Yesterday as we began our zoom Italian conversation class, one of our group was spluttering with indignation about Donald Trump having just had a victory with the Supreme Court ruling that states cannot ban him from the ballot, and that only Congress can decide who is allowed to stand for election. Our conversation was in danger of becoming seriously political. It’s not that we only ever talk about trivial stuff. Historical political stuff is fine but we try not to delve too deeply into contemporary issues in the interests of ensuring that everyone gets along. Maybe that seems a little shallow, but we’re a haphazard grouping of people and have so far resisted finding out if any of us are raving extremists of one kind or another. A common interest in Italian language and culture doesn’t make us all the same kind of political animal.
Thinking of political animals, here’s a link to the estimable Caroline Lucas having a little rant about Rishi Sunak and what she describes as the “shameless, dangerous speech” he made the other day about the dangers of letting extremists take over demonstrations, if not whole swathes of the country. She says “what Britain got was a masterclass in gaslighting. Sunak’s performance made a new art form of rank hypocrisy, as he pretended not to know that the very extremism he criticised was being actively driven by his party and peddled in his speech.”
At the end of the article we are informed that Caroline Lucas is the MP for Brighton Pavilion, which made me do a little double-take. Why does the Royal Pavilion (Grade 1 listed former royal residence located in Brighton, England. Beginning in 1787, it was built in three stages as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, who became the Prince Regent in 1811, and KingGeorge IV in 1820) merit an MP all of its own? It may well be a large building but hardly a constituency! Of course not! The constituency of that name is made up of the City of Brighton wards of Hanover and Elm Grove, Hollingdean and Stanmer (called Hollingbury and Stanmer before 2011), Patcham, Preston Park, Regency, St Peter's and North Laine, and Withdean.
This is the sort of nonsense that goes through my head.
Caroline Lucas is a good person and does well to rant about the odd things going on in the world.
Here is another odd thing going on (information courtesy of my German friend):
“GERMANY: BERLIN SCHOOLS ASKED TO DISTRIBUTE LEAFLET DESCRIBING THEN1948 NAKBA AS A ‘MYTH’
The brochure, aimed at high school students in Berlin’s Neukölln borough also claims that criticism of illegal Israeli settlements is antisemitic.”
Oh, boy!
Watching reports of events in Gaza, hearing about small babies dying before they have even really had time to be established as people, I found myself wondering, amazed, at he heartache those mothers must be going through. Back when life in Gaza was difficult, restricted but still relatively normal there must have been joy within families at the prospect of a new child. And then the women have had to give birth in impossible situations, knowing that the chances of their small miracle surviving into childhood let alone adulthood are slim indeed!
Then his morning I read this article, looking at a problem that had not occurred to me, although it should have done if I’m any kind of feminist. Women, young and not so young, in Gaza continue to have periods. And they can’t nip to the local supermarket or chemists for sanitary products. In particular I can’t imagine the horror of being a young girl, at the age when just talking about periods is embarrassing, having to try desperately to find sanitary products and, even if she is lucky enough to locate them, living in overcrowded conditions with shared toilets. Another nightmare to deal with.
While I’m ranting about unfairness, how about this in our own country:
“139,000 children in England are without a home.
Six people to one room. Families sharing beds. Sharing a kitchen with strangers. Doors with broken locks. No safety or security.
This is not a home, but it’s a reality for thousands of families in emergency temporary accommodation.
It's traumatising children and damaging their health.”
The world has gone seriously mad. However …
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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