Friday 29 June 2012

Its Republicans who are grown up.

DET has waded in to the controvosoy over Bethan Jenkins alleged Twitter faux pas.

Speaking on BBC Wales' CF99 programme, former assembly presiding officer Lord Elis-Thomas said:
 "I'm not going to mention anyone specifically, but I think it's about time that we all grow up in our politics, and I think it's time for Welsh republicans to be at least as polite and sensible politically as Sinn Fein republicans.
"It's a very strange situation when Sinn Fein's policy on the unity of Ireland, and how that may happen, and their policy on the monarchy appears more reasonable than the attitude of some people in the nationalist movement in Wales."
But what attitude should Nationlist take? The problem is (as DET knows) that for those of us who find the very idea of a hereditary head of State  incredulous and even more so if it is claimed to be there by the will of God we have little chance to express it..


What can you do? 


You can't express it in the Westminster Parliaments.
You apparently can't express it by refusing  an invitation to attend a service in Cardiff to mark the start of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee tour of Wales
If you protest in a manner that you would against any undemocratic institution . You will be either ignored ny the media ,or criticized and ridiculed .
If you are one of the 20% of the UK population who are opposed th the monarchy and especially if you are a politician.Unless you speak out your silence or your "politeness" in meeting the Queen when seemingly required  is seen as given Tacit support for the monarchy.


The whole of the mass media hardly ever questions whether we need a Monarchy or not. Or indeed if we should have an elected Head of State despite a substantial percentage of the population believing so. And if you make the slightest stand  you are vilified or at the least misrepresented.


What kind of democracy is it that leads Politicians to ignore their beliefs and kowtow to the House of Windsor for fear of being vilified by the UK media and misrepresented by opposition Parties some of whom have equally committed republiocans among them).


This does not mean that anyone who is in a place of Public authority who is a Republican should not meet the Queen and shake her hand .


But it does mean that they should not be seen as celebrating that Institution and their politeness seen as support for it.


Why you may ask is a Politician refusing to take part in the pomp and ceremony designed to enhance a system they are seen as infantile posturing whilst those bowing and scraping seen as grown up.

If Bethan Jenkins is "a pointless gesture politician whose immaturity  is bad for the party and makes her and her leader look unready for any kind of office. as one  Annonymous comentator made on my previous post on this (Here). Does this not equally apply to the likes of DET.

1 comment:

maen_tramgwydd said...

Good comment, Glyn.