How easy it is to fall foul of people on any of the above subjects. No matter how reasonable you try to be you can guarantee to upset the sensibilities of a myriad of people.
These are my views. You may agree or disagree but you are more then entitled to an opinion, an opinion that many would seek to deny you.
Racism is abhorrent. I cannot understand how anyone can judge a person on the basis of where they were born (not including the Irish of course). See what I did there? A naughty little racist Irish joke. Hopefully the law won't be calling anytime soon and anyhow, I am from Irish stock so I can poke a little fun at my own. My Grandfather was born on the Isle of Wight as his father was posted there when he was in the Royal Irish Fusiliers. When my Grandma wanted to rile him she would call him an Englishman and that would do the trick. This was not because he hated the English. All his dozens of Grandchildren were English as were his son in law and his four daughters in law. He was a proud Irishman but that was as far as it went. He fought for the British in WW1 as did all four sons in WW2.
Maybe it's easier if English is your native tongue and you are white. I am sure it is. Being English is not about where you are born. My Dad was born in France and lived there until he was 14 but ask him what he is and he says "English". Being English is taking pride in what the Country has achieved, not its wrong doings. It is taking pride in it's heritage, it's culture, it's writers and poets and past statesman. The Industrial revolution and the countless other life changing developments pioneered by them. I am proud to have this as my heritage as should others, even if their roots are based elsewhere.
We have allowed the flag to be taken over by extremist groups and we have encouraged extremist groups through weak government. Can anyone really say there was much choice at the last election? I am from a working class labour voting family. Most immigrant families vote labour. They still do which was, in my opinion, one of the main reasons for the huge increase during the last government's stint. When I was a kid it was all Harold Wilson, the Profumo affair and communist agitation. I all to well remember the 70's when the seeds for the countries demise in manufacturing were sown by intransigent unions wanting to hold on to outdated practices which were fine pre war but badly outdated post. Yes, Margaret Thatcher made it worse but, by then it was too late. The country was a joke. Strikes, poor quality and apathy were the hallmarks of British Industry. We simply allowed the world to pass us and wave us goodbye.
Now, politicians dare not stray from the middle ground. Right or left are vilified. Give me a government lead by Ken Livingstone or one lead by John Redwood rather than the rubbish we now have. At least you could see the difference. They all have their noses in the trough. The difference between Cameron and Milliband? None! They are from the same mould. My timeline is full of musings on Cameron and co. I agree with much of it but the utopian state that we lived in before them passed me by. All I saw was a desperate government trying to buy popularity with ridiculous policies and actions ans running the Country into the Abyss.
Sadly I feel it is too late. The silent majority will stay silent due to a mixture of apathy and sense of hopelessness. We will not gravitate to the highest common factor but the lowest common denominator. At least not all the phrases I learned in Maths were wasted.
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