Tuesday, 22 March 2011

Inspiration amongst the madness.

I have to start with one of the most inspirational things I have ever seen in team Hoyt.
http://www.teamhoyt.com/  I don't think there is any need for an explanation. I cry every time I see it. It's not that it is not impossible or unbelievable because it isn't.
It is incredible because of that level of commitment and love, and that a lot of parents find it unusual, whereas to me it should be the sort of thing ANY parent would willingly do for their precious children. I sometimes wonder why this planet does not value its most precious "commodity" enough, but will kill for oil or gold!

Lately I find myself becoming more politicised, and "involved" in what is happening around me, whether it is local issues related to where I live or where I work, or national issues in politics or simple fair play, or international issues like my recent interest in 9/11.
Perhaps it is an age thing? Perhaps it is being a parent? I have always enjoyed political debate more and more as I have aged an enjoy a good shout at the goons on "Question Time" on a Thursday night, and a reflection on the week watching "This Week" afterwards.

The other night I watched the second part of a programme for Comic Relief, in tears, as Lenny Henry and three other "celebs" lived and worked in the slums of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya. Such dignity from the inhabitants on the same day that news reported that the worlds richest man had increased his wealth by 38% to £75 billion. That's 75,000,000,000.
It's not the worlds richests' fault of course, but there is an obscenity of that amount of wealth whilst more than one million people are crammed into an area measuring no more than 1.5 square miles, with no sanitation, power or running water. Part one is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00z6dnn 
Part two is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00zfxm0/Comic_Relief_2011_Famous_Rich_and_in_the_Slums_Part_2/
It seems beyond the will of major governments to eliminate such poverty such inhumanity, even though they COULD eliminate it within a few years, but they don't, and knowing the reasons why they don't is the tragic and angering thing for me.

Recently, there was the huge earthquake and tsunami has hit Japan and it may be one of the biggest disasters to hit the world for a while, but natural disasters seem to be more prevalent these days...........hmmmm the Bible says that these things are a sign of the beginning of the end of days.

I have watched and listened too as Chris Moyles and Dave Vitty completed the longest radio show at 52 hours non stop and raised £2.6m, and Callum and I watched Comic Relief as I think he needs to see something that important for his understanding of such things going on in his world, and also to teach him some value, some humility, some gratefulness and respect for what he has, as well as compassion and understanding of what others do not have.
Incredibly moving scenes, incredibly funny people and incredibly great fund-raising.

Now the spectre of war is with us again. Once again our government sees fit to interfere with another countries affairs. Yes Gaddafi is a monster, but so is Mugabe. Yes its awful that Libyan civilians are killed by their own people, but it was awful in Rwanda. What the backbone-less UN decided is plain wrong. A no-fly zone was never going to achieve anything and was never as simple as stopping the Libyan air force.
The US and UK and France et al know damned well that the only way to end it will be to get rid of Gaddafi and the only way to do that will be with troops on the ground. If Gaddafi is not removed then all those countries arranged against him will be targets for him and his followers across the world. This is the man that arranged Lockerbie, and was arming and funding the IRA.......

Give me team Hoyt over team Cameron any day. But in the end it is all so insignificant as Professor Brian Cox tells us on a Sunday night.









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