Stop the differences

The subject I am about to approach is one that requires careful handling and could easily be misinterpreted. So let me say from the start it scares me but I think it needs to be said?

The media has a, well intentioned, predilection for promoting the differences between people and they especially write about black and ethnic groups or individuals who have broken through and made a name for themselves in their chosen field.

Only this morning I read an article on the BBC website that told the story of black players throughout professional football in the UK.. They used the acronym BAME, Black and Ethnic Minority, why?

So what you ask is my objection to such promotion and lauding of those players who were the first to play for England or broke transfer records etc? Nothing about them as people or players, I salute their success. I do not claim to understand what they had to overcome to succeed in their chosen profession or what it is like to not to be, other than, white in a society dominated by others. I am a 66 year old white middle class man, who has no personnal concept of prejudice, I know I hate it!

It is a tragedy, what so many have had to suffer and experience in order to achieve any form of equality, whatever their ethnicity, religion or gender, all forms of bias of that nature is abhorrent. Of course it still goes on and in some cases is getting worse. Prejudice is power and there is nowhere in the world where, however little, the power of prejudice is not practised. You cannot hide the many displaced people or minorities that are discriminated against, simply because they are different, whatever the reason might be.

So to my point and there is one.

The more the differences are promoted the longer they will be perpetuated and remain. It is fantastic to elevate success to encourage others and actively reinforce those successes, no matter who achieves them but it should be done without any mention of skin colour, ethnicity or gender. We all know it does not matter and yet we cannot seem to stop and it is from both sides, those prejudiced against, quite rightly, wish to stand up for themselves and use the differences to highlight the need for their rights and equality. They have more than a point. I could be accused of throwing gasoline on the fire simply for writing this piece and maybe I have?

Put simply and I am being simple and naïve I just want everyone to just be people and for the media to reflect that.

Shit!

BREXIT has anything in our modern political history been such a fuck up ? We have shot ourselves in both feet! The disruption, controversy, discord, unrest, mistrust, lies, accusations, misinformation, outright hostility, prejudice, and plain stupidity it has stirred up has made this country an unhappy and divided place to live, it has brought boiling to the surface bitter seething feelings that should have been left untouched in the hope that as the years passed they could be forgotten!
A whole generation of politicians have been derailed by it, divided by an inexorable tide of indecision and poor leadership. The divisiveness within political parties may take a long time to heal if it ever does, although frankly they are responsible for the whole mess in the first place!
I have no idea how will all resolve itself and I doubt that it will, certainly not for many years
Label the whole sordid episode under “fuck up”

Tweeting Trump

For those of you who may have read any of my rantings before you will know that like many I have a huge dislike for the current incumbent of the White House! There is nothing likeable about him and I suspect he loves it that way. His mode of operation, is to be deliberately divisive, insulting and to make people believe what he wants them to and he is very very good at it. He really has fooled enough support to vote him in as President, although it is difficult to unravel whether he truly believed he would become or wanted to be President or he just thought he'd have a go and see what happened.

I am not going to write about all the comings and goings in the West Wing or the ongoing legal battles and controversy that has beleaguered him since his inauguration and before, it's well documented and filled with truth, half-truths and outright lies, to the point where nobody actually knows what the hell is going on anyway!

I want to address one specific area of his Presidency, that no predecessor has ever used, in quite the way he does, Twitter. I am a Twitter user and I use it to spout my opinion on stuff or reply to others whose messages I generally either agree or disagree with but Trump is in a class all on his own. It seems that he cannot stop himself from Tweeting exactly what he thinks regardless of who it affects or upsets. He has no understanding of language or diplomacy. At a time when politicians need to be calm and understanding, he deliberately stirs up controversy and unrest, insulting people and in an attempt to push his agenda at home cares little for the conventions of international relations.

Now to play devils advocate, we have for years complained that our politicians and leaders do not tell us exactly what they think or mean, as they wrap up their answers or comments with double talk and language designed to say nothing but Trump as President, is perfectly entitled to say what ever he wishes and boy does he! When the many mass shootings or natural disasters that have happened during his term, he is quick to comment but always with some barb or insensitive comment. Then he quickly follows up with a Tweet with more sympathy but by then you cannot believe he is being sincere. Trump really only cares about himself and his self-promotion. That he is an egotistical buffoon surely cannot be disputed but to so actively promote that in the many messages he writes shows a complete disregard for the office that he holds.