Hmmm. Hard to know where to start with the irony of The Guardian publishing a piece

[PSRB]

We often make these arguments to suggest that laws wont make any difference because you cant change how people feel. You only have to change how they behave. So the seat belt law did work; banning smoking in pubs was enforced properly (even in Ireland) and people did eventually get used to decimalisation.

It doesnt change overnight but it does change. If there is a genuine homocidal tendency within the average american then it wont change that. After all, if you are willing to break the law by killing someone you are unlikely to be concerned at breaking the law by leaving house with a weapon.

As someone else said, americans dont want it. THey love their guns. I suppose it is none of our business really.

Homocidal?

[PSRB]

Not at the moment, but if my PC doesn't start working properly soon i could be

Posted in the wrong place, was a reply to Peter

[Peter]

Yes, but the fact is that corn was imported in an effort to relieve the problem. This was emphatically not the act of genocide it is painted as by provos. It was a monumental failure in terms of logistics, communications and imagination, but it was not a consequence of malign intent.

It certainly wasn't genocide. Nobody outside of America thinks it was. In parts of America it is taught alongside the holocaust.....

Corn was imported once, by Peel, to relieve the situation, against incredible opposition from virtually all at Westminster. From that point on, the government did pretty much nothing other than offering relief work. Russell's government had very little interest in helping and, without question, saw mass emigration and, yes, some 'downsizing through termination' as a bonus in reducing population.

Throughout the famine they continued to export huge quantities of food but, despite this, there was still plenty available in Ireland. Unfortunately, your evicted tenant farmer couldn't afford to buy it and nobody was of a mind to give it away.

It is one of the most shameful episodes in our history but it should be taught in schools. There are some wonderful examples of individuals, charities, and well minded folk risking their lives to help.

For the record, the Quakers were the first to get over there and they remained throughout the famine, giving away food.