Shetland's broken society.

[Guest Anonymous]

Waffle waffle waffle

[vadger]

Waffle waffle waffle

 

and thats there to toast them is hot air

[shetlandpeat]

Thanks for proving my opinion, much obliged.

 

vadger, interesting name, have you used it as an insult or a description?

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=vadger (warning, there is no dictatorship on the site the link points to)

[Ghostrider]

There are many interconnected reasons, that I do not disagree.

 

There are also as many opinions as there are people, and it is people that are to blame. Reality is someones perception and a mental state as well.

The thing that frightens me most is the aggressive nature of some parts of society. Now, being in touch. Define being in touch. What you read in the newspapers, the plight of normal folk when they loose their job, coping with a family member that has Alzheimers', bringing up children on a single wage, having scorn place upon you for having a certain belief. Dealing with all of those could mean you are in touch.

Some folk will work to try and get issues resolved. With charities, mental health, childhood conditions. Some will judge.

 

I have already agreed that the ebay senario is there and workable. But, it takes dedication and restraint. You only have to fail to provide goods paid for before you are suspended.

 

We all live life, I have however not lived your and you mine. To say that I am not in touch with you reality may be true, your reality to another may be wrong, sorta ok to another and so on.

A debate is about understanding a point of view and why it is there and then trying to deal with it and providing another point of view to either mix or supersede, or not.

 

There's also a point where something can be so over-analysed and so many contributory and interconnected factors identified, with as many potential remedies for each of them, that there is no longer any room left to maneuvere and work at trying to change anything. There's a knack to identifying the main issues first and addressing them, as in doing there lies the potential for doing the greatest good furthest across the board. Lesser factors and relationships between them, and to the larger issues, unfortunately just have to wait their turn further down the ladder. Allocating an appropriate degree of severity, and prioritising that which finds itself at the top of the pile goes a long way towards effective action. It may not be fair, and it may actually do harm in some quarters, but its the only realistic chance reasonable rapid, meaningful and across as much of the board remedies have.

[crofter]

Addiction is simply having allowed whatever your substance of choice is to have made you her bitch,

 

Hmm, maybe so. Just the other day I was reading about a young Ghostrider sneaking aff fae da skule for a nicotine hit - does dat same logic apply tae da fags?

[vadger]

Thanks for proving my opinion, much obliged.

 

vadger, interesting name, have you used it as an insult or a description?

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=vadger (warning, there is no dictatorship on the site the link points to)

 

you tell me , you're likely to know

[shetlandpeat]

I agree with that GR. We can see this with some of the threads/strings here. Simple remedies are generally the best, obvious. We sometimes want things because of simplicity, or because of there difficulty, or skill level to use.

 

There are also emotions that can change the simple to the complicated, and morals.

 

How do we go back?

[Ghostrider]

Addiction is simply having allowed whatever your substance of choice is to have made you her bitch,

 

Hmm, maybe so. Just the other day I was reading about a young Ghostrider sneaking aff fae da skule for a nicotine hit - does dat same logic apply tae da fags?

 

Yup, me and nicotine have an understanding. Back then getting out of the class was the primary objective, she was just better company to spend the time with. She's tried her best to get the upper hand many times since, and probably has now and then, but for very little I'd consign her to history. She's been there for six months once before when she became to be too much hassle, and she can go there again as easily.

 

I like her though, the pleasure she provides IMHO is worth what she costs at the moment, but if she tries to get greedy, she's finished. I realise she may well leave a legacy, even if she were to go right now, that would put me in an early grave. But I never made plans believing I'd live beyond 60, and I still don't, so if she wants the honour of having put me there, she'd be wise to hurry up, only 13 years left to go.

[icepick239]

^ Ah Ghosty, and here's me thinking you're about my age, but you're still only a youngster...

Nicotine and all that cleverly designed Packets that held the little buggars, that made you feel great but took your money.

Craven A

Woodbines

Senior Service

Capstan full strength

Black Cat - not to mention those Russian fags that were flat and could be smelled as far away as Tolob and all points north as well... I escaped the clutches of nicotine after many years - but in the end, (surprising for me) how easy it was to do.

PS: I never ever felt that Shetland was a Broken Society - then or now...

[OP8S]

^ Your right there, I can't imagine Shetland's society is " broken " , no more than any other areas of the U.K. It is probably still quite sheltered when it comes to social problems.

Piddly says that girls are prostituting themselves to finance drug habits ( I'll not ask how he/she knows, what people do in their own time & all that. ) I doubt whether their is a red light district in Lerwick yet like the ones on the mainland, where it's obvious the girls are working.

Sadly, if the appropriate action isn't taken the sight of working girls on the street may become another problem. I'd hate the idea of any family of mine in that situation. Another reason why Shetland needs to provide the best treatment for anybody with substance abuse problems. Just because they're on the wrong side of the law doesn't mean that they should have to settle for 2nd class medical help, without the fear of stigmatisation from the general public. Particularily women, most who are likely to have already suffered from some kind of abuse, whether in their youth or as a result of their problems. They need help, not criticism.

[shetlander]

xoni, thank you for your honest post which shows the true state of Shetland.

 

I get no pleasure from stating what's wrong in Shetland and wish it was the opposite.

 

We blame the young generation for getting into drink and drugs but an enormous amount of adult Shetlanders themselves can't have a foy or a function without drink. And those infamous words "beer tent"......

 

Whether it's house designs or drugs or drink I believe that as a community we stopped thinking years ago and are now a brain dead "vegetable case".

 

What we need is Shetland's own "national" awakening like Faroe had, where every Shetlander becomes aware and proud of our true roots, culture and identity. For example, the fact that we have a deep and strong Scandinavian vein.

 

Unfortunately, we're living in an ii culture of fake vikings, endless stag parties(more drink) and where the false mantra of "our wonderful islands" is rammed down our throats.

 

And sadly, despite the odd glimmer of light, I can't see the overall picture changing anytime soon

 

I'm not disputing Shetland has its problems like everywhere else but if you really think it's that bad, I can't help but wonder what you're still doing here. If you don't want to get off your moaning backside and do something proactive to help bring about the changes that you think are needed, maybe it's time you fulfilled your obsession and upped sticks to the utopia that we all keep hearing Norway is.

 

God forbid if any prospective residents or visitors reading this forum are left with the impression that everyone here views the place so negatively and thinks it's about to go down the pan in some kind of drink or drug induced oblivion. Hopefully like some of us, their experience of life elsewhere will allow them to apply a bit more perspective to the relative positives and negatives and see that for what downsides there are (an increasing drug problem among them) we still have a lot to be proud of and grateful for.

[Njugle]

With regard to prostitution, there is well documented evidence of prostitution in Shetland for 400yrs, particularly in Lerwick. Perhaps not continuously but, more so at any time there has been an increase in visiting incomers, there has been an upsurge in that particular cottage industry, along with other less scorned commerce.

 

What has changed more in recent years is the reduction in community activity. Particularly in the "central belt" of Shetland. Dormitory settlement living and various other factors mean that folk live in an area that could be Shetland, but equally could be anywhere. It's a hard one to address, because the more folk become 'townified' the less it is seen as a problem and the more centralisation will occur, less rural shops, schools and amenities. None of it will be replaced when it's gone, or at least not until poverty and transport costs mean that people can no longer afford to go to Tescos for all their shopping and socialise in Lerwick whenever they choose. Then small shops may re-open, but so long as TV and the internet provide 'community' and entertainment, folk will live in a virtual annex, seeking only major events to draw them out to socialise.

Some day Tescos may put on a live band at the weekend, a bit like those that played on the old Clair, then folk can really get it all in one place.

[EM]

With regard to prostitution, there is well documented evidence of prostitution in Shetland for 400yrs, particularly in Lerwick.

Very true. Indeed it was, along with the provision of gin drinking dens, one of the founding industries on which Lerwick was originally established. When people speak glibly about getting back to our true roots and/or values I think that they usually prefer to gloss over that reality and fantasize with rose tinted glasses and Rhoda Bulter kirned milk poetry. The gold-rush boom town character of Lerwick hasn't really changed much since then. Even during the quieter times, including during the alcohol prohibition years, excessive things were still going on behind the scenes. It is instructive to note the role of the Kirk Session courts in Shetland historically. These were very active throughout all the parishes of Shetland with the exception of Lerwick. The kirk simply could not control the loose living in Lerwick and concentrated on the rural areas.

[MuckleJoannie]

The courts tried to do something about Lerwick in 1615 to combat the wickeness there

 

In 1615, due to lawlessness, it was declared, by the court in Scalloway (the capital at that time), that the trading booths erected on the shore at Bressay Sound be demolished.

 

http://www.douglassinclair.co.uk/history.html

[Njugle]

Hmm, wasn't aware of any such ruling in 1615, but a highly detailed act was passed on 7th November 1625, which describes the "great abomination and wickedness that is committed yearlie". and declares the "houssis to be utterlie demolished and downe cassin to the grounde".