Category Archives: Society

3 reasons why I don’t change my social media avatar when there’s a terror attack in Europe

Posted on June 6, 2017 by jopratt

Let me start by saying I respect your right to do so, if it helps you express your grief and outrage. But I won’t do it myself, for several reasons. Firstly, I don’t believe that UK or European or US … Continue reading →

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Life without a safety net

Posted on July 9, 2016 by jopratt

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how it felt during the riots in England in 2011 when, as the violence, burning and looting spread across London and to other cities, the police stopped responding. You could call 999 and … Continue reading →

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Labour needs Corbyn – we all do

Posted on July 23, 2015 by jopratt

Something interesting is happening in UK politics and the media and Westminster are so out of touch they’re failing to notice. There is a widespread assumption made by many journalists, the Tories, most Labour MPs and Tony Blair that if … Continue reading →

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What I think about Pope Francis (in case you were planning to ask me)

Posted on January 30, 2014 by jopratt

Pope Francis’ cover story in Rolling Stone magazine and the reaction to it on my Facebook timeline, has prompted me to put down in writing what I feel about him. Essentially, it’s the same as Cornel West, who is quoted … Continue reading →

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The anonymity of the crowd

Posted on May 7, 2013 by jopratt

I’ve been thinking this morning about the effect of city living on our collective psyche. I’m sat on a crowded train with two bags and a lap top on my lap. Although the train is always half empty when I … Continue reading →

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Did Christmas cause the riots?

Posted on August 19, 2011 by jopratt

I spotted these Christmas crackers on sale in our local town centre yesterday. It was horrible weather and the combination of torrential rain and Yuletide money-spinning gave me the feeling that the rest of summer was cancelled. (I usually try … Continue reading →

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