Sticks and Stones

The UK has an established Church yet a very secular populace, generally wary of morality being inflicted upon them by religious institutions. The USA, meanwhile, has a constitution which protects the sovereignty of the people through empowering them as individuals, yet religion serves as a strong political influence, especially concerning gay rights and abortion. It is a shame that two of the most enlightened democracies have got it so wrong in completely opposite ways.

If I want to do something which does not harm others, then why should I not have the right to do so? Morality is a very ambiguous entity; we all disagree and we reach a consensus only on the most basic of issues. We agree it is wrong to murder. We agree it is wrong to steal. Yet murder and theft constitute different things for different people.

If a liberal democracy seeks to promote moral individualism then it should do so completely on matters of personal choice with decisions that affect a personal sphere. If you find homosexuality abhorrent, then don’t be a practising homosexual. But don’t tell Scotty from down the road that he cannot because it has nothing to do with you! And the state most certainly should leave us all alone, to be who we are and do as we wish, within the obvious confines that liberalism naturally dictates.

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University. Once the preserve of the privileged. Collections of those with the most academic potential striving for excellence through the study of classic subjects. Under a New Labour Britain not any more.

It is most unfortunate that the government is on a mission to put 50% of all 18 year olds into university because in so doing some very important characteristics of university are lost. A degree no longer guarantees employment after education - new trendy subjects often are laughed upon by employers rendering them absolutely useless.

And with university tuition fees the poor individuals who find themselves with a worthless degree that cannot earn a decent job find themselves swamped in mountains of debt!

University should be for the most able individuals so that a degree is a valuable commodity once more.

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When at its best political correctness serves an important role. Converting terms synonymous with dirt, previously used to belittle people, into expressions of equality. From words that would conjure up images of slightly fat and sweaty balding men (eg Chairman) to more inclusive and justifiable terms (eg Chairperson).

But where do we draw the line?

Positive discrimination is surely patronising and equally negatively discriminating against the group who it doesn’t benefit. If people aren’t judged on their merit but on a quota system, where is the fairness? The process of achieving true equality is a slow one, and artificially boosting it and institutionalising it doesn’t speed this up. If anything it slows it down by breeding resentment towards those who it serves to benefit, as it is at the expense of another comfortable group in society.

Teachers being scared to give black marks for homework, and Christmas lights being called Winter lights are two examples of where this has surely gone too far. Who is that benefiting or protecting?

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