Not PC
I have been disturbed lately by the current and growing trend to re-write history because the actions of our ancestors both relatively recent and during previous centuries are considered, by some, to be inconsistent with how people should be conducting themselves in the twenty first century. I can see absolutely no justification for trying to alter facts because a noisy part of modern society does not like what their predecessors got up too. Just imagine how much we Brits would have to eradicate if this policy were allowed to become established, our forebears perpetrated some absolutely appalling behaviour and grew fat and wealthy on the proceeds. I have no intention of attempting to justify these misdemeanours or in some cases extreme criminality but they happened and they should be accurately recorded and seen as a lesson not to be repeated and to be learned from. Our history contributes to our character and plays a significant part in formulating our national identity and must be available to all in graphic accurate detail. The fact that a University received financial support from a gentleman whose behaviour was open to criticism if investigated with a modern eye is completely unimportant as it happened at a time when his actions were considered from a contemporary view point. Times change, but facts do not and never should, get used to it and appreciate that some good came out of evil. This trend is causing some Art galleries to reconsider the names of works of art, like black boy, given to them by the artist at the time the work was created, how ridiculous is that. The painting or sculpture has a name and if that name is causing offence then maybe there is some justification for not exhibiting it but there is none for giving it a name which people in the modern era find acceptable. No one has the right or talent to change the name of someone else's artistic endeavours and if that name is offensive then that reflects on the artist and nobody else.
We could be seeing the start of a phenomenon which will lead to the renaming of all sorts of things in all kinds of situations. There are some well known Lancashire towns that are at the forefront of a problem, the Council in Blackburn should be particularly worried as that name seems to refer to an activity that disposed off Joan of Arc and refers to a particular ethnic group. The seaside town of Blackpool has similar associations that might attract the attention of the campaign for re-naming. There are local land marks which will soon be attracting attention the well known pile affectionately titled White Nancy might face criticism, maybe we should just start calling it Nancy and avoid the problem. I guess you are probably thinking, this is ridiculous he has finally lost it, we better get someone else to write in the Mercury before he says something totally outrageous. Well you could be right but I bet there are sufficient of you out there who think this whole direction that part of our society is moving in is the ridiculous bit.
I recall a trip we took some years ago to Chicago and we hired a bike and a guide and set off cycling round the city to see all the sights, half way round I enquired could I see the scene of the St. Valentines massacre and where Al Capone used to hang out. Being a criminal lawyer at the time I had a morbid interest in the crimes of the century both British and international. My request was met with a stony silence from the guide who attempted, on being pressed, to explain that the guides do not include that period of Chicago's history on the itinerary as they had no desire to publicise the prohibition era or in fact mention it at all to visitors. This was a clear attempt to wipe out of History a whole sequence of events that were distasteful to modern eyes or were causing embarrassment, our American cousins obviously have the same problem we face, anything we don't like brush it under the carpet. I think I have made the point clearly enough, leave our history alone, learn from it and move on to the future.
I am pretty fed up with this ludicrous popular criticism that what people say is not PC, whatever that means, apparently not politically correct. Now whose politics are we to accept as the standard? should it be a Conservative approach or a Socialist view, should it be a liberal interpretation or an independent one? or is it absolutely nothing to do with politics at all. Who is deciding what is correct and what is not. Maybe there should be introduced a written standard that the public can access on the internet to ascertain what they can and can't say. I was told I could not write about this because it is not PC. I couldn't possibly agree with that because freedom of speech certainly is very Politically correct in the United Kingdom or is it? Mind you how would we find a right thinking member of the public to be editor of such a guide? maybe I should volunteer. I am not suggesting that we should be able to say anything we want as there are very sensible legal restrictions on various types of abuse and incitement but even those should be the subject of intelligent discussion if appropriate without somebody chirping up that it isn't PC. The problem with that sort of legislation, however, is that all it succeeds in doing is driving underground the prejudices not eradicating them. So the next time the self styled debate controllers come up with the pompous criticism that you are not being PC ignore it and carry on with the theme of your argument, unless of course if you are not being PC.
And another thing, why are we content for words to be hi-jacked by minorities? I enjoy being gay, it is a very happy frame of mind to be in and should be encouraged so that everybody is gay more often. When I am gay I am a much nicer person to be with than when I am miserable and introverted. In fact I think I will be gay all the time and I am sure that will be met with approval from all my loved ones, friends and people I come into contact with generally. Does that mean I have come out I wonder, there we go again using hi-jacked words to describe an activity that refers to nothing like a trip to the park , a walk on the Edge or a date. We should all decide for our New Years resolution to be gay and spread happiness and joy throughout the county to offset the doom and gloom that dominates the newspapers and the news programmes. We could promote a be gay February or March and organise functions to get people to come out and be gay, I look forward to receiving suggestions and we can set up a steering committee of committed gay people.
I think I will sign off now before I say something that is not PC and wish my reader a Happy New year and I hope you spend more time being gay this year than you did during 2015.
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