Discrimination against military to become crime

by Dave Keating | May 20, 2008 at 01:40 am | 84 views | add comment

In response to a slew of media reports ok British uniformed troops being harassed or refused entry to certain establishments, the most high-profile being a supposed instance where a uniformed officer was not allowed into Harrod's Department Store, the UK government is planning laws to make such discrimination a crime.

However these cases were likely greatly exagerated by the British tabloids, and there isn't any hard evidence to suggest that harassment of uniformed troops is a widespread problem. For that reason many are calling this an 'imaginary solution to an imaginary problem.'

The Government is to bring in new laws making it a criminal offence to discriminate against people in military uniform and impose extra penalties on those convicted of assault or harassment of service personnel.

The new legislation will be among 40 recommendations in a report adopted by the Government, including an Armed Forces Day bank holiday and a drive to enrol state school pupils into cadet forces.

The report, National Recognition of our Armed Forces, was compiled by the MP Quentin Davies at the request of the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and attempts to address what is seen as a lack of knowledge about the military.

The study suggests that the media and parliamentarians should have more open access to military personnel and an officer should be stationed at the House of Commons to give technical advice to MPs over laws involving the services. There are further recommendations for raising awareness about the military in the national curriculum and holding homecoming parades for troops returning from combat zones.