Page 47 - Phonebox Magazine July 2006

and the vet, architecture and surveying, pharmacy and pharmacology, the engineering sciences .... And there are a goodly few more. But the state sets these parameters for teaching which is not represented by a board or council but only by a politically correct trade union. If there is one body of people among us who deserve the freedom and the autonomy of a true profession above most of us then it has to be our excellent teachers.
Our correspondent puts forward his perfectly real qualification to speak of these things. But I don’t feel lacking on that score. He a police officer and I once taught in a comprehensive school; he has four children while I boast one daughter, four sons, one niece and nine nephews ....... I even serve as trampoline for several members of the next generation down the line. Yes I have cause to care greatly for the education we owe our young people and I wish we were offering them a more disciplined upbringing and education.
The very fabric of schools has become a mere political football. In the June issue we had Councillor Corner/ lib-dem dream world telling of the ‘triumph’ of the Aspreys development whilst evading all mention of the ongoing investigation into the miss- management of that very project. Rather than set up a distant extension of the Ousedale school we should surely have been building a proper grammar school offering some real choice for people in the Northern part of the catchment area. In every corner of our society our ‘leaders’ have fallen very wide of the wishes of the wider community; the word ‘antipathy’ is often directed to the electorate.
That’s Wrong it’s Not Antipathy but Contempt
Please do not see me as a prophet of doom. The truth is that I do believe the peoples of this land can steer clear clear of the terrors that threaten. But to avoid an obstacle we must recognise and locate it. This nation’s great obstacle is a thing of societal division and fragmentation.
From top to bottom we are divided “top to bottom” by the greed which secures our
rulers and regulators from the very restrictions and destruction of reasonable liberties which they inflict on the rest of us. They pretend we are a democracy and they claim at every twist to have a mandate. In practice they treat democracy with scorn as they invent their mandates. We are told we should exercise our vote in greater numbers than we do and they call the difference ‘antipathy’. Now I believe very few people are truly apathetic, but many have come to see the whole political process as utterly contemptible; and which is more only a minority among those who do vote have real faith in the process. Precious few parliamentarians truly represent the wishes of their own electorate. Our wishes are set aside because they ‘know better’. I might list several issues but one will hopefully suffice; The overwhelming majority of we plebs dearly wish to see capital punishment restored; not only for murder but also for serious rape and certain offences against little children.
Division also extends “sideways”. Many very ordinary people nowadays insist on perceiving other equally ordinary souls as unacceptably different. We are far too often guilty of intolerance and complain that such as Muslims and Sikhs live largely unaware of our local way of life, immigrants from other parts of the world are treated as being a forbidden caste. Many will find it hard to swallow but I believe if we all put on a welcoming smile and came forward with practical advice in their early days, then most of these “strangers” would quickly settle to be one along with the rest of us. Yes of course there are rogues among them but that is no reason to tar them all with the same brush; when all said and done most of our scoundrels are home grown.
Many fine skills and aptitudes which we take for granted started out as imports. Much of the outlook and values of today’s newcomers deserve far better than a dismissive “go away”, many of them set higher standards of family fidelity than much of the resident community. They have much to offer us, we
should listen and draw them into the mainstream of our life to mutual advantage.
The ‘Doom’ to which I referred is the situation facing us all if we fail shortly to sort ourselves out. It is far too easy to complain of “Them and us” as we look at the failures of our politicians but we must not blind ourselves to the failures at our own more modest standing. We all need to feel as one, to think as one and to behave as belonging together. If we remain divided we will quarrel and if we quarrel we will all be in danger. Two months ago I wrote of civil disobedience and said if we were driven to that we would make Ghandi’s salt march look like a picnic. A couple of correspondents have tried telling me such things could not happen here but I must ask them to consider. In our own times several very silly groups have brought us close to blows. We’ve had CND, animal libs and hunt sabs to name just a few; but none of these have commanded a huge following so what might happen if a whole community shall be aroused. In 1780, right here in England, a chap called Gordon voiced the excitement of a significant proportion of the people around (yes, his quarrel was with the government of the day) and the resultant rioting called for a force of 12,000 to restore order. 760 lives were lost and most of these were innocent bystanders; they were most ordinary people and quite uninterested in what was going on, they simply ‘got in the way’. Readers of Dickens’ “Barnaby Rudge” will know that this happened in part (only) of London, it is graphic reading. Now today’s trouble makers (National front et al) have the benefit of today’s means of communication; Gordon had no wireless, no television, no e- mail, phone or text system but 760 people died. Now as then we have our trouble makers and some of them are of seriously anarchistic inclination; and now as never before we have immediate nationwide communications. We must wake up for ourselves and we must also call our ‘leaders’ to heel, I fear we have less time than we suppose. d
Sunday 23 July 2006
At Olney Youth Club East Street
For more information and to buy a ticket please contact:
Louise 01234 241926
Annie 01234 241644
Shona 01234 711409
Or tickets available on the day
EVENTS
Come and join us for fundraising In
Race for Life
~ In memory of Jo Atkins ~
aid of breast cancer
Music, Raffle, Bouncy Castle, Football, Face Painting, Hog Roast, Soft Drinks, Crisps, Sweets
Bring your own picnic
All donations are greatly appreciated and if you are unable to come along but would like to give a donation then please contact Louise or Annie.
Phonebox Magazine 49