week are sent home between 11pm and 6am. Bruce Keogh, the medical chief of National health Services (NHS) was concerned by it and will look at the problem. He thinks it shouldn’t be this way; patient should only be send home when it is suitable for the patient and the family. The Patient association warns that older patients are worst affected, because they have no help at home. The Patients Association is also afraid that the rate will increase because the budget of the NHS is cut.(106 words)

 

Opinion

I was really shocked when I read this article. When I compare the Dutch care-system with the care-system of the UK, I am really happy to live in the Netherlands. I wouldn’t know what to do when someone in my family would be discharged in the middle of the night. I think it is very good these facts are published by the times, because now it’s known by so many people, the NHS has to do something about it. I also think that The Patients Association should supervise the work of the NHS and the other way around, because then they get feedback and get insight in the problems. (words 109)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/apr/12/nhs-overnight-discharges-investigated