Recently by Veron Graham

Tony Collins' story in a recent edition of the Birmingham Mail about the importance of youngsters' spiritual development made very interesting reading. So why is religious education treated like a hot potato in some schools?

Pamela Taylor, the principal of Birmingham's Newman University College, said: "the spiritual and emotional development of young people has never been more important." She goes on to say: "encouraging dialogue and understanding between different groups ... has never been so vital."

As a Christian myself, I am not surprised at her comments - I believe that all of us have a God-shaped void in our lives that only He can fill. My faith teaches me that God is interested in every area of our lives and wants to build relationships with us. So, as education is important to us, it is to God too. That's why I'm working with Christian Media Services, bringing stories of the tangible benefits of Christian faith to the world.

That said, why is Religious Education not been given full expression in schools and why is Christianity, in particular, marginalized in certain areas?

Recognition and respect should be given to all faiths in all schools, regardless of the religious make-up of that school. So what if the school is, for example, majority Hindu? That does not mean you only teach Hinduism there. Are these Hindu kids not going to encounter anyone of any other faith for the rest of their lives? And what about the non-Hindu kids in that school?

Education authorities need not be frightened of our religious differences, and more importantly, they shouldn't allow our children to be.

The society I grew up in was multi-cultural too and there was a better understanding of cultural /religious diversity because each faith was taught and discussed freely in school.

Kids are growing up now without any real understanding of other faiths, aside from that gained from lurid headlines and extremist views.

The lack of education into these issues at an early age is only storing up the potential for misunderstanding, fear and hatred when these youngsters grow up.

Am I going too far?

Do you think the lack of religious teaching in schools contribute to fear and disharmony? Did you do RE in school? Did it help or hinder your relations with people of different cultures/ faiths?

God Bless ... and I mean that whatever you call Him,

Veron
www.GMAgency.co.uk

Now the dust has settled after the BNP's Nick Griffin's appearance on Question Time, it's a little easier to speak objectively about this most emotive issue.

Whether Griffin enhanced his political credentials on the show or not, the fact remains that the BBC is a public service broadcaster, or supposed to be. Last time I looked, preaching racial hatred and inciting violence were crimes. So do tell me how someone who does these things be given such a high profile platform?

I don't much care if this 'party' has seats in European Parliament, there is no way the BBC should have allowed this criminal organisation on their show.

Those in authority at the corporation say that its European seats are the reasons Griffin was allowed on. Tell me this, if any of those men were from the racial groups that the BNP wants to be wiped off the face of God's earth, would they have taken this decision so lightly?

Did the Beeb see Griffin's inclusion on the show as a ratings winner?

Did you see the show? Do you think Griffin should have been allowed on the panel?

Veron
www.GMAgency.co.uk

Madonna's scandalous attempts to bag herself another Malawian trophy child gives a new meaning to her long-held 'Material Girl' nickname.

I once applauded the former queen of sex and scandal for cleaning up her life in recent years. But now, in trying to bypass native laws so she can snatch little Mercy James from culturally familiar surroundings, she's plunged to new lows. I thought she'd stopped, having 'adopted' young David Banda from Malawi a few years back.

Are we back to the days when Black people are regarded as exotic trinkets to be owned by the rich and powerful? I thought Lincoln and Wilberforce stopped all that malarkey.

And don't give me any flannel about Madonna offering a home to poor children.

Isn't it interesting that she doesn't try to claim malnourished kids with swollen stomachs but cute and healthy ones. If rich White folks really want to help Africa's poor, why not invest in its infrastructure rather than just cruising the orphanages looking for the cutest kids to take home.

Oh but Madonna does charity work out there, you may say. But that is inconsistent with her unwillingness to heed the court's ruling preventing her from 'adopting' Mercy. Now it seems her charity is just an attempt to sweeten the pot so she can get her way. What consideration has she given to Mercy's relatives who want to take care of the girl themselves?

And what sort of cultural input can Madonna give these kids? She couldn't do much for a Black child from a western country, let alone Africa.

But Madonna isn't the only one. Why are celebrities turning to the developing world to find children to adopt? Is this the new trade in human flesh? The 21st century's answer to the Gold Rush? No longer content with fringe religions and cosmetic surgery, celebs have a new fad to indulge themselves.

Hey Madonna, why don't you go home to your recording studio and leave these little Black angels alone? On second thought, why not just go home - I don't think I can stomach to hear your whiney voice on another track.

Do you think I am being unnecessarily harsh or just telling it like it is?

Once you've dropped me a line, you can visit me at www.GMAgency.co.uk.
Cruise on by!

I don't know about you, but each news bulletin lately seems to include at least one report that makes me wonder what the world is coming too.

As I prepared to write this blog, news came through of the case of Paulo Jorge Nogueira da Silva, the lorry driver who ploughed and killed a family of six with his 40-ton truck last year, only to be given a three year sentence.

What?

That discussion is for another day, but what about another incredible story, that of Alfie Patten, the thirteen year old boy who last week was named the father of a baby born to his fifteen year old girlfriend.

Are we hearing correctly? To make matters worse, other young boys have come forward saying that they, not Alfie, may be the fathers of baby Maisie. With all the talk of DNA testing to prove who the real father is and the appointing of Max Clifford as media adviser to Alfie (why?), one question remains unanswered: where are these teenage parents' own families?

As I was growing up I used to long for the 'freedom' many of my friends were given. They always seemed able to stay out later and longer, go wherever and do whatever they wanted to. They never, as I did, had to account for where they were going, who they would be with and when they were getting back.

All I can say now is, thank God for strict parenting and a supportive family network. I was raised with a generous slice of good, 'yard-style' training fresh from Jamaica. As much as I wanted to mess about as a kid, there were few opportunities to get away with anything and there were serious consequences if I got caught. What boundaries have these poor little rebels been given?

Time for the parents to be called to question and punished. Do you agree?

I am privileged in my work to hear and learn from other peoples' stories. I discovered two common threads while writing a series of health articles for a national newspaper a few years back. One was that Black folks, in the UK and the US, are routinely denied access to health care on the level afforded to White people.

Disgraceful? Yes. Surprising? In truth, no. But what was surprising was the failure of too many Black people to take care of their health and seek medical counsel when they suspect something may be wrong. This message hit me even harder when I heard the same concern from a former work colleague, who had just been diagnosed with cancer.

Soon after, this thread ran through another interview with a woman whose father died from prostate cancer after years of abusing his body with a poor diet. However after the diagnosis, he switched to a healthier diet (80% fruit and vegetables, with small amounts of meat and dairy) and survived for 3½ years - the doctors gave him 18 months.

Whatever our ethnicity, gender or age, sickness cannot always be avoided. Wouldn't it be great to say if we all have a balanced diet, sufficient of exercise and plenty of rest, we could all guarantee a long, healthy life? Sadly that isn't the case, but why don't we do all we can to avoid illness and trust God to do the rest?

Celebrity tough guy Mr T won a six-year battle with skin cancer in 2001 because he did not shy away from treatment. Another actor Bill Bixby - who played the David Banner on 'The Incredible Hulk' TV series (I'm showing my age now!) took months to seek medical advice about the pain in his side. It was cancer and by the time he did, it had spread across his back and was inoperable.

So when it comes to taking care of yourself, you know what to do.

Now, why not share some of your health-related experiences and thoughts?

This morning I was making one of my increasingly frequent early trips to a supermarket that shall remain nameless, when I came across a screaming tabloid newspaper headline.

The exact wording isn't important but the upshot of it is that social campaigner and mother to pop star Robbie, Jan Williams had just undergone heart surgery.

Oh no! I'd seen her just a few weeks ago for a photo shoot and she seemed fine.

I had come across Jan on several occassions as she leant her thoughful brand of celebrity and community concern to a number of Christmas appeals run by The Salvation Army in Staffordshire.

I remember making my way to the first meeting with Jan, expecting her to be all stage-motherish (is there such a word?!). Perhaps I'd seen too many 'oh look at me, aren't I wonderful' celebrity types. From my first encounter with her in 2004 to the most recent, I've found her to be nothing but generous, supportive and accomodating.

I was glad to read (in a reputable newspaper!) and hear from her daughter Sally, that she is recovering steadily.

Wonderful!

Get well soon, Jan!

When is the last time someone, particularly if they are famous or of high status, really surprised you?

Strange as it might seem now, I used to think that OJ Simpson was not guilty of those infamous murders in 1994.

After watching a compelling US documentary several years ago, I was convinced that the killings were committed by one of the disgraced former American footballer's sons.

The in-depth psychological analysis of the killer's motive, down to the trajectory of the stab wounds, and the physical whereabouts of Simpson and his son at the time of the killings seemed to suggest that OJ was not the killer.

I began to think differently when Simpson planned to release the book, 'If I Did It,' a couple of years ago, a first-person fictional account of the murder, supposing had he actually committed them.

I must admit seeing him on TV the other day begging unsuccessfully for the judge's mercy after being convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping seemed like poetic justice. This is especially so when the US channel Fox News unearthed video footage of OJ bragging about hiding his valuables from the court to avoid paying compensation to families of the murder victims as ruled by the 1995 civil conviction.

What? Can you believe it?

I can't understand why someone who has so much going for them can throw it all away through extreme arrogance. OJ rose from humble roots to become the darling of the American media, with his good looks, impressive list of TV/ film credits and product endorsements to complement his record-breaking sporting career. Some even thought he could have run succcessfully for political office ... and we are talking about the 1970s here.

What is it about people like him who feel they can do what they like? Is it being a sportsman? Rising to such heights in a relatively quick time? Surely if someone rises from great hardship to great success, they would place greater value on making their accomplishments work for them?

I don't know but it's worrying in this day and age when so many want to find an ultra-quick route to fame and fortune.

It's sad to say but there has always been a consistent band of OJ-haters over the years, whether for his success or his apparent obsession with white women.

Whatever the rhyme or reason, OJ's fall from grace should stand as a lesson to all those wannabes as well as a whole host of arrogant celebrities who can't seem to stay on the straight and narrow.

What thoughts has the OJ saga stimulated in your mind?

I hate to say I told you so, but I did ... I told you why I was backing Barack Obama in February, and guess what? I was right!

But you know what - this isn't about me but about a man who has defied the odds, confounded the pundits and ran his presidential campaign with unprecedented grace, style and foresight. He kept his focus on the policies and the real problems that need to be fixed for the people of America, whatever the race, creed or colour. Never once has he lowered himself to the personal attacks and gutter tactics of his rivals, while never forgetting the importance of family. President-elect Barack Obama.

Sounds good doesn't it?

As I type, I'm just overwhelmed with pride and excitement at his victory. You'd think I was living in Birmingham, Alabama not Birmingham, England!

In so many situations, us here in the UK have imitated the US, often in negative ways but why not now with something positive?

How long do you think it will be before we have something similar here - not necessarily a Black candidate but one who unites rather than divides people, rose to success but without forgetting where he/ she comes from and has a desire to make life better for all people?

How has his campaign and victory affected you?

I've never been one for reading celebrity autobiographies but I've always had a soft spot for big Frank Bruno, having supported him ever since he appeared on the boxing horizon when I was just 9 years old! So when I came across his 2006 book 'Fighting Back' in a Salvation Army charity shop a few weeks ago, I paid my money and took my chance. I must say it was the best £1.95 I've spent in a long time!

Written with great honesty and clarity, the book begins with his 2003 sectioning after he went through psychiatric problems and then rewinds all the way back to his humble beginnings in south London. It takes in his relationship with his late father, run-ins with authority that prompted his move to boarding school, all the big fights, injuries, drug abuse and even his courtship, marriage and break-up with ex-wife Laura.

It couldn't have been easy for him to go into such detail, particularly that he risked opening himself up to ridicule. In taking the chance Frank has allowed me, like many others in the Sunday Times best-selling book to understand that the challenges of life come to all of us regardless of our fame or the state of our bank balance.

In my teens and early twenties, I harboured dreams of following Frank into the professional ring, until the media bug bit me. Still, now he's set me another challenge - to be able to write with such honesty and self-effacing humour in a way that sheds light into the corners of life many don't understand.

Big Up Big Frank!

Which celebrity tell-all books have you read? Did they disappoint or impress?

By the way, when you have a moment, check out our website, www.GMAgency.co.uk and tell me what you think.

I can't tell you the last time that I was so upset by a news story but earlier I just couldn't stand to watch another report on the sentencing of that pathetic individual called Luke McCormick. The former footballer was given nearly 7½ years for killing two boys and paralysing their father when he lost control of his car and ploughed into theirs, knocking it down an embankment and into several trees. McCormick was sleep deprived and blind drunk after going out on a bender and ignored advice to not drive.

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, if you willingly take a life, then you should lose your own. That McCormick should be banged up for life, not a paltry seven years and four months, with the possibility of parole in 3½ years.

Poor little Arron Peak, 10 and his brother Ben, 8, won't be coming back and their father Phil may never physically recover from his own horrific injuries. Now wife Amanda will have to bear the brunt of not only her sons' murders but her husband's near total dependence on her after sustaining broken vertebrae, lung damage and a crushed spine.

Not only should McCormick be jailed for life, but his bank account should be emptied and his assets sold to pay for Phil's medical care. If the law wants to drive down crime, they should start dishing out proper sentences.

I think that the presiding judge should join McCormick in the clink for contributing to
the number of pathetic sentences handed out to evil criminals.