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The State won't know how many homeless students will be sitting the Leaving Cert this summer

Neither the Department of Education nor the State Examination Commission keep those details.

CURRENTLY, THERE ARE almost 4,000 children and young people in Ireland who are homeless and living in emergency accommodation. 

However, as confirmed to TheJournal.ie, neither the Department of Education nor the State Examination Commission will know how many children who are homeless are undertaking state exams this summer.

That’s because “candidates for State examinations are in the main entered for the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations by the school and the SEC has no information as to the residential status of examination candidates”, according to the Department of Education.  

Now, it must be noted that even if the State did record such information, at any given time throughout the year it may not be able to accurately know the true number of homeless students who will be sitting exams in the summer. 

For example, a student who is homeless now may not be homeless in June, when the exams take place, or visa versa. 

That being said, Tanya Ward from the CRA was critical of the lack of data. 

“The key problem is that no one is formally tracking these children and there is no specialised policy on their education needs in school,” Ward said. 

Services laid out to support students who may find themselves in such circumstances are often provided by individual schools or housing charities. 

Current figures

The homeless emergency accommodation figures for January show that there are now a combined total of 9,987 people homeless and living in emergency accommodation in Ireland, a significant rise of 234 people from December.

The numbers taken over the course of one week in January show that there were 6,363 adults and 3,624 homeless children living in emergency accommodation in the state. 

The overwhelming majority of homeless families and children are in the Dublin region. Most of these are either living in family hubs, or rooms in commercial hotels and B&Bs. 

Families – often with very young children – have had to share beds in single hotel rooms for months at a time. 

In many cases these hotels would have no cooking or cleaning facilities or suitable areas to study in. 

Drug use, abusive staff, bed bugs and rat droppings are just some of the issues that have been raised about this sort of accommodation. 

Being homeless during exam time

Studying for State examinations can be a stressful time for any teenager, but that stress deepens with a lack a stable homelife. 

There are two main issues facing homeless students in Ireland, according to Focus Ireland’s director of advocacy Mike Allen. 

The first being transportation, he said. 

It cannot always be guaranteed that emergency accommodation will be in the same area as the student’s school, which means that these students could end up spending ample amounts of their day travelling to and from school – time which could be spent focusing on homework or study. 

Focus Ireland’s family homeless action team project leader Niamh Lambe spoke to TheJournal.ie this week and provided examples of students they worked with who were homeless and in exam years. 

In one case, a teenag girl who was in her Junior Certificate year was living in a hotel room with her two parents and two siblings. Lambe said: 

There was no study space available, it was a quite difficult place to study in with the family there in the room with her, so her grades were starting to drop. 
One of the Focus Ireland key workers that had been working with that family contacted her school and the arranged for study sessions after hours. This did make a difference. 
However, she was displaced from her home of origin. She was already leaving the hotel she was staying in at around 6am in the morning to travel across the city to school. While the study sessions were great after school, it just meant that it was a significantly long day for her. 

The Department of Housing funds an initiative to provide homeless families residing in hotel accommodation and family hubs in the Dublin Regions with access to free public transport for essential school journeys. 

90414006_90414006 Focus Ireland director of advocacy Mike Allen Sasko Lazarov Sasko Lazarov

Echoing the words of Lambe, Children’s Rights Alliance (CRA) chief executive Tanya Ward noted that having to travel long distances to and from school can have an impact on school attendance. 

“Imagine having to wake your child as early as 5.30am to make the long journey across the city to school? Many are exhausted and some sleep on the bus journey to and from school. This can impact school attendance,” Ward said. 

Secondly, the lack of suitable accommodation poses issues, too, according to Allen.

As evident above, most homeless students are left without a suitable place to study once they leave their school in the afternoon. 

“Some of the hubs have study rooms or places which are suitable for that, but not all of them do and none of the commercial hotels, which is where most people are, have anything like that,” Allen said. 

You’re basically studying in the bedroom with the rest of the family, whoever that might be. 

Allen said that students who are homeless might face ending up with “significantly lower exam results” than usual as a result of their accommodation situation. 

Ward added: “Imaging trying to study for your Junior or Leaving Cert in the hotel room that you share with your entire family? This is the reality for children living in homelessness.” 

emergency homes The former building used by Bargaintown which has been converted into a family hub Sam Boal Sam Boal

Over the past few years, children’s rights groups, non-governmental organisations and independent overseers have time and time again warned that long-term homelessness can have a devastating effect on children.

It’s not just the practical elements that are disrupted in a child’s life when they become homeless. It can have a serious emotional impact on a child or young person, too. 

A recent survey carried out by the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) stated that the top three challenges for children who are either homeless or living in direct provision are anxiety, family issues and neglect. 

The network said that the daily reality of families living in homeless accommodation and direct provision can often result in poor physical and mental wellbeing, low self-esteem, exhaustion and feelings of isolation. This would no doubt be a similar scenario for post-primary students, too. 

Mike Allen noted that these students face issues ranging from a lack of confidence, bullying, being singled out and losing friends as a result of their circumstances. These issues, it should be noted again, would coincide with the stress students are under when it comes to exam preparations.

In terms of their health and wellbeing, a Focus Ireland report in 2017 outlined that children living in emergency accommodation are living off frozen food and takeaways due to a lack of cooking and storage facilities.

Homeless families reported supplementing their diets with noodles, instant pasta, chicken, chips and pizza.

The research found that all families interviewed shared a bedroom, and just one of the 10 families surveyed were provided with breakfast and dinner in their emergency accommodation.

Michelle Share, one of the authors of the report, outlined some of the living conditions homeless families face:

It makes it harder for children to develop good eating habits as they have to eat in socially unacceptable circumstances, like dining on the bed, or on the floor, lined up at a counter and sometimes even under CCTV surveillance.

On a practical level, emergency accommodation can impact other important parts of children’s lives such as free play and completing homework, according to Share. 

8679 Leaving certificate exams_90514203 Leah Farrell Leah Farrell

State data

The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) has pointed to the reasons behind the lack of information on homeless students on behalf of the State. 

“It is important to note that in Ireland, the Junior and Leaving Cert examinations system provides anonymity to students so that they can be assured of objective and fair assessment procedures. This should remain the case for all students, including students who experience homelessness during an exam year,” ASTI education and research officer Moira Leydon said. 

She said the best way to help these students “during this difficult period in their lives is to equip schools to support them”. 

Likewise, Barnardos CEO Suzanne Connolly thinks it is understandable for the Department of Education not to keep such data. 

“Young people really value their privacy and they don’t necessarily want that type of data gathered on them,” Connolly told TheJournal.ie, adding that students who are homeless still need support from their schools. 

So, with all those issues in mind, what provisions are in place to support homeless students who are undertaking exams?

The Department of Education has said in a statement that a range of resources are available to “support schools in dealing with identified additional educational needs, including needs which may arise for children who are experiencing homelessness”. 

“This includes the National Educational Psychological Service who work through a problem solving and solution-oriented consultative approach to support schools to meet the needs of individual pupils,” it said. 

DEIS also provides additional supports to schools from disadvantaged communities.

“Schools use these additional resources to meet the identified needs of their pupil cohort, including the additional needs that may arise for pupils experiencing homelessness,” the Department said. 

It added: “Schools designated as DEIS can also avail of Home School Community Liaison and School Completion supports provided by Tusla’s Educational Welfare Service to assist with school attendance, retention and progression, which can be areas of particular challenge to pupils experiencing homelessness.” 

8763 Action Plan for Education_90565922 Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Education Joe McHugh Leah Farrell Leah Farrell

Despite the provisions the Department of Education says it has in place, many teachers still feel under pressure and “ill-equipped” to support homeless students. 

Speaking at the launch of a CRA report last year, Maeve McCafferty of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation said that teachers are “very acutely aware and concerned about the escalating homelessness crisis”.

“They see it every day in from of them in their classrooms as it manifests itself in many ways in people’s punctuality, attendance, academic achievement, interactions, engagement, the list just goes on,” McCafferty said.

As the report suggests, teachers do feel helpless, they feel powerless and they feel powerless and they feel that they’re ill-equipped to effectively support children and their families, but as the report also shows is that they’re doing their best despite the lack of supports and resources.

“Despite advocating on behalf of families in writing letters and that, they do feel very frustrated that it has little impact.”

Solutions

Aside from providing teachers with better resources and wrap around support to assist homeless students, it seems a vital aspect of helping those who are undertaking exams is providing them with suitable study spaces and accommodation. 

Over the past two years, the government has begun to move away from hotel accommodation towards the family hub model. However, after being introduced, these hubs quickly came in for strong criticism. And, as noted by Allen, not all hubs may be suitable for studying. 

Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy has previously indicated the placement of families in hubs is a priority, previously referring to the move as “the preferred first response” for those who enter emergency accommodation. 

However, others have complained that the hubs ‘normalise’ homelessness, comparing to the direct provision system for asylum seekers.

1109 New Homes_90549948 Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy Leah Farrell Leah Farrell

In a statement to TheJournal.ie, the Department of Housing said that “agreements and contracts require that families accessing the hubs are supported to exit to an independent tenancy within a six-month period”. 

However, it noted that “it is accepted that in some cases, due to the accommodation requirements or preferences of some families, it may not be possible to facilitate their exit from the hub within a six-month period”.

And turning back to the education system itself, Focus Ireland’s Mike Allen, similar to the ASTI, thinks the Department doesn’t need to “keep a database” on homeless students.

He did, however, say: “If a teacher has a pupil that is doing exams who is in homeless accommodation, there should be a toolkit or a pack or people who they can speak to and say this is what such and such school did that worked and another school did something that didn’t really work so don’t try that one.”

You’d have to be critical both of Richard Bruton and the current minister [Joe McHugh] for their failure to recognise that this is part of their problem. Neither minister has ever agreed to meet [Focus Ireland].

The ASTI’s Moira Leydon said that schools must be able to “draw on additional financial supports to provide for the tangible needs of students experiencing homelessness, such as school books, uniforms, transport to school”. 

“Schools must be able to provide meals, homework clubs, supervised study, for these students,” she said. 

The Department of Housing aid that additional supports for families in emergency accommodation are available through the Department of Children and Tusla. 

It said that schools with home school community liaison coordinators are “engaging with the parents from homeless families” and that “children in homeless accommodation are being prioritised within the school completion programme for services such as breakfast and homework clubs”.

Suzanne Connolly said that a school’s ethos and approach to dealing with homeless students is “really important”.

“All schools need to do is think of the young person. It’s not rocket science. It’s about very sensitively talking to the young person and saying how can we support you?” Connolly said. 

“When it comes to homelessness, I actually think how [teachers can] support a young person is talking to them. It’s making allowances, so if they’re late that you recognise they might have spent two hours trying to get there by bus,” she said.

“If a young person is arriving in late, if they’re tired, if suddenly … the way they are has changed, check out if homelessness might be an issue. Just be sensitive to that possibility.”

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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:26 AM

    Amazing how the US sends it’s warships around the world it’s called a show of strength. Yet when others do the same it’s an act of aggression. There up to something.

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    Mute Fred North
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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:15 AM

    @: *They’re

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    Mute Squarepeg 01
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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:20 AM

    Well if I were an Israeli or South Korean, I’d feel better knowling there was a US carrier group anchored off my coast.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 12:22 PM

    Gunboat diplomacy.

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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:45 AM

    The world is going into melt down. Conflict everywhere.

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    Mute Eamon
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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:36 AM

    That’s it, poke the bear.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:00 AM

    I’ve done extensive research and can’t seem to find anywhere, the exact date and time that the treaty was signed that the USA were assigned leaders of the world. They must have just assumed it.

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    Mute Zionist Shill
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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:05 AM

    @: You obviously didn’t get our memo.

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    Mute Squarepeg 01
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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:11 AM

    Who else is going to do it? Chibna? Rhw UN?

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    Mute Jack Moss
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    Oct 12th 2023, 1:41 PM

    @: if Ireland was invaded tomorrow you be all wondering when the yanks where landing in Shannon and coming to your rescue . Liberating the Irish people GOOD. Liberating the Afghan people bad . American soldiers dying for Ireland GOOD . American soldiers dying for Afghan people BAD .

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    Mute Sean
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    Oct 12th 2023, 3:00 PM

    @Jack Moss: Oh yes. They liberated those Afghani real good! And those poppy fields got liberated too.. Thank God for our boys in the US and British army. Tally ho!

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    Mute Jack Moss
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    Oct 12th 2023, 3:13 PM

    @Sean: Actually it was 40 countries that made up ISAF . There is no guaranteed any military operation is going to work . If you are scared of failure then you will never achieve anything . Thank god the rest of the world didn’t think like the Irish do otherwise the Nazis would have won WW2 . South korea would be an extension of N Korea . Millions would have died in the Balkans from ethnic cleansing . The civil war in Sierra Leon would stil be happening .

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    Mute mainmsam
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    Oct 12th 2023, 3:23 PM

    @Jack Moss: you’d think after 20 years & how many innocent civilians that had to die it might have worked. Back to square one though

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    Mute Diarmuid Hunt
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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:39 PM

    @Jack Moss: Your cognitive dissonance is showing.

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    Mute
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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:27 AM

    Cant everyone just relax

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    Mute Tomasso San Roque
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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:37 AM

    @: we’ll they could, but there’s weapons to be sold and wealthy donees to be satisfied.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:48 AM

    @Tomasso San Roque: well ?

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:49 AM

    @Dave Harris: we’ll

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    Mute Jack Moss
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    Oct 12th 2023, 1:44 PM

    @Tomasso San Roque: actually weapons and munitions have a shelve life then need replaced . They are normally used for training purposes at the end of their live . You don’t need wars to sell munitions and weapons .

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    Mute mainmsam
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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:40 AM

    This coming from a sitting US President who said that “climate change” is a bigger threat to the world than nuclear war!

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:54 AM

    @mainmsam: it is ! A nuclear war might or might not kick off – it’s not definite. Climate change is actually happening.

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    Mute Squarepeg 01
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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:03 AM

    @Dave Harris: what flavours does Koolaid come in these days?

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    Mute mainmsam
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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:30 AM

    @Dave Harris: good man Dave

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    Oct 12th 2023, 12:26 PM

    @mainmsam: to be fair, he’s changing that. Nuclear war has become a greater threat in the last 3 years.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:55 AM

    Armageddon is coming, repent

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    Mute John Sheahan
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    Oct 12th 2023, 2:36 PM

    @: we’ll at least we will finally have a World Cup in our hands before it’s lights out.

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    Mute F2yxfluD
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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:54 AM

    Stop winding the guy up

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    Mute Caoimín Ó Muircheartaigh
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    Oct 12th 2023, 10:10 AM

    According to the Journal Russia has exhausted its ammunition. No evidence of this claim while Russia is chasing Nato officers/UAF out of bunkers Then we’ve a quote from Trump blaming Biden for handling the crisis in Israel/Palestine and a counter-response from a nobody working for Biden.
    Russia lost Moskva to a missile. The Ronald Reagan is made of 70k tonnes of steel. They all sink if you hit the spot. The Journal makes for tabloid reading with its opinions, so long as you get the facts from somewhere else, but that won’t be in the Western mainstream media.

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    Mute Tom Newell
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    Oct 12th 2023, 10:04 AM

    Just what the world doesnt need right now….

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    Mute Squarepeg 01
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    Oct 12th 2023, 11:06 AM

    @Tom Newell: it’s exactly what the world needs. When your neighbourhood is rioting, you need more police, not less.

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    Mute James Brohan
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    Oct 12th 2023, 10:26 AM

    These aircraft carriers are sitting ducks even for NK’s limited military.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 11:49 AM

    @James Brohan: let’s see if the North Koreans would like to test that theory.

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    Mute honey badger
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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:52 AM

    I see the little rata Putin is creeping out of his nest in Moscow. Be a nice change of scene from his bugout bunker in St.Peterburg.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:02 AM

    @honey badger: You should travel over there and confront him, let us know how you get on.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:03 AM

    @honey badger: the likely hood of you leaving your bugout bunker is increasing daily with the fact it’s day 5 since the last article about the Ukraine war. Amazing how quickly the world moved on isn’t it?

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    Mute honey badger
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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:13 AM

    @: lol ffs.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:14 AM

    @honey badger: when are you going over to escort Russia off Ukraine’s premises?

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    Mute honey badger
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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:15 AM

    @Is it 5 days since yesterday already?
    Silly.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:30 AM

    @honey badger: No article on the Ukraine war yesterday. The article was about how they may have found an informer who gave up information. Nothing about the actual war or the daily updates of Russia killing people, or Zelensky out with his begging bowl in 5 days. Must be terrible for you not having anywhere “show your support” to Ukraine by insulting people.

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    Mute honey badger
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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:42 AM

    @: You’re right, the article about identifying traitors who helped Russia murder over 50 ukrainian civilians has absolutely nothing to do with Russias invasion of Ukraine.
    Clown, lol.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 12:23 PM

    @honey badger: There’s the insults again. I’m sure Zelensky feels the support when you type them here.

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:39 AM

    Show off

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    Mute Luka Roche
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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:57 AM

    I think WW3 is brewing in the background as the decade of 2020 to 2029 has brought a wars with Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Palestine

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    Mute honey badger
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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:48 AM

    “negative ghost Rider, the pattern is full”

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    Mute Ham Hat
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    Oct 12th 2023, 4:29 PM

    Why the Comment section is open?

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    Mute K H
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    Oct 13th 2023, 2:37 AM

    It’s kicking off everywhere..Ukraine , Syria , Yemen, Palestine/Israel , The Korea’s, China / Taiwan …. the lobbyists on the hill and the weapons traders and manufacturers must think they’ve hit the jackpot .. enjoy the champagne and fine dining, while the rest of us watch the world go up in flames on our 4K Hi definition surround sound 55inch TV’s… humanity, destined to destroy itself.. but nevermind, just keep shopping. Oh dear

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