I am currently sat listening to the memorial service for the soldiers who have died in the fighting in Iraq and I have to say I am finding it very poignant and thought provoking. These men and women gave up their lives; for what I am not sure! What would I have given up? My comfortable life; no way!
To fight to protect ones homes and families is one thing, to fight other peoples battles, I don’t think so!
Over the years I have switched off in the main to a war that I was against and protested against in London with 100’s of 1000s maybe millions of others!! I have just closed my eyes since that day pretended it isn’t happening.
Our family is not unfamiliar with war My grandfather and uncles fought in both world wars (I believe) for it was never talked about! My father drove a fire engine, when he finished baking for the day, he was unable to sign up due to poor health. And my Mother was presented with a certificate for her war efforts.
My life has been incredibly comfortable and sheltered, but I do worry that it wont be the same for future generations. In some ways I think we have had the good years, if not war, we have many challenges ahead ….. but we shall see?
I hate to gripe when I have a lovely life, but the one thing I really miss is talking with people. We have met some wonderful people out here but I have to admit that I can only communicate fully with about 20% of them, in a limited way with another 20% and then I only meet with these people at most once or twice a week! KC excluded of course!
The rest well I probably understand 10% of what they say if I am lucky! So I am dependent on the Internet and pestering my children when they are getting on with their own lives!
Its not that I don’t try to speak a little creole, but I just don’t ‘hear’ what people say to me, how do you gain this skill, everyone says it will come with time! I hope so………
Is life ever really fair? And is there the political will to do anything about it?
“It is a thought echoed by the Child Poverty Action Group which recently said that “the combination of a major recession,… the challenges of climate change and a new political wind from the US show that the time is right for change”.
What were once political and economic certainties are now being revisited and charities believe there is an opportunity to reshape the debate about the role of the state in focusing on inequality and poverty for the long-term.
As an article in the Economist newspaper put it just the other day, there is “a sense that the greedy rich have cheated decent working people of their rightful share of the pie”
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/)
Big Issues but are there any Big answers?
Two apologies; that the link doesn’t work and the poitical content, but just sometimes……
A couple of articles have caught my attention this week, on an issue we were talking about when I was a teenager! But somehow human rights seem to have got in the way!! I find I have to agree with David Attenborough on this one, we need to do something or else…….
