Wednesday, February 15, 2017

The real meaning of patriotism.

Time for the fightback; What are British values? To care for those less able and less well off than you, to accept other peoples, to respect our neighbours at home and abroad and to offer assistance to those in need. To be honest and fair, not to lie or be boastful or nationalistic, to have a fair and open government that rules for the good of the people and with the tacit permission of the people. We don't hate, we are inherently a generous practical people who sometimes naively have shared our values and ideals with others in the hope that by example(and in the past through coercion, thankfully the past) others will follow. We have been free for a thousand years, we have not suffered slavery or oppression during that time, we have suffered but we were not owned and those inflicting great suffering did so in isolation and were soon stopped. We began the industrial Revolution, we began with labour laws that are today the norm. We have a proud history mostly but not completely guilt free. The time for hate has passed, the turmoil that is coming will teach us that hate only leads to sorrow, ask our neighbours, they have already been there.
After the dust has settled there is only one way forward and that is tolerance, respect, peace, love and cooperation with each other and the world regardless of colour or creed or anything else as long as we get the same respect back. The way to defeat hate is to lead by example, to shun those that espouse violence, hate and intolerance, not only from outside but also from within. Today, this year is not the end of the 'liberal' story, it is a lesson of what happens when you turn away from humanity and human values, there is only an empty shell remaining, an empty scary world for our children and grandchildren, but we are better than that, we are stronger than that. Forward we will march as a nation and as a planet. That is patriotism, the desire for a loving encompassing society and world.