Being a good citizen is not the same thing as being a subject of Her Majesty the Queen. Although I have great sympathy with the former, I am not happy being a subject of anyone, however pleasant, by accident of birth.
Today Lord Goldsmith, undoubtedly of the great and good category, came forth with the finding that our kids should, on graduating senior school, pledge allegiance to the Queen. I don't think anyone should.
When I was a child I was happy to stand up whilst our national anthem dirge was played at the end of every night's cinema shows, or elsewhere, at any event of note. Now I would prefer for us to have Land of Hope and Glory as our national anthem, which is both a better tune and more of what I, and many others support. Our country, for which we have much love and pride, but not our Royal Family, for whom I have no wish to tug on my forelock.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The Missing Kids
There is a scandal in the UK that is rarely discussed. Every year a large number of our British Asian teenagers are vanishing from our schools. I know how well we keep track of our kids in this country having been a teacher and taken care of attendance registers. Our schools and colleges follow up when someone is missing. They want to know where the missing kids are.
It has never been much of a secret actually. The mystery is why doesn't the Government act? These British kids of Asian origin are being promised in marriage to others in the lands of their forefathers. In practical terms this means that girls, as young as 10 are being pledged in marriage to boys in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan.
If these girls argue there is clear evidence of their being smuggled out of this country, against their will, and forced into marriage. There can be terrible punishment if they continue to resist, including torture and murder.
We have, for too long, and at a grave cost, allowed such forced marriages under the bland and all encompassing label of cultural difference within a multicultural society. We can no longer tolerate this happening to our young and vulnerable British citizens of whatever origin.
This disgusting, primitive and misogynistic practice has to be made public and must be immediately stopped, now!
It has never been much of a secret actually. The mystery is why doesn't the Government act? These British kids of Asian origin are being promised in marriage to others in the lands of their forefathers. In practical terms this means that girls, as young as 10 are being pledged in marriage to boys in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan.
If these girls argue there is clear evidence of their being smuggled out of this country, against their will, and forced into marriage. There can be terrible punishment if they continue to resist, including torture and murder.
We have, for too long, and at a grave cost, allowed such forced marriages under the bland and all encompassing label of cultural difference within a multicultural society. We can no longer tolerate this happening to our young and vulnerable British citizens of whatever origin.
This disgusting, primitive and misogynistic practice has to be made public and must be immediately stopped, now!
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