Grae Says

Talking Autism, Equality, Activism, Politics, Music and more!

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Regarding: Jared O'Mara (again)

Regarding: Jared O’Mara (again)

Didn’t think I’d be sticking up for this guy

Don’t get me wrong, I still can’t stand Jared O’Mara. He had the opportunity to be a role model for disabled people with ambitions to serve in Parliament and he squandered it with both his behaviour before he was elected, and his attitude since. But he’s catching some undeserved criticism that I thought I’d elaborate on.

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Casual Ableism Is Alive and Well

Casual Ableism Is Alive and Well

Been a while since I wrote a rant about disabilities (you know, the whole reason I set up this blog in the first place). Strap in folks, because this one is a doozy.

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The Month In Music - September 2018

The Month In Music – September 2018

Quick reminder of how to track changes in the chart. Any songs on the list without a label are new entries. Everything else has a label next to it displaying if the song is higher or lower in the chart than last month. So without any further ado, enjoy the September chart.

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The Month in Music - August 2018

The Month in Music – August 2018

Only 4 more to go after this. We’re gonna make it a whole year peeps! So on that note, lets see what musical masterpieces the month of August brought us.

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THIIIIIIIIIISSSSS!!!!!!!

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The Month in Music - July 2018

The Month in Music – July 2018

It’s officially the 2nd half of 2018 and the chart is still going. 5 more editions til the end of the year! Lets dive in.

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[disneylauratot-deactivated20200]

I see myself in a lot of this! Is anyone else excited to tune into “Are you autistic?” On Channel 4 tonight? I was finally diagnosed with aspergers in December after years of waiting and I couldn’t be more happier to be a part of the autistic community ❤️ ❤️❤️

[anger----issues]

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Quick Notice

Thanks for all the love my stuff is getting atm peeps! You may have noticed that formatting is a bit all over the place, that's because I've migrated over from Wordpress and I've got a bit of cleaning up to do. I'll be doing that over the course of the next few days. Please bear with me in the meantime and thanks for your patience.

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The Month in Music - May 2018

Were it not for the 1 song per artist rule, I suspect this list would consist entirely of Frank Turner & Biffy Clyro. So with the rule in place, what made the top 20 this month? Lets find out!

Quick reminder of how to track changes in the chart. Any songs on the list without a label are new entries. Everything else has a label next to it displaying if the song is higher or lower in the chart than last month. So without any further ado, enjoy the May chart.

#. Artist Name – Song Title (Album Title)

1. Frank Turner – Be More Kind (Be More Kind) 2. Nightwish – Nemo (Showtime, Storytime) 3. Biffy Clyro – Bubbles (MTV Unplugged) 4. Arctic Monkeys – Old Yellow Bricks (Favourite Worst Nightmare) DOWN 3 PLACES 5. Newton Faulkner – Dream Catch Me (Hand Built By Robots) 6. Metallica – The Wait (Garage Inc) 7. Half Man Half Biscuit – Four Skinny Indie Kids (Four Kids Who Shook The Wirral) 8. Fozzy – Judas (Judas)  DOWN 7 PLACES 9. Skinny Lister – Bonny Away (Down on Deptford Broadway) 10. Megadeth – Die Dead Enough (The System Has Failed) 11. Billy Bragg – Do Unto Others (Tooth & Nail) 12. Tom Petty – I Won’t Back Down (Full Moon Fever) 13. Cannibal Corpse – Evidence in the Furnace (Evisceration Plague) 14. Paramore – Fake Happy (After Laughter) DOWN 3 PLACES 15. Vienna Teng – Harbour (Warm Strangers) DOWN 13 PLACES 16. Pixies – Here Comes Your Man (Doolittle) 17. Grace Petrie – Nobody Knows That I’m A Fraud (There’s No Such Thing As A Protest Singer) 18. Alice Nicholls – One Flew Over (Kind Quiet Riots) 19. Jasmine Kennedy - Percy Anderson (A Love Song To Finance) 20. Trivium – A Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation (Ascendancy)

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My views on this topic are irrelevant

This week, the people of Ireland went to the polls after they were given the option to repeal the country’s 8th constitutional amendment. Social media has obviously been bombarded on both sides of the argument and ultimately the people of Ireland decided overwhelmingly to repeal the 8th. I’m probably not going to elaborate on this topic beyond this blog, and you’ll find out why at the end (ooh, intrigue!)

So for those out of the loop, the 8th amendment of the Republic of Ireland constitution treats both pregnant women and their unborn foetuses equally in the eyes of the law, ultimately resulting in the country having the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in Europe (with the exception of Poland). The result is that women in Ireland have had no access to abortion in pretty much every scenario, and that has meant either facing crippling debt and other societal and economic problems to travel to the UK to get an abortion, or face the utter horror of back alley abortions. A situation that has led to a groundswell of people coming out in support of abolishing this amendment, with some travelling back to Ireland from all over the world to cast a ballot.

The debate however, as you would probably expect, has been toxic. The church as ever has come down hard on the side of retaining the amendment, and they have as always resorted to spreading false information and graphic imagery in the face of vulnerable people in the name of spreading the love of the lord our saviour. In fact, the no campaigns advertising got so graphic that Google had to step in and bad adverts from both sides, a move which the no campaign claimed was biased against them and them alone, somehow. So with Google preventing ads and traditional print being about as effective an advertising platform as putting your ad on a slurry pit, social media became the battleground for the debate and regardless of your opinion (or lack thereof) there was no escaping a debate on the matter. Not even for yours truly.

So seeing as I’m segueing into the meat and bones of this blog, I suppose I’d best nail my flag to the mast, not that any of you will be shocked. I’m firmly on the side of pro-choice activists (keep this exact wording in mind, it’ll be important later), after all, it’s not my body so who the fuck am I to tell others what to do with it. I don’t think I’ll encounter a situation where I will change my stance on this because; A) I don’t plan on being a father, and B) I don’t plan on influencing a pregnant partners decision either way if I do somehow end up in that position (I won’t, but it’s always safer to have a backup plan eh?). I don’t intend it to be this way, but the vast majority of my circle of friends also share this sentiment so I wasn’t expecting my views on this matter to be challenged, but up steps a former colleague of mine who I do consider a friend, but also is a deeply religious person, and ultimately takes the opposite view on this matter.

The debate started in earnest when I wrote something on Facebook that countered points he’d made in a post from the No campaign stating that the vote was a matter of life and death. My writing explained how that post was more of an argument for repeal rather than against it because this was a matter of life and death for women (the plight of Savita Halappanavar, who died after being refused an abortion during a septic miscarriage was a key feature of Yes campaigning). He responded to that post sharing the talking points that you would expect (hitting a particular low when I made the point that safety of women seeking abortions should be considered a valid reason to make them legal so that back alley abortions would be eradicated, and he responded by using the example of road speed limits as a law that is repeatedly broken but isn’t subject to appeal and asked on that basis why abortion should be legalised just because its something that happens despite it being illegal), and the back and forth went on before he wrapped up by saying how great it was to debate between two opposing views.

I don’t share that sentiment in this instance. He’s right on the grounds that people with opposing views should debate more often (especially if there’s a chance that people could be swayed towards the side of progress), but this particular debate was utterly irrelevant, hell, it was even less relevant than your typical Facebook debate usually gets, and do you know why? because it was two cis-gendered men talking exclusively amongst each other about an issue that will never, ever affect them personally.

You know the slogan of the disabled people’s movement that I so love and admire, “nothing about us, without us”. That is a quote that literally applies to every single minority group that exists, yet always seems to be applied the least in regards to women’s rights. Men always seem happy to wade in and share their views on matters that in every single case should be deferred to women. Abortion rights? IVF for lesbian couples? Abolishing the tampon tax? You bet your arse that 99 times out of 100, the dissenting voice will be a mans. The problem exists on the other side too though, way too many times women with unique and personal experiences of huge value to a debate will be robbed of the chance to contribute them as men hog the soapbox and the plaudits.

Women have so much more to contribute to a debate about abortion rights than any man can ever hope to have. That’s just the nature of this thing. Same goes for LGBT* people when discussing the discrimination they face. Same for BAME people. Same for Disabled people. If you belong to any of these groups and decisions are being made that affect your very livelihood then you would be rightly pissed off so stop doing it to Women. Views that seek to nullify their experiences de-legitimatises them, as does co-opting their arguments as your own, as does debating the issue without involving them. Let’s pack it in, listen to what the women who’s opinions you value have to say on the matter, and signal boost them.

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Musical Mental Health Week!

It’s mental health week! Also, it’s me 6th go at writing something for mental health week! I’ve shared my own stories, I’ve handed my platform over to other stories, I’ve talked about mental health policy, I’ve ranted at the lack of a shit that the Conservative Party seems to give about mental health. So what’s left? Well I decided this time around that I would signal boost some amazingly talented people who have decided to talk about mental health….THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF SONG!

So before I share some mainstream work I’ll get the cheeky plug out there and let you know that I’ve written a few songs about mental health that you can hear on my soundcloud (I especially recommend Path of Least Resistance & Rock & A Hard Place). My good friend and gigging buddy Alice Nicholls also has some amazing songs about mental health (she especially recommends her songs Shaky and One Flew Over).

In order to aid efficient sharing of the songs included in the list. I have created a playlist on Spotify, and also made a text list for the benefit of those who get their music streaming from Google/Apple/Tidal (why?) or whatever other service you use.

Kehlani - 24/7 Korn - Alone I Break Soft Cell - The Art of Falling Apart Amy Winehouse - Back to Black The Who - Behind Blue Eyes Tori Amos - Carbon Half Man Half Biscuit - Depressed Beyond Tablets Slipknot - Diluted P!nk - Dont Let Me Get Me The Verve - The Drugs Dont Work Rascal Flatts - Ellsworth Metallica - Fade to Black Paramore - Fake Happy Twenty One Pilots - Friend, Please Dream Theatre - Goodnight Kiss The Fray - How To Save A Life Nine Inch Nails - I Do Not Want This Demi Lovato - I Hate You, Dont Leave Me Garbage - I Think I’m Paranoid Evanescence - Imaginary Keane - Is It Any Wonder David Bowie - Jump They Say The Hollies - King Midas In Reverse Linkin Park - Leave Out All The Rest Ellie Goulding - Lights Frank Turner - Little Changes Gary Jules - Mad World Jimi Hendrix - Manic Depression Biffy Clyro - Medicine Bob Dylan - Mr Tambourine Man Nightwish - Nemo Missy Higgins - Nightminds Alice Nicholls - One Flew Over Creed - One Last Breath Deaftones - One Weak Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict Violent Femmes - Out The Window Fiona Apple - Paper Bag Patti Smith - Pissing In A River Amanda Palmer - Runs In The Family Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond Dream Theatre - Solitary Shell Eminem - Stan Macklemore - Starting Over Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness Megadeth - Sweating Bullets They Might Be Giants - Till My Head Falls Off Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends Moby - Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad The Smashing Pumpkins - Zero

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Grae Reviews: Frank Turner - Be More Kind

It’s been a while since I reviewed some music, and that’s mostly because I review stuff that I like. That’s a problem when a lot of modern music is (to be as charitable as possible) utter horse shit. Thankfully the folk rock scene has provided a lot of gold over the last few years so it would have taken a lot for me to not like new music from one of the genre’s best, Frank Turner. That being said, I wasn’t expecting to be hit so strongly in the feels by such a politically charged work.

Frank Turner is obviously no stranger to the political tune. This year is the 10th anniversary of his album Love, Ire & Song. The title track of which is very overtly political (as is it’s re-releases 2nd disk track called ‘Thatcher Fucked The Kids’). This new album however manages to simultaneously step it up a notch and mellow the message out. Adopting a more “mainstream” sound that may well be too much for those who think Frank peaked with England Keep My Bones. Like I said in the sub-title though, this album struck a chord with me, and that is probably just a personal reaction but hey, this blog is all about my personal reaction to things, so lets run down the album track by track.

Don’t Worry - Mental health is a running theme of this album. Frank has said in interviews that he drew on his experiences undergoing CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) in his songwriting and this song does a good job of conveying this overarching state of mind. That said, it’s not the best example, we’ll get there in a bit.

1933 - This is the obligatory return to the Frank Turner that fans of his earlier work will be most satisfied with. If you’re gonna discuss politics in 2018 there’s two topics that are gonna dominate any writings, Brexit & Trump. This is the Brexit rant, comparing the closing of borders with the rise of fascism in the build up to World War II, and a very well done one at that with some top notch lyric writing (“well I don’t know, what’s going on anymore, the world outside is burning with a brand new light but it isn’t one that makes me feel warm”).

Little Changes - THIS is the best ode to mental health treatment on this album, and the most overt references to the methods behind CBT (“the big things stay the same until we make little changes”). I love this song in particular because it’s so upbeat, which fits well with a topic that unintentionally frightens so many people because of the stigma attached.

Be More Kind - The title of the album (and obviously this track) is based on a Clive James poem that Frank read in US magazine 'The New Yorker’ “I should have been more kind. It is my fate. To find this out, but find it out too late” Another overarching theme of this album is the idea that empathy and compassion is dying in the face of the dark turn our politics is taking lately and that rather than engaging in tribalism, we should be setting an example to be better to others. It’s not often that I describe a song as beautiful, but this one more than deserves that label, and is by far and away my favourite song on the album.

Make America Great Again - So we’re talking politics again and this English americophile is giving probably the friendliest Fuck Donald Trump message ever committed to tape. This is a serious topic executed in a very tongue in cheek manner, as the lifted Ramones chord progression ('Bonzo Goes to Bitburg’ if you were wondering) and the ironically un-ironic ending chorus key change (the scourge of the indie folk rock scene!). A good natured, playful fuck off is the best kind of fuck off though and I do have a big soft spot for this song, even if it has caught the ire of some old school Frank Turner fans.

Going Nowhere - Well someone got a girlfriend between records didn’t they? I joke, this could easily be a song about platonic friendship, and that is a sentiment that I can completely sympathise with in fairness. This one is pretty much a collection of cliches to describe how he’s got his friends backs. The most prominent of which is best described by Frank’s labelmate (and another favourite musician of mine) Beans on Toast “any song that has the line 'in there like swimwear’ in it deserves to be number 1!”.

Brave Face - No album of this genre is complete without a stadium singalong anthem, and this is the song that fills that quota. That joke I made earlier about Going Nowhere being a romantic song is probably best applied to this song in fairness. Best demonstrated with the chorus “Make me a promise, That when the world ends, You’ll kiss me, And you’ll hold my hand, And then we’ll get through this, Whatever happens, One look at your brave face, Makes me a braver man”.

There She Is - Frank teamed up with Charlie Hugall, a collaborator with Florence & The Machine in the making of this record, and this song is probably the most striking example of his influence. Plus it’s the third track in a row that’s about a girl, and while that theme would probably get repetitive by now in the hands of a lesser artist, Frank manages to pull it off though and while it’s probably one of the less memorable songs on the album, it’s by no means bad.

21st Century Survival Blues - Hey old school Frank Turner fans? Feeling isolated with the change in direction? Well I’ve got some good news, here’s something that would actually fit in well on 'Sleep is for the Weak’! Following on a similar theme to Brave Face, how the narrator and his partner will be fine in the middle of the apocalypse as long as they have each other, the new theme is blended well with some old school Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls musicianship and is another standout from the 2nd half of the album.

Blackout - This was the first single from the album and don’t get me wrong, I like it, but it fails to live up to the hype (solely in this authors opinion). It’s a lament about Frank himself stepping away from political themes after his interviews about his personal political beliefs got him death threats, and how he should step out of his comfort zone. Which he has done with this record in more ways than one. As said, it’s not the best on the album, but by no means does that suggest that I think the song is in any way bad.

Common Ground - The theme of this one is pretty much explained in full by it’s title, that we should look more for what we have in common, rather than what separates us. specifically that we should build bridges. Frank’s music has a knack for forcing the audience to think for a minute and this one definitely manages that. The latter songs on this album lack the catchiness of the earlier stuff, but if you’re after the introspection that you’ve come to expect from Franks last few records, this is where you’ll find it.

The Lifeboat - Just when you think the upbeat tone of the album takes a backseat for a moment in the penultimate track, which describes a sick world and a sick society that should be left behind. You get hit with a 180 degree turn to describe the leaving behind and defeat of a toxic world. Another chance for a slow introspection as we start to wrap up the album.

Get it Right - This song tackles a matter that actually means a lot but never gets mentioned in polarising times, it’s ok to admit you’ve changed your mind on something, and holding your hands up is preferable to continuing down a dangerous path just for the sake of saving face. Frank delivers most of this one standing alone with his acoustic guitar, a one on one conversation with the listener until we hit the end and a bit of a stadium singalong to sign off on.

This might just be me, but the topics Frank touched on in this album seriously hit home, and did so to the point where I might actually consider this my favourite of his albums. I’ve always been a fan of about 3 or 4 songs off previous albums so to have 9 or 10 songs I love on one album is incredible in my mind. Is that because he went 'mainstream’? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I’m letting my own circumstances dictate how I digest this music, but isn’t that what you’re meant to do? To be honest, I’m probably putting too much effort into justifying why I love an album by one of my favourite artists in a genre I’ve grown to love over the last few years (and not just because it’s one I’m active in, honest!). All I need to say is that I love it, and I hope if you decide to check it out that you do too.

[graesays]

The Month in Music - April 2018

The streak continues! Let’s take a look at what’s been top of my playlist this month.

Quick reminder of how to track changes in the chart. Any songs on the list without a label are new entries. Everything else has a label next to it displaying if the song is higher or lower in the chart than last month (of if it stubbornly refuses to move like Paramore this time round). So without any further ado, enjoy the February chart.

#. Artist Name – Song Title (Album Title)

1. Arctic Monkeys – Old Yellow Bricks (Favourite Worst Nightmare) 2. Vienna Teng – Harbour (Warm Strangers) 3. CFO$ – Catch Your Breath (Finn Balor) 4. Fozzy – Judas (Judas) DOWN 3 PLACES 5. Foo Fighters – My Hero (The Colour & The Shape) 6. Frank Turner – The Next Storm (Positive Songs for Negative People) DOWN 4 PLACES 7. Billy Bragg – A New England (Life’s a Riot with Spy vs Spy) 8. Biffy Clyro – Animal Style (Ellypsis) UP 6 PLACES 9. Beans on Toast – Beer and a Burger (Fishing for a Thank You) DOWN 2 PLACES 10. Metallica – Enter Sandman (Metallica) 11. Paramore – Fake Happy (After Laughter) DOWN 3 PLACE 12. Tom Petty – I Won’t Back Down (Full Moon Fever) 13. Ninja Sex Party – Jump (Under The Covers) 14. Alice In Chains – Man In The Box (Facelift) 15. Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare (Nightmare) 16. Jonathan Coulton – RE: Your Brains (Best. Concert. Ever.) 17. Velvet Revolver – Slither (Contraband) 18. Fountains of Wayne – Stacey’s Mom (Welcome Interstate Managers) DOWN 13 PLACES 19. Skinny Lister - Wanted (The Devil, The Heart & The Fight) 20. Alice Nicholls – Deluge (Kind Quiet Riots)

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Regarding: Hans Asperger

Trigger Warning: References to the holocaust  

Of all the news stories I thought I’d be waking up to this morning, I’ve gotta admit that the reports that the person my disability is named after was a Nazi wasn’t really all that high up the list. There’s a lot to unpick from this story and as someone with an Aspergers diagnosis, I suppose I’ll try and get my head around it the best way I can. Not sure if enjoy is the correct word here, but… yeah this feels weird.  

Before we dive in I should point out that the stories hitting the press today are a result of the findings in a report written by Herwig Czech, a professor at Vienna Medical University. If you want to do your own research you can find the full report at this link

https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-018-0208-6 

I should also point out that I’m in no way, shape or form an expert in the psychological science being discussed here, so if I mess up at all feel free to correct me in the comments.   Asperger is alleged in the report to have engaged in the following;  

Assisted the Third Reich by referring children deemed “unworthy to live” to the infamous Am Spiegelgrund clinic, where disabled children were experimented on and ultimately euthanized.

Referred one child in particular, Herta Schreiber, a sufferer of encephalitis, to the clinic because he felt that the child would be “an unbearable burden on her mother”. She died the day after her 5th birthday of pneumonia, 3 months after her referral.

Coined the concept of “Heilpädagogik” or therapeutic pedagogy, whereby he informed the Third Reich that people on the autism spectrum would make excellent soldiers & reliable workers. Paving the way for autistic people to be subject to mandatory conscription into the armed services.

Believing that survivors of sexual assault were responsible for their own abuse.

Retained the use of anti-semitic stereotypes in his diagnostic reports during and in the years following WWII.

Czech was also extremely critical of English speaking writers reporting of Hans Asperger over the years, particularly citing the work of Uta Frith, a German born professor at UCL (University College of London), who is regarded as one of the UK’s leading experts on Autism. Czech accuses her of serving as an “apologist” for Asperger. Her book, Asperger and his Syndrome makes little mention of his links to the Nazi regime, and went a long way towards painting Hans as somewhat of an Oscar Schindler type figure, who shielded children with Aspergers from the Nazi’s at great personal risk, when in fact it now transpires that he was offering up his patients to the Third Reich, surrendering their freedoms to support the war effort.

In the wake of all this there is inevitably going to be a lot of soul searching going on. Although Czech goes to great pains to emphasise that his links to the Nazi’s does not taint his contributions to research on Autism, there will be many people on a personal and professional level who will feel extremely uncomfortable with maintaining the status quo in light of these revelations. The US medical journal, the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) dropped Aspergers as a specific diagnosis in 2013. The ICD (International Classification of Diseases) is due for an update soon and in light of this information, speculation is already underway that Aspergers may be dropped from the ICD, meaning an end to new aspergers diagnoses in the UK. More pressingly though is the impact on people who already have a diagnosis, who now have to decide whether or not they feel able to define themselves based on a condition named after a Nazi.

I am someone who wears my diagnosis on my sleeve, and I’m also someone who truly believes that breaking down the already very pressing problem of stigma regarding the autism spectrum and its various conditions is the most effective way to work towards equality for those of us on the spectrum who are discriminated against in wider society because of our symptoms. I am therefore very disturbed by these reports and the potential it has to reinforce all the negative stereotypes that activists and allies have dedicated their lives towards dismantling.

Each of us as individuals have a decision to make now whether or not we are able to continue referring to ourselves as having aspergers, and it’s a decision that I am struggling with because I believe in identifying the various different types of ASC’s (Autism Spectrum Conditions) because grouping them all into one catch-all diagnosis negatively impacts on the already slim pickings we have in regards to specialist support. Of course, on the other hand I don’t want anything to do with a Nazi either so, if anyone can figure out a way to resolve this conflict I’d love to hear from you because I bloody well cant right now.

To end on a slightly more hopeful note though, and to borrow from an article written for The Independent by Ryan Hendry from the National Autistic Society, we should take this as a chance to signal boost the incredible work done by Lorna Wing & Judith Gould, who took the autism research conducted by Hans Asperger, and expanded upon it in order to establish the existence of the Autism Spectrum. Aspergers Syndrome wouldn’t exist as a diagnosis today were it not for their work in identifying the different types of conditions on the autism spectrum, and their work should be celebrated while we come to terms with the horrors of Hans Asperger’s past.

[graesays]

The Great Political Backfire

Kicking off with a bit of housekeeping. Like the new lick of paint I’ve given the place? Trying out a new theme so let us know if you have any feedback via the comments section. Now onto the meat of the thing. Antisemitism in political activism has been the main talking point in the news over the last few weeks while Parliament is in Easter recess. One party has handled the situation openly and honestly, admitting its problems and taking every step it can to work on them, while the other buries its head in the sand and points fingers. Thing is, the press has assigned these responses in the wrong place.

Now obviously, as a Labour member, my opinions may be biased in the parties favour. I try my best to be open about that and fair in my writing (even though I have no obligation to do so, seeing as this is my tiny corner of the internet and I have about as much influence as an empty bag of monster munch picked up by the wind outside the palace of Westminster), but I understand if you’re inclined to dismiss my thoughts on that basis alone. So now that’s out the way, here’s my take.

This story kicked off with reports that Jeremy Corbyn had consoled an artist who’s mural in London’s East End was to be removed. The mural was undoubtedly antisemitic and the press was right to call this out. Corbyn apologised unreservedly for his actions, and despite the points raised by people defending Jeremy at the time (that the incident happened 6 years ago, that his comment was a general lament about free speech rather than a specific defence of this particular mural) Jeremy was rightly held accountable for his actions and responded accordingly.

This opened up a wider debate about antisemitism amongst both Labour’s membership, and outside organisations supporting either the party, or the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. This again is a legitimate discussion that needs to take place, regardless of people’s views about problems within other parties, it’s important that our own house is in order. Jewish people frankly have every right to be sceptical about our party’s commitment to combating antisemitism when so many people are willing to stand up and cry conspiracy theory bollocks every time a report about antisemitism appears in the press.

Solidarity and Equality for all means exactly that. Jewish people have just as much right to feel safe, welcome & valued within the Labour Party as everyone else and the behaviour of some of those who present themselves as beholden to the values of the party have betrayed that spirit in regards to Jewish people. The party has reacted to reports of antisemitic remarks made by party officials and election candidates and has taken action to suspend and/or remove them from the party. This should be encouraged, as should efforts by the membership to pressure the leadership to take more seriously their commitment to implementing all of the recommendations from the Chakrabarti report. These are positive steps that reduce the scope that people who want to undermine us to find sticks to beat us with in future.

The conversation changed on Monday however, when right-wing blogger (and BNP sympathiser) Guido Fawkes published an article attempting to smear Jeremy for meeting with an organisation that called for Israel’s destruction. Unfortunately for Guido he forgot to take two things into consideration; 1. That the people he attacked were probably gonna have something to say about it, and 2. (which is remarkable for a man who operates on the internet) people have access to Google. All it took was a 10 minute dive into the article to discover that the group in question was Jewdas, a collective of left-wing Jewish people active in their communities, but disillusioned with the politics of “mainstream” Jewish organisations in the UK.

The article was a blatant attempt to give the impression that Corbyn was trying to further antagonise Jewish people by attending a Passover Seder with a group that was heavily critical of Israel. The actual result of the publication of that article however was a masterclass of an own goal that would give Steven Gardner a run for his money (YouTube that if you get the chance). They gave Jewdas the most publicity they’ve ever had, they gave a platform for left-wing Jewish people who feel marginalised within their own religious structures, they allowed Jewdas to publicise the work they’ve done in regards to combating antisemitism amongst fellow left-wingers, and by encouraging people to discuss whether Jeremy would have been better off not accepting their invitation they have made people realise that he was in a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation, making him more sympathetic to the wider public and lending credence to the argument that right-wingers are using antisemitism reports as a stick to beat the Labour party with.

The cherry on top of the cake though is that now that right-wingers are openly questioning the legitimacy of Jewdas members as Jewish people, Guido has provided first hand, and very public evidence that Conservatives also have antisemitic people in their ranks. They have also motivated left-wing Jewish people who may well have been disillusioned with the Labour Party to engage and help them clean up their act in regards to being more inclusive of Jewish people and helping to remove antisemitic elements from the party.

Time will tell what happens next, but with left-wing Jewish people now seemingly more emboldened and visible than ever before, and with Jeremy due to meet with the Board of Communities soon, Labour could be well on it’s way to having it’s best chance to succeed in an attempt to make the party more inclusive of Jewish people. And we couldn’t have done it without the help of Guido Fawkes!

[graesays]

The Month in Music - March 2018

The streak continues! Let’s take a look at what’s been top of my playlist this month.

Quick reminder of how to track changes in the chart. Any songs on the list without a label are new entries. Everything else has a label next to it displaying if the song is higher or lower in the chart than last month (of if it stubbornly refuses to move like Paramore this time round). So without any further ado, enjoy the February chart.

#. Artist Name – Song Title (Album Title)

1. Fozzy – Judas (Judas) 2. Frank Turner – The Next Storm (Positive Songs for Negative People) 3. Blink 182 – Even If She Falls (Neighborhoods) 4. Lacuna Coil – Hostage To The Light (Broken Crown Halo) UP 15 PLACES 5. Fountains of Wayne – Stacy’s Mom (Welcome Interstate Managers) RE-ENTRY! 6. Skinny Lister – Thing Like That (The Devil, The Heart & The Fight, Deluxe Edition) DOWN 5 PLACES 7. Beans on Toast – Beer and a Burger (Fishing for a Thank You) 8. Paramore – Fake Happy (After Laughter) DOWN 1 PLACE 9. Foo Fighters – Times Like These (One by One) 10. Travis – Turn (The Man Who) UP 3 PLACES 11. Alice Nicholls – One Flew Over (Kind Quiet Riots) RE-ENTRY! 12. Machine Head – Davidian (Burn My Eyes) DOWN 4 PLACES 13. Metallica – Halo on Fire (Hardwired… To Self-Destruct) 14. Biffy Clyro – Animal Style (Ellypsis) UP 2 PLACES 15. Avenged Sevenfold – Beast & The Harlot (City of Evil) UP 2 PLACES 16. Fleetwood Mac – Little Lies (Tango in the Night) 17. Dio – We Rock (The Last in Line) 18. Jasmine Kennedy – 446230 (It Made My Teeth Hurt) DOWN 4 PLACES 19. Regina Spektor - Dont Leave Me [Ne Me Quitte Pas] (What We Learned From The Cheap Seats 20. Bastille – Good Grief (Wild World) RE-ENTRY!