Saturday 23 July 2016

Words have consequences…




The world has a habit of making you feel an abject failure if you don’t have a marriage, mortgage, car and 2.4 children. The stereotypes are like knives, drawn and shoved deep into our consciences from the very early stages of our lives. This would be okay of course if everything in your life was in your control – a bit like Stepford wives. In reality you have little control in many areas of your own life. 


This week has been incredibly tough for me. I've gone through a Meniere's loathing week, angry at having no 'normal' job with a regular income. Twenty years I worked hard, paid my taxes and now get no assistance for the disease I did not want or ask for. I feel conned and very frustrated. I work so hard to get us out of this Meniere's induced rut. It's not for the want of effort, I can assure you. I push myself to the limit and beyond, yet can only hope my hard work will bring us much needed success sooner rather than later. I cling onto hope as, I suspect, many millions of us do.

The rhetoric induced hatred across the world has not helped my positive state of mind either. I have written about this before but I am going to continue to bang on about it until we start to make some very serious changes. We, as a human race, have to stop using labels and stop categorising people. It's a horrible human psyche and we can only blame ourselves for its creation. Just think for a moment…take half a day of yours from last week and think how many times you used labels to describe individual human beings – 'that boy', 'that woman', 'that disabled man', 'that OAP'. Then add the extra descriptions you may use and even worse…think of the descriptions you would not use but others would use freely. Can you actually, clearly and categorically say you have never, ever used a label that would cause offence to the person you are describing? How many use labels to purposely cause offence? Or, to purposely cause harm?

Credit: unknown
Why don't we just cut it out? Cut out the language – for example stop the description 'Muslim man' as we wouldn't say 'Christian man', would we? I am very aware of the language I use and sometimes I may offend someone without the intent. Unfortunately, there are people out there that do want to cause offence.  MPs and people in the public eye really need to think before they speak. Their language has consequences but all too often they offer soundbites or in some cases purposely use defamatory, racist, homophobic and derogatory language that is deeply offensive and divisive. The division becomes a green light for some to inflict harm and misery on fellow human beings. 

WE HAVE TO STOP THE CYCLE OF HATE. Public officials have let the vile genie out of the bottle and we, the decent human beings are left to find a way of eradicating it. It starts with the education of our children, an education that must include tolerance and humanity. We must speak out about prejudices and we must urge our public officials to stop stirring the hornet's nest.

I do find it hard to forgive Cameron, Johnson, Farage,Trump and the media outlets for their part in this grotesque change in language but I have to forgive them otherwise the hatred will escalate. They are incredibly insensitive and naïve to think they have played no part in the rise in hate crimes. They need to accept and acknowledge their words have had far reaching consequences. Over the last six years we have seen many sections of our communities demonised by these people. It is hard to accept I worry about my son being attacked because of the colour of his skin – IN 2016!! 

Hatred will not bring about any change. We should all take a step back and think about our actions, our words and our role in changing the world. I am pleading to every single human being – be kind, thoughtful and think before you speak. Open your hearts, instead of your mouth. Look past the labels society forces upon us. Your words and actions will have consequences.

Just as hatred breeds violence and insecurity, love and kindness can bring peace and harmony – the key is whether we have the will to make that change. We need to let this Government and world leaders know division and demonisation of fellow human beings is unacceptable and we will no longer tolerate it. 

It is up to us decent human beings to shine the light of hope on this dark world.

I am going to continue to work hard and fight for a better world for my children and every other human being and I hope, you are with me too.

Have a fabulous week and please, be kind.


Saturday 16 July 2016

The world is well…BROKEN



We desperately need world peace!!!

I remember how terrified we were of the IRA when we were growing up yet its seems less frightening now than the attacks being orchestrated today. To go out on a bank holiday and be attacked whilst enjoying your family time is beyond comprehension. I cherish our family time and it fills me with sickness and dread to think an attack on our lives can happen at any time or anywhere. My heart goes out to all those affected by the atrocities all over the world and the first responders who deal with the immediate aftermath. Surely now is the time for peace.

Let's be totally frank - the World politicians are not listening. Where have we heard that before? It is not cowering to terrorism if you review your foreign policy in order to keep your citizens safe. I worry about the mentality of some of the people in power and their apparent lack of morality and humanity. I also worry about the rise in far right groups and the adopted acceptability of racial abuse we are seeing globally. It's been a really tough week for me but do you know what? My boys and I are safe and healthy. In a world of madness, terror and selfish indulgence, I am thankful of what and who I have around me. Life could always be better but at least we have life. My determination to help fix our broken world is the greatest it has ever been.

Broken Democracy


When did the Labour Party become a party that:
  1. does not respect and uphold democracy?
  2. has MPs that are more than happy to write vile abuse about the elected leader on social media
  3. allegedly scours through social media to see if key words are used so they can ban members
  4. imposes a blanket ban on meetings – ON MEETINGS! Can you imagine if the Tories cancelled democracy…oh wait…we have an unelected PM and ongoing investigations into electoral fraud.
  5. deserts the most vulnerable in society to participate in a farce of coup rather than holding the Tories to account.
  6. deserts the whole country post EU referendum to take part in self-indulgent bullying.
  7. has to have a meeting to discuss whether a democratically elected leader should be on the ballot paper.
  8. and THE BIGGEST SIN OF ALL…in my opinion –taking money for membership under false pretences; claiming if you part with your hard earned cash, you can vote in the leadership election. THEN, in what appears to be a breach of contract, exclude those new members or advising them 'it's okay, if you want to vote you can cough up an extra £25.' This is supposed to be a socialist party upholding the right to vote, to equality and fairness. £25 is a weekly shop for some families! They should not be excluded from democracy on the basis of cost. I have my vote but it doesn't mean I approve of the action and would leave my fellow supporters high and dry.

What gets me the most is – we are ALL supposed to be on the same side. I look at Jeremy Corbyn and wonder where he is getting his strength from. I'm exhausted and a wreck. I can understand people throwing in the towel under such injustice but that's not me. This is a matter of principle. It is not about the party or the leader – it is much more important. It is about fighting for our voices to be heard and respected. You would have thought it was a given, bearing in mind it is our votes that puts the MPs into the Westminster bubble. This whole sordid affair has confirmed many things to me but the most striking of all is, the lack of respect MPs have for voters and party members. These MPs don't seem to realise that every activist and Labour party member is also a voter and the voice of the party at grass root level. They talk to friends, family and residents. People are sick of working hard and getting nowhere. 

The behaviour of some MPs on social media is beyond contempt. Their blatant hatred for the leader of the party is overwhelmingly obvious to the point that you see why any attempts to talk were futile. If they were an employee, they would be facing grounds of dismissal for gross misconduct. 

It is time we were listened to and our MPs returned to serving their constituents not business or themselves. I'm not a #TrotsRabbleDOG – I'm just a single Mum, bringing her boys up to understand the importance of looking after the vulnerable working hard to achieve our success. I work incredibly hard but life is a struggle. I am not a rebel rouser (well it depends how this is defined I suppose) – I just want equality, honesty, decency, fairness and democracy. It is not too much to ask for. 

Whatever your views are, please bear in mind that rights have been fought for over centuries. There are always people who will try and suppress the struggle by any means necessary. All I ask is you do not fall for the vile tactics – read up and make a judgement based on the facts. You may be surprised what you learn about people, you once admired, in the process.

#Prayfor…all of us


Before the Iraq War in 2003, probably late 1990s, I read an article by a University lecturer about the effects in the middle east should Saddam Hussein be eliminated. It was a stark article that has stuck with me. It warned of the factions within the country and how, without proper control, these factions would rise up against each other and they would rise against who they saw as their aggressors, the Western countries – USA, UK, Europe, etc. 

It went on to say Hussein was a ruthless Dictator but if you took him out, the full extent of the damage could be catastrophic. I opposed the Iraq War based on this information and the fact that I don't believe any country has the right to dictate who the leader of another country should be. No one asked the Iraqi people what they wanted or needed. We bulldozed in, caused catastrophic loss of life then didn't have a plan of how to handle what followed. 

The response to terror attacks by Governments and Politicians – let's bomb Syria even more. HAVE WE NOT LEARNT ANYTHING? It is time the UN did its job and started to look at ways to bring about peace. I'm a realist, I know it won’t be easy – an understatement but what is the alternative? More bombings, more wars and more terrorist attacks on innocent people trying to make ends meet and live their lives. 

Weapons of Mass Destruction – Trident


We invaded Iraq as the Government believed Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). Let's take a step back for a moment. Who are we to decide who can have and can't have deterrent systems – although I do dispute Trident is a deterrent system. I have had this debate many times with people and pose the following points:

  1. Why are we spending billions on a deterrent system that will not and does not protect us from the risks we face today, for example terrorism or cyber-attacks? We don't spend billions on cures for diseases on the off chance there may be a pandemic in the future.
  2. Who says we have leaders responsible enough not to trigger these WMDs – Donald Trump & Boris Johnson spring to mind!
  3. Triggering Trident is fatal! They are not a deterrent.
  4.  Who says we can have WMD and dictate to the rest of the world they can't? The arrogance is beyond comprehension. We should be leaders in eradicating WMD.
I have yet to find anyone who can convince me spending billions on something we will never use makes sense when we have children in poverty, a NHS on its knees and disabled people having £30 per week taken from them. 


Don't blame fellow human beings


Don't blame immigrants, refugees and migrant workers. They are not the ones who have brought about wars, changed laws and withdrawn funds from local communities. Wars have to be paid for and that is where our hard earned tax is going. Don't let them fool you anymore. The shortages of school places, the waiting lists for housing, the NHS and the lack of public services is not about a population boost – it's about a political ideology siphoning money from communities into corporate funding of banks, wars and MPs' expenses!

We need a change in the world order but the powers don't want that. They don't want us to be educated, organised and determined to make a better world. It does not suit their agenda. We can change the balance of power through democracy and using our vote wisely. That is why they lie, provide misinformation and when all that fails, they want to eradicate democracy.

We don't need violence, abuse and tempers flaring. We need calm, level headed negotiation and debate. We need people in power who are prepared to listen to the views and will of the people. We need people in power who will take on the biased media, the corporations, the bankers and the war mongering politicians. 

Whatever your nationality, race, gender or religious belief – we need to all stand together and support leaders, like Jeremy Corbyn and change the world order. We humans are amazing when we have the will to stand together and make change.

As I write this, the words of John Lennon's Imagine ring in my head. I may be a dreamer, I am definitely not the only and if you join us, we can all be ONE. 

Much love