Well, issue 2 of Shorelines is out, which includes two articles written by yours truly, seeing my name in print makes me feel like a bona fide writer. Now, I'll forewarn you, todays post isn't a recipe, however, it is about a fellow food blogger and writer so I feel it's a relevant post for this blog.
Jack Monroe, food writer and blogger, who describes herself as a lefty, liberal, lezzer (lesbian) has caused uproar, contributing to a thread on a site called 'cameronmustgo' she wrote: 'Because he uses stories about his dead son as misty eyed rhetoric to legitimise selling our NHS to his friends.'
Cameron's son Ivan passed away aged six and his little life had been a case of round-the -clock care, medication, hospitalisation and everything that goes with complex and severe disabilities. Having worked with children with special needs and their wonderful, brave, tirelessly loving families, I thought her remark was callous and cruel.
I have no political agenda here, personally I don't particularly like Cameron or care much for Monroe, however, what shocks me is that where politics are involved nothing is out of bounds, even the death of a disabled child.
Lets look at Monroe for a moment, born Melissa Monroe, she had a middle class upbringing, was educated at a grammar school, worked for the fire and rescue service, had a child in her early 20s, became a single mother after realising she was attracted to women, gave up her job, claimed benefits and started writing a food poverty blog.
Monroe's blog, A Girl Called Jack, was her story about a single mother, living on the breadline, some of her posts were quite harrowing: 'Poverty is that sinking feeling when your small boy finishes his one weetabix with water and says "more, mummy?"
Nevertheless, it has to be argued that given her educated, middle class background, should Monroe have had a child without first being emotionally and financially stable? In the current climate of political correctness, daring to suggest Monroe could have taken more responsibility would be to tread on her self appointed morally superior toes and cause outrage amongst her comrades.
And that's the thing here, the very people who proclaim they are compassionate seem to only extend that compassion on their own political terms. Monroe, it has to be said, used a lot of 'misty eyed rhetoric' regarding her own situation and her timing was right. Monroe ticked all the boxes, she was a single mum standing up to politicians, hero of the hungry and downtrodden and gay to boot. That her circumstances could arguably have been avoided and that her stance was slightly patronising, given many people are born into poverty, was neither here nor there.
And so, with the pen mightier than the sword, Monroe has struck a vile blow to (regardless of their politics) grieving parents, I can only imagine the furore had the circumstances been reversed!
But it would seem these tribal activists are hell bent on sneering at and mocking anyone who doesn't fit their political criteria. Mrs Thornberry, former shadow attorney general, only last week sent a sneering tweet regarding a Rochester voter, a working father and house owner who had a white van and a England flag outside his house. Her tweet showed utter contempt for ordinary working class citizens, the very people she claimed to represent. Meanwhile Thornberry lives in a £3 millon home and is completely out of touch with working class, ordinary people contributing towards her 'expenses.'
Writers have the moral lexicon quite often of where things go wrong. I am small fry compared with Monroe but like her I have voiced my opinions regarding the things I feel passionate about. But to personalise politics against people who are genuinely suffering takes politics to an inhumane level, the very antithesis of everything Monroe represents and has built her successful career upon!
In an article in the Guardian, whom Monroe writes for, it said: 'Life has changed beyond recognition for Monroe.' I'm pleased that she has overcome her difficulties and is now living with her girlfriend in a nice London pad, appearing on TV and gaining contracts with The Guardian and Sainsburys. I do hope that she shows more compassion in the future towards other peoples hardships and sorrows, whatever their political leanings!
'What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.'
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Love Donna xxxxxx
No comments:
Post a Comment