First in something which may surprise you...

[The Weekenders]

speakin' o' aaarrrrggghhhhhh! I thought the dear ol' USA was...oh never mind...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 45,00.html

[Denny]

Weeks...that's in Brittain...

[s1m0n]

In the US the prevalence of guns means that there are fewer assaults and more murders. You have to survive the encounter to be the victim of assault.

[The Weekenders]

Well,then, just another example of how the UN favors the US.

[Wanderer]

In the US the prevalence of guns means that there are fewer assaults and more murders. You have to survive the encounter to be the victim of assault.

No doubt the US has more murders per capita than Scotland. I'm not sure that the US has so many murders that it is comparable to the per-capita figures for assault for Scotland. I'd love to see some actual data for both.

The article makes the point that telephone interviews suggest a rate of violent assualt 10 times greater than reported to the police. So, under their theory, at least, "official" assault numbers aren't accurate. I'm not convinced a random sample of phone interviews is either. I know violent crime goes unreported, though, and would love to see the UN report firsthand, rathern than filtered through the news media.

[amar]

i'm shocked..

[missy]

AMAR..... where's your pink kitty tatoo?????

[djm]

Wales I can understand, but Scotland? Must be the sugar rush from all those deep-fried Mars bars.

djm

[anniemcu]

speakin' o' aaarrrrggghhhhhh! I thought the dear ol' USA was...oh never mind...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 45,00.html

Having recently read a history of the Scotts (In the steps of the Clansmen) I'm not surprized... seems like some things don't change...

My antecedents.

[Cynth]

I am quite surprised as well. I'm not sure why. I suppose I have a sort of fantasy vison of what Scotland is like, and never having been there, my mind does not think of it as a real place, with all the problems of any society. I hope BigDavy and Uilliam and kenny are okay! I did not know that there was "sectarian violence" in Scotland---I guess that means violence caused by religious differences. I thought that the clans were so utterly destroyed by the English that there would not be any violence relating to that sort of thing, if that is what you were saying anniemcu. But I know very little about it. I hope they can solve some of their problems for the sake of those getting hurt.

[mukade]

It doesn't surprise me at all.

The binge drinking culture that exists in England, Scotland and Wales is a disgrace. If you have ever been out at night in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, London, or any other city across the UK, you will know the kind of atmosphere that pervades after the pubs close.

Mukade

[Wombat]

I did not know that there was "sectarian violence" in Scotland---I guess that means violence caused by religious differences. I thought that the clans were so utterly destroyed by the English that there would not be any violence relating to that sort of thing, if that is what you were saying anniemcu. But I know very little about it. I hope they can solve some of their problems for the sake of those getting hurt.

The clan system was pretty much destroyed but the Gaelic culture survives and the project of converting the highlands to Calvinism was only partly successful. In general, the Northern Hebrides are predominently Protestant and the Southern Hebrides predominently Catholic. Many displaced highlanders ended up in Glasgow where there were already a great many Irish immigrants who went to Scotland looking for work. The intermarriage between Catholic highlanders and Irish immigrants means that there is a divide between Catholic Gaels and protestant Gaels reflected in the football teams they are likely to support.

That said, when Scotland plays England at football, internal sectarian differences tend to be forgotten.

[brianc]

There is a major sectarian factor involved with this rivalry. Rangers are the Protestant team and Celtic are the Catholic team (yes, I know there are technicalities surrounding this but do you think the people using it as an excuse to batter each other have and knowledge of these technicalities? No, so shut it). This has deep historical roots, which I can't be bothered explaining right now but basically what it means is that the fans of both clubs have a good reason to beat the crap out of each other at every opportunity.

If you ever have the misfortune of being in Glasgow on a match day, it is advisable to stay indoors for that whole day since it is likely outside you'll find some extremely disgruntled fans of the losing team looking for a fight or some extremely drunk and happy fans of the winning team...looking for a fight.

How can you spot these people? Well it isn't too hard. All celtic fans will be carrying Irish flags and wearing green, and all Ranger fans will be carrying Union flags or Red Hand of Ulster flags and wearing blue. Both sets of fans will generally be carrying buckfast and some may be carrying knives or screw-drivers or hammers. If you see any large groups of these people it is advisable to steer clear of them.

On non match days the only real perpetrators of sectarian violence are the neds who will swan around the city centre wearing either a Rangers top or a Celtic top looking for another ned with the opposing team's top on, and call him either a 'fenian basmati' or an 'orange prick' before embarking on some knife crime. If you see any of these people, it is best to let them go about their business and view from afar. They are a novelty to observe but shouldn't be approached.

from: http://www.glasgowsurvival.co.uk/cultur ... eltic.html

[Wombat]

There is a major sectarian factor involved with this rivalry. Rangers are the Protestant team and Celtic are the Catholic team (yes, I know there are technicalities surrounding this but do you think the people using it as an excuse to batter each other have and knowledge of these technicalities? No, so shut it).

Brian I don't know how you manage to come up with articles like this but anybody who would write the sentence I just quoted isn't worth reading. Of course the rivalry has historical roots that are complicated and of course the protagonists know what they are. There are many mixed families too where there is sometimes tolerance and sometimes less violent feuding.

The advice that dork gives would be equally applicable if Manchester United came to town or any other well-supported UK soccer team. When football thugs are out on the town, stay well clear. When I lived in Oxford, one favouritie pub near the railway station would be boarded up on match days. We'd go in the back door after being peered at for recognition through a mailing shute.

[BigDavy]

As a Scot living in Scotland, I was incredulous when I listened to this on the radio. As they would say around here, it is a pile of steaming mince.

The cities in Scotland are like any city anywhere, violence is only normally a factor if you are male, between 16 and 25 and is usually drink related. If you do not fit into this category then you will be (un)lucky to see any violence, let alone be a victim.

Cynth: we are all ok here, this is a mountain being made out of a molehill. Uillium busks at the Celtic games, maybe he can tell a few stories.

David