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Aardvark · 15-05-2008, 06:32 PM

The problem we have is many people do not understand why the European Convention on Human Rights, upon which our statute is based, was drafted.

The ECHR was written in the post-war era where people had suffered torture and death routinely with neither charge nor hearing and people had no private life without state interference. The build up to WWII had seen 'human rights' all but extinguished under the dictatorships of not only Germany, but much of eastern, central and southern Europe. Spain and Portugal as well as all of the Soviet occupied territories were run arbitrarily and fair trials were unheard of (having sat in hearings in Armenia and Belarus there is still a long way to go). Mail was routinely opened, children were encouraged to spy on their parents, alternate political views were suppressed and people were gaoled for indefinite periods without trial having been arrested without proper evidence. Religion was crushed in many countries and church leaders were all but exterminated in some parts of the Soviet Union. Churches, synagogues and mosques were destroyed. All Jewish property under Nazi occupation was declared 'unowned' and neighbours were encouraged to report former friends in order to steal their goods. Millions of women were raped or abused. Children were butchered in their millions. Villages were wiped out in acts of collective punishment by Communists and Nazis alike. Property was seized from middle class and upper class families without compensation in Soviet occupied areas and land was collectivised with great suffering. Whole ethnic groups were virtually exterminated by the Nazis (Jews, Gypsies) or deported with massive loss of life by Stalin (Chechens, Tatars, Koreans, Transpontine Greeks, Turks, Volga Germans etc).

Against this background a concerned western Europe sought to establish standards by which we should all try to live. It is doubtful that the writers of the ECHR thought for a moment that a common criminal, tried and found guilty by his peers in accordance with the law, would seek to use the convention to reduce his sentence and to gain compensation. That is an insult to the millions of people butchered arbitrarily without recourse to courts to protect their lives and property.

If Peter Sutcliffe wanted human rights he shouldn't have killed so many people - what of their rights? Personally I think he should have hanged for his crimes.

15-05-2008, 06:32 PM	#7 (permalink)
Aardvark Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Oxonia Posts: 3,522	The problem we have is many people do not understand why the European Convention on Human Rights, upon which our statute is based, was drafted. The ECHR was written in the post-war era where people had suffered torture and death routinely with neither charge nor hearing and people had no private life without state interference. The build up to WWII had seen 'human rights' all but extinguished under the dictatorships of not only Germany, but much of eastern, central and southern Europe. Spain and Portugal as well as all of the Soviet occupied territories were run arbitrarily and fair trials were unheard of (having sat in hearings in Armenia and Belarus there is still a long way to go). Mail was routinely opened, children were encouraged to spy on their parents, alternate political views were suppressed and people were gaoled for indefinite periods without trial having been arrested without proper evidence. Religion was crushed in many countries and church leaders were all but exterminated in some parts of the Soviet Union. Churches, synagogues and mosques were destroyed. All Jewish property under Nazi occupation was declared 'unowned' and neighbours were encouraged to report former friends in order to steal their goods. Millions of women were raped or abused. Children were butchered in their millions. Villages were wiped out in acts of collective punishment by Communists and Nazis alike. Property was seized from middle class and upper class families without compensation in Soviet occupied areas and land was collectivised with great suffering. Whole ethnic groups were virtually exterminated by the Nazis (Jews, Gypsies) or deported with massive loss of life by Stalin (Chechens, Tatars, Koreans, Transpontine Greeks, Turks, Volga Germans etc). Against this background a concerned western Europe sought to establish standards by which we should all try to live. It is doubtful that the writers of the ECHR thought for a moment that a common criminal, tried and found guilty by his peers in accordance with the law, would seek to use the convention to reduce his sentence and to gain compensation. That is an insult to the millions of people butchered arbitrarily without recourse to courts to protect their lives and property. If Peter Sutcliffe wanted human rights he shouldn't have killed so many people - what of their rights? Personally I think he should have hanged for his crimes. __________________ When in Woking do as the Wokes do. "I do not wish to form my opinions by thoughtlessly quoting others; I wish others to support their opinions by sensibly quoting me." Paul Wesson (Aardvark) 13th April 2008