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Message: <blockquote data-quote="John Cantelo" data-source="post: 1302853" data-attributes="member: 2844">Well I fear we must agree to disagree since your sentence "It is common knowledge that the UK has a disastrous record in all walks of everyday life, be it murders, rapes, child abductions, robberies, abortions, its involvement in wars, the suspicions surrounding Diana's death, the list is endless" sounds exactly the kind of blanket, exaggerated condemnation of the UK that you complain that others make of Malta.  You chose to bring up the murder rate, rape, the incidence of child abductions, etc - all emotive subjects - and ones which, per capita, the UK has no worse rate than many other countries and a good deal better than some.  What are we to make of your comment "a disasterous record in all walks of everyday life ..." - are you including democracy, free speach, the arts, literature, etc., etc.?  No, I'm sorry, but to me your comment has all the hallmarks of a simple slur with little purpose other than to distract readers form the real issue - the widespread illegal shooting of protected species.  However. we are drifting away from the point.  Personally, I'm horrified at the degree of intimidation Maltese birders such as Kestrel21 evidently have to suffer for merely being birdwatchers.  Is there any other country in the world, let alone in Europe, where its 'normal' to go in fear of abuse, injury or damage to one's property just for being a birdwatcher?  Edit - for the record the Maltese murder rate is in the region of 1.75, that for the UK as a whole a broadly comperable 2.03 (actually for England and Wales alone it's 1.37) and both are well below that of other European nations.  Reporting of rape is notoriously subject to social conditions/prejudices, but the figures for the UK are by no means amongst the worst. Neither is the rate of child abductions notoriously high - despite what you read in the media it hasn't changed much for 50 odd years.  I'm not sure of the current incidence of robbery, but I suspect other countries are worse. Abortions are so emotive I think I'll pass on the issue.  And in case you've forgotten Diana died in France and there's not a shred of evidence of any involvement by UK government (or the 'establishment') in her death.  Although I can't say I agree with a all of the wars we've fought, personally I'm rather pleased that the UK decided to fight fascism in 1939.  So all-in-all I feel I'm not unreasonable in typifying your comments regarding the UK as an ill informed,  and spurious, slur, John</blockquote>

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