I was reminded at the weekend just how important our close friends and family are when it comes to recognising what is enormously important to our lives.
During lock down we have been content within in our restricted bubble. We tended our fields and livestock and dealt with the routine of farm life. What a privilege it was for those of us not confined to four walls but had the glorious countryside on our doorsteps.
However, last Saturday my family decided we had a variety of reasons to ‘celebrate’. This took the form of a lunch in the garden on a perfect day. We were joined by God parents, God children and close friends we treasure and who have over the years made our lives richer. Although sadly some were missing, this special gathering reminded us just how much we have been missing them.
Now it is time to halt this ‘blame’ culture, and the digging up of words said during adolescence or in private, and now used to destroy current and future careers.
I am bemused as to why it is newsworthy that a young white person whose past utterings, which today may appear less than sensitive, in this pathetic period of ‘wok’, should be weaponised, and used to destroy their career.
We are all guilty of saying what we may believe because we assume we live in a country where free speech is still allowed, but sadly today our words are whipped into a frenzy of accusations and hate.
I think it wise to reflect upon the words of The Bible in John 8:7 “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone..”
I am curious to know why racial and sexual insulting verbal attacks made by non-white British, are totally ignored, and assumed to be acceptable. You do not need to dig deep to find ‘different’ MPs and broadcasters, who regularly insult their white colleagues or interviewees who remain unchallenged.
It seems there is one rule for these minorities and another for the rest of us. If you want to escalate division amongst our diverse population, which clearly some do, this is the perfect way to create unrest.
It is time to ‘let it go’, move on, look to the future with optimism and passion. Stop this obsession with the digging up the past, finding blame where there is none.
What an insult that graduate students voted to remove a photograph of HM Queen Elizabeth from the student common room at Magdalen College Oxford. They justified this action by noting in the minutes of their meeting that “for some students depictions of the monarch and the British monarchy represent recent colonial history”.
As Gavin Williamson responded, “During her long reign the Queen has worked tirelessly to promote British values of tolerance, inclusivity and respect around the world.”
My late father went to Magdalen College, and I am sure that he and many thousands who attended this historic seat of learning, are turning in their graves. Clearly the standard of ‘education’ had fallen, as these ‘students’ show a shocking lack of understanding of British history and our current monarchy.
This whole destructive movement within our society which is trying to whip up dissent does little to earn the respect of their peers. The majority of those who are ‘different’ are delightful, hardworking, and down to earth members of British society. They are the very backbone of their communities and no doubt as disgusted by these individuals as we are.