More of the betweens
Between the video games and the porn,
The addictions and the take-aways,
The teenage proms and the Boy Bands,
Is a core of invention and expertise.
Between religious fanaticism,
Victimisation and discrimination,
The hatred and the skinhead vitriol,
Lies a caring altruism
That provides
Refuge from whatever storm.
There is something to be proud of
Something to be proud of.
Opher 11.12.2015
More of the betweens
I spent a while thinking about the plastic culture we live in. It is so superficial, so crass and so manipulative. We are being shoe-horned into a niche as consumers of trash.
The media stirs up hatred and guides our tastes. It focusses on royalty and celebrity as if there were no real issues.
Within a minority there is an underlying dislike of foreigners and those who are different that flares up into violence.
Yet behind the façade of mediocrity there is a British spirit that welcomed refugees from war and persecution and lent a helping hand. The Huguenots, Jews, West Indians, Pakistanis, Indians and now the Syrians were all included. And Britain is the stronger for it.
We are a race of mongrels. Our culture and our spirit know no colour, creed or religion. It goes beyond all that. It is the indomitable spirit of freedom and justice.
That is a cause men and women have fought for through the centuries. It runs molten in our blood wherever that blood originated. That compassion is what I hold to my heart.