Just a swift blog.
I have posted recently this blog is not much of a "voice for children" and this is for reasons I can not go into.
However that statement is somewhat incorrect. The very purpose of this blogsite is for my children and everybody elses children who are going to have to grow up under the same dictatorship as us unless I and others do something now to pave the way to a "Democratic" society for them to live in.
I have posted elsewhere before, one of my fears is when my children get older and ask me howcome the people who run the island were allowed to destroy it and it's beauty? why don't we have any rights? howcome civil servants can do as they please to us and never have to answer for it? howcome Ministers can do what they want to us and never have to answer for it? is that what it was like in your day? and then the dreaded one WHAT DID YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Now I can either sit back and say "well nothing really it's just the way things were, (or are) we just get shat all over and accept it". Or I could say "I tried the best I could to make sure you don't have to live under the constant threat and fear of speaking out like I did" "At great risk to myself I spoke out against our dictatorship, I tried to make them accountable by exposing them to the world over the internet" Most impotantly I VOTED I tried to make a difference.
In twenty or thirty years time, all the horrendous stuff that might be happening to our children and being covered up will come to light and you know what the party line will be? "well this is all historic and it wasn't on my watch" and so it goes on history repeating itself.
Well guess what Frank? The day I became a father I was given a lifelong obligation to protect my children. To put their needs before my own, to make sure they have a good future and to keep them out of harms way. You and your council of ministers, I consider to be "harms way"
Am I willing to stand by and allow all this to happen without doing my upmost to prevent it? not on my watch Frank, not on my watch!!
voiceforchildren.
IF YOU DON'T VOTE YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN.
You just summed up the best reasons for caring about the political future. Each generation is held to account for what was permitted on their watch. How will this generation of parents answer for the harm done?
ReplyDeleteI recognise those motivations for blogging - they mirror some of my own. I am very worried about the state of not just Jersey but the whole darned planet. And like you I see a self interested self preserving system of multi-national companies, political leaders, and bureaucratic functionaries not seeing past their own short term interests.
ReplyDeleteThe proclamations of the G8 summit sums it up - they have agreed to cut c02 emissions 50% but failed to set a base line for calculating it from. Good headlines they can go home and claimn they have done their bit, but in reality they have committed to nothing they can be called to account for.
It really doesn't matter whether its the destruction of the global environment or the local child protection system that we talk about, the response is the same. Those with an interest in the system will naturally move to defend it.
The worst of it is Baron Acton was right -"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Good candidates who get elected can so easily be seduced to the dark side.
The best facet of a democratic system is that we can oust the elected without having to have blood on the streets. Other than that it is perhpas as Churchill noted:
"Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
Vote by all means, encourage others to vote, but please don't think that is enough or sufficient to bring about significant change.
A man died and went to Heaven. As he stood in front of the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him.
ReplyDeleteHe asked, 'What are all those clocks?'
St. Peter answered, 'Those are Lie-Clocks. Everyone on earth has a Lie-Clock. Every time you lie the hands on your clock move.'
'Oh', said the man. 'Whose clock is that?'
'That's Mother Teresa's', replied St. Peter. 'The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie.'
'Incredible', said the man. 'And whose clock is that one?'
St. Peter responded, 'That's Abraham Lincoln's clock. The hands have moved twice, telling us that Abraham told only two lies in his entire life.'
'Where's Frank Walker's clock?' asked the man.
'Walkers 's clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a ceiling fan.'
I definitely empathise with your comments.
ReplyDeleteMy reason for starting a blog was the despair I saw on a daily basis.
No matter how small, EVERYBODY who cares about this islands future should make a stand for change.
"Good candidates who get elected can so easily be seduced to the dark side"
ReplyDeleteI've noted that, I call it "going native". It's been happening for a long time. I remember John Averty, John De Carteret, Vernon Tomes, Terry Le Main - all of whom started as poll-toppers (Terry was lifted shoulder high on the Young Farmers Club) - and none of whom kept faith with the public, although Terry has so far kept his seat. Recently I've heard people say of Freddie Cohen - "but he started out so well" - a sure sign of "going native".
A few who haven't - Stuart Syvret, and of course Norman le Brocq.
What we do to this Island,will be the legacy we leave our children.
ReplyDeletePeople are worried about kids leaving in droves,to find a life elsewhere.
The kids themselves know the future is looking pretty dim.
The choice of employment is limited,and the ability to afford a home or even have a family,has made them realise that life could be better elsewhere.
A lot of kids go on to Higher Education,their minds are opened up to other ideas and choices.
Should be a requirement that all kids spend some time way,as part of their Education,to show them the realities of life,and that there are other ways of living.
We are in a bubble in many ways,but as a result of Globalisation have had to enter into it.
We can't survive on our own,and outside forces will dictate more and more to us.
We all have a responsibility to protect our values and the Island for the next generation.
We see many short term policies based on greed,which are irreversible.
We as parents are accountable for allowing the Politicians so much free reign.
The majority of them do not represent or mirror the values of the people who live and bring up families here.
We are all part of the problem ,and the solution too.
From our apathy,we must wake up and smell the coffee,and try and undo some of the damage,that has gone on over the last 20 or so years.