Now for the Hard Work

President Elect Joe Bidden

I've just heard the news that Joe Bidden is the USA President Elect, whether you think this good news or bad news will of course depend on who you were supporting, however, I strongly suspect that if you are reading my Blog you will have been rooting for Bidden. I was very pleased to hear him making all the right noises about reconciliation, governing for the whole of the Country, and re-engaging with other Nations. If he can carry this off then that will be great.

But was Trump a cause, or a symptom? There is so much antipathy around the World, so much strife within countries, my own is no exception. We have still to negotiate Brexit, even our own governing party appears to be fundamentally split on how to manage the pandemic, who to support? how? and how much to lock down. Of course we have always expected differences, what seems to have changed is the vituperation expended on opponents ~ I was so pleased to hear Joe Bidden say "they are our opponents, not out enemies" we could do with a lot more of that!

Of course I have my own areas of interest, I have lost a couple of big fights, and I expect that I will lose some others as well, in general I try to understand my opponents point of view, and once I have lost I will try to work with them for the best possible outcome. Brexit is an example I will not ostracise my Brother because he voted the other way to me. I, and the parties I support accept that that battle is lost, we now need to work to ensure that our fears are not realised ~ human rights, worker rights, freedom of movement for both people and trade, and of course the peace of Northern Ireland.

There is another issue that has raised it's very ugly head over the last few years, this one I find it harder to reconcile myself with, or indeed to understand my opponents point of view;- I mean transphobia and homophobia. We thought this war had been fought and won, but there has been a back lash, a back lash that becomes quite personal when it your own very right to be yourself that is being challenged; when it is your own personal rights to live life honestly and to the full that is under fire; when it is your own fundamental rights to life, a family life, freedom of expression, and if you happen to be American the pursuit of happiness! I hope and pray that with this election, the Brexit Referendum, we can put these passionate divisions behind us and once again work collectively to promote the rights and welfare of all citizens, here in the UK, in the USA and around the World.

As we approach the International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), the day when we commemorate the hundreds of trans people that we know of who are murdered simply because they are transgender, let us remember that it is nice middle class presentable people like those nice young people pictured above who encourage this violence, it is they who are bent on creating a society that will force people to lie simply to protect themselves, to be subject to oppression, violence and s even death!