Sunday 3rd September

I am constantly amazed at the viciousness, the bile, the sheer nastiness of people.  Especially, but not exclusively, on the internet.  It is as if the internet gives you immunity, no-one can see you, no way of identifying, of pointing you out in the crowd.  I am sure that face to face these people wouldn’t dare use such language. A couple of days ago someone wrote that they had had an altercation with a woman with green hair, it was slightly amusing and more bemused than angry.  But the comments this attracted were just plain nasty.  “I would have called her a …..”, “the stupid…..” etc.  And mind you, these commentators had never seen the incident, never met the woman, maybe had never actually met the original blogger – but they sure as hell hated this woman.

Now, as you know I am quite Political, and have never hidden my views, but I keep getting posts on Facebook describing Theresa May as “Evil Bitch” or Tory M.P.s as “Fookin Bastards”.  Where does this hatred come from?  I do not like Mrs. May’s Politics.  I think she is making a bad situation over Brexit even worse, I think she has an awful manner and appears unsympathetic, even when she is trying to be the opposite.  But….I do not hate her.  I don’t think she is evil, or is deliberately trying to hurt the poor or disabled.  I understand exactly where she and her Policies are coming from, I can follow but do not agree with the logic.  And I don’t think those policies will work, they will only make things worse.  But I don’t think it helps in any way to call her names.  In fact, it simply points up one’s own ignorance.  Politics is already pretty disrespected, and this megaphone dialogue doesn’t help.  Also, we should understand that Mrs. May and in fact all the Politicians are doing what they consider their best.  They are only human.  They are the same as you and I.  And, we have all been in discussions when we hear “Why don’t they simply…”.  Well, there are no simple solutions.  It must be incredibly hard to get things right in Politics, almost every policy will result in unintended consequences and need constant revision and correction.

So, where does all this vile denigration come from.  It is I am afraid, a complete lack of consideration for others.  We see it every day, people who bully to get their own way, who assume they are more important than others.  In fact, people who don’t consider others at all in their actions.  It is a selfishness that doesn’t even consider others worthy of existing.

So, please stop it.  Amend your language.  Criticise by all means; put your arguments strongly, but do not revert to sexist or abusive language about people you do not agree with, or even know.  This is one of the lessons which Jeremy Corbyn has tried to change Politics with (with not much success I must admit).   Have a little consideration for other.  It really isn’t that hard to do.