Happy Christmas - and a Christmas thought
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2015-12-24 14:29:55 - Graham EllisA peaceful and happy Christmas to everyone. That's not just a wish to people who celebrate Christmas, but also to those who don't, and indeed those who have different religious backgrounds that see nothing special in Christmas. And that's not just a wish for a peaceful and happy 25th December, but for 26th, 27th, ... and all future dates too.
My Facebook feed brings up occasional 'isolation' posts. Posts which encourage discrimination against those who don't share the beliefs of the poster. I abhor such views - but I celebrate the ability we give people to express their views, and I continue to count a small handful of such posters amongst my friends and contacts. For me to blacklist or 'unfriend' them would be for me to lower myself to be dicriminating in just the same way that they are doing. And, yes, I can understand their fear of the unknown - but closing your eyes and shutting the door to it ain't the way to overcome that fear.
We have taken 1,000 refugees into this country from Syria so far - and we've committed to take in 20,000. A big number? No - it's a pittance. In five years, that's not enough to fill the football ground at even a middle ranking club such as Wolverhampton Wandrers (Molinueux, 31,700). We should be ashamed of our minimal response - a million refugees have arrived in Europe this year; the population of Europe is around 500 million so Great Britain, on a equality basis, should be looking after some 125,000 already. That's about a dozen families in Melksham. I think we could have done it. I think we should have done it. And, yes, I would help to do it. Next year too.