MAKING UP MY MIND ABOUT THE EU
I don't often consider myself to be a political person. To be even more honest, I didn't even think I cared. At school I was taught very little about politics. At home we had other things to talk about. I read a lot of newspapers and was aware of political affairs, but I tried to keep it all at arms reach. I didn't want to get involved. I didn't want to be a part of it. I just didn't want to know. I didn't care about educating myself about politics, because my little experience of it was enough to teach me that the political system, great as it can be, to me represented just one thing: disappointment. Although I'm so glad the UK has a democracy and free speech and a somewhat fair system, I think it's strayed too far from what it's supposed to be and represent. I don't see a parliament that is truly representative of the UK as it stands today. I don't see a well rounded, eclectic mix of people who can provide a voice on behalf of all the different, wonderful sub-groups that make up the UK. I don't see a parliament that listens to the people. I don't see a parliament that truly focuses on doing the best it can for the people. I don't see or hear about sensible, fair, conducive conversations about the things that matter most. I don't see a team of people respecting and listening to each other's views, and then working together as a team to figure out the best solutions to the problems, and trying to do what's best for the people of the country. Instead I see an institution that seeks to divide, provoke, belittle, shift the blame, argue. An institution that is built upon power, control, money, fear, scaremongering, media influence and dare I say it, oppression, instead of unity, peace, equality, compromise, respect, honesty, transparency, humanity. And that makes me very angry, sad and disheartened.
Whenever I dare step an apprehensive foot into the world of politics, I always find I have to take a step back out just as fast, because it stirs up so many emotions and opinions within me. And sure that's the whole idea of politics, to have an opinion, but I feel as though I have no way to express it. I know I'm not supposed to say this, but I feel like I'm powerless. Like I have no voice. Like what I say, think, believe doesn't even really matter at the end of the day. I disagree with most things government related at the moment, and think that there are definitely better ways to run this country, but just because I have a vote doesn't mean things will change. It doesn't feel like enough. It's like giving your opinion to someone who says and looks like they're listening, but as soon as you finish they talk right over you, loudly and proudly asserting their opinion as though it's the only one that matters. And so it's as if you never said anything at all. You might as well have said nothing. To me, that's how politics feels. So that's why I often choose to, and yes I suppose wrongly, turn a blind eye, focus on what little I can do to make this world a bit better, live my life in a way that makes me happy, practice what I personally believe is a good way to behave as a human being, direct my energies and opinions into things I can make a difference too.
All of this personal feeling, opinion, belief, is exactly why I was initially very dismissive and annoyed and uninterested, when it was announced that there would be an EU referendum on June 23rd. I just did not care. All I knew about the EU was that it united the countries in Europe together, it was a sticker some people had on the back of their cars when we went on holiday, there's a separate queue to go through at the airport, and the talks are held in Brussels. Evidently, I didn't know much at all, and I certainly didn't get what the big deal was about. I didn't even understand why it mattered so much. To me, it was a chance for the media to have something to talk about for months on end. Another way for the government to make the nation feel as though change could happen, only for things to continue on exactly the same. Another thing for people to disagree and fall out about. So as I said, my interest was non-existent. A few months ago, my friend who is very politically active, asked me if I was going to vote and I essentially said no. I didn't even check I was registered to vote. The only reason I have the chance to vote now (and I'm glad I do, but more on that in a mo!), is because I signed up to vote in last year's General Election. And the only reason I signed up to that, was because I felt I had to do it out of respect for the Suffragettes, who worked so hard to ensure all women had the right to vote.
As the referendum got closer, and I found out I was actually registered to vote, I began to notice everyone posting on social media about the EU referendum. All these people giving out reminders to sign up to ensure your right to vote. It made me realise that people really cared about this. I saw some of my favourite well known personalities talking about their opinions, and lots of people posting that picture 'I wanna be inside EU'. It started to make me think more about the subject, and sometimes I found myself asking friends and family what they thought about it all, and it seemed more meaningful to hear their opinions over anyone else's. I'm not in any way saying that the opinion's of those in the public eye aren't just as valid, but to hear the voices of people who make up the majority of the typical UK population was something I could relate to more. But I still found that I didn't really have an opinion for myself. So I just assumed I would vote to stay, partly because I thought the term 'brexit' sounded stupid, and for some reason reminded me of the word 'weetabix' (silly, I know), and partly because I didn't see why things shouldn't carry on the same.
It's only in recent months that I've happened to read more articles and hear more opinions, and my eyes have been opened massively. I've learnt a lot more about how the UK is run, the EU, the state of politics, the important global issues, and how the EU links to all of these things. It makes me wish this kind of information was taught to everyone at secondary school, so that you don't leave feeling absolutely clueless about how the country you live in operates and is run. Maybe it's a deliberate oppressive tactic, maybe it's not, but I think there should definitely be greater political education in schools, and general education about how to participate in society. I think it would make a big, positive difference. I know it certainly would have helped me. The more I've learnt, the more I've come to understand just how important this decision to stay in or leave the EU really is. And unlike the general or local elections, this feels like a vote that matters. A vote that has the power to really make a difference. It's evidenced by the surge in public participation and expression. This is something that really matters to people in the UK, and it appears to have been a long time coming too. To see so many people engaging in politics, is actually rather endearing because it perfectly reflects the attitudes most people in the UK have. It shows how the public have grown tired of the current political system and state, but that doesn't mean they've lost their opinions and voices and desire to create change. That complacency is out of despair and frustration, and it masks a burning wealth of opinion and feeling.
The EU referendum is giving people a chance to finally air their views and speak out, which is why there's so much tension. These opinions and feelings have been suppressed and even neglected, for quite some time. The lead up to the referendum has given people a chance to express them, and it's quite astonishing to see the seismic effect it's had. You can't help but wonder if the government ever predicted this happening, particularly with so many people wanting to leave the EU, some surprisingly being MP's themselves, and I think it's been important in getting the government and media to actually listen to the public. Things aren't right and people want change. And when it comes to the EU referendum, it is ultimately the public's decision, and it is something that no matter how hard they try, the government, the media, the big bosses, the top 1% of society, can't control. They can write letters, make TV programmes, run campaigns, travel the country, post on social media, publicise their plight, introduce subtle bias into the public channels, try to turn people against each other, plead and beg and scaremonger all they like, but it won't make a difference. This time, we the public, have the choice. The power, as Paddy McGuiness would say on Take Me Out, is finally in our hands.
I once read somewhere that the people of a country don't realise just how much power they have, and it's this lack of realisation that those in control and power feed on and encourage. People need to feel a degree of helplessness, fear and uncertainty in order for other people to then be able to exert their control and influence over them. It's rather spectacular and amazing to see what can happen when the people actually clock on to this, and realise that they have a voice, that they can make a difference and ultimately, they are the ones with the final say. And it's amazing what happens when people realise that they are finally being listened to. I don't think politics has even been as important or more alive than it is right now. Just the fact that people are engaging is brilliant, and although the outcome is where the focus lies, perhaps it should instead focus on, and celebrate, what's happening right now up and down the country and across the world. People speaking up and listening to one another, together creating a true democracy. This is what it's all about. This is what it should be about.
As for making that all-important decision, as previously mentioned, I'm really glad I have my vote because in time I have come to realise that I too care about all these important issues, and just like everyone else, I have my opinions. And it's rather liberating to know that my vote gives me the right to express them. I'm glad that I get a say, just as I'm glad that everybody else does too. This is one occasion where I'm very relieved that I didn't just sit out, sit back and bury my head in the sand. However that being said, making my decision, now that I've been better educated, is actually proving to be a lot harder than I expected. For me, I want to base my decision not on all the facts and figures, but instead on a humane perspective, because that's what I believe is most important. Initially I was remain, because I thought the EU was a good thing, then this last week I was leave, because I was getting very frustrated with the state of the everything in general, and what I wanted most of all was change. I wanted to mix things up, otherwise things will just carry on being exactly the same. It's time for the people to exert their power and ability to influence and create change. However I recently got back from a trip to Prague, and it made me realise not only how fantastic and beautiful and great Europe is, and how lovely it is to have that peaceful and accepting integration of nationalities and cultures, but also how important the UK is to people in other countries, and how important all our fellow countries are to us too.
One of the things I love about the UK, is it's a complete and utter melting pot. It's representative of everyone you could ever hope to find in this world, and one of the only countries in the world where there is, for the most part, unity and diversity and harmony across all possible variations of human life. Even though the integration is not perfect, and naturally there's some tension, as a whole, I believe that the UK is an example to the rest of the world of how lots of different types of people can live together as one. However understandably, there's some tension amongst the British people regarding this, because with the addition of all this diversity, we struggle to maintain our own unique culture, identity and heritage. It feels like it gets lost somewhere along the way, and when we see all these other countries with their strong indivdualism and cultural markers, we long for that identification too. We want the people who come here to respect our cultures and traditions, however the problem is even we aren't really sure what out cultural markers are. What does it mean to be British nowadays? Even if there wasn't all this immigration, the Britain we're raised to identify with from a young age, doesn't even really exist anymore. Who we are as British people is a mixture of all these different cultures and influences. Many of the cultural markers passed down to us aren't that applicable or relevant, and many are outdated. It all seems like a whimsical, nostalgic, sometimes desperate clinging onto times that have long gone by, because if we let go of it all, what do we have then?
Sure the Britain of times gone by was great in its own way, but I think we have the tendency to remember it through rose tinted lenses. We forget that there was a lot of racism, homophobia, sexism, extreme poverty and inequality. We forget that Britain was a country dominated by religion. We forget that Britain used to be a bit too big for its boots, and was focused on dominating rather than co-existing with its fellow countries. We forget about the rigorously reinforced social hierarchies, the lack of education, the narrow mindedness which can only happen when your world only extends so far, the expectation to be prim and proper and well spoken and seen but not heard. Britain was great, but it was also very flawed, and now that I think about, the more I realise that the making of Britain has actually been due to the very immigration that people so vehemently protest now. We want to blame the immigrants for our loss of identity, and sure, when the EU was formed and the immigration really came into force, our whole national identity did come into question and start changing. But I think it's important we really stop to think and question if that change was a good one or a bad one.
Because the Britain of today is thriving, modern, innovative, eclectic, diverse, a cultural capital of the world. It is a country that is classic and timeless, proud and celebratory of its roots, but it is also a country that is all about innovation, leadership, development. All across the nation are markers of a country that is actually very sure of itself. Of a country that is pioneering the new and celebrating the old. Of a country that in spite of what many believe, is actually thriving off the diversity it has learnt to support, accept and nourish. A country made up of people who ultimately have good hearts and good intentions. A country that is consequently raising generations that are accepting, understanding and celebrating diversity, because it surrounds them wherever they go.The British people were and are prime for soaking up all these different cultures and influences. Our cultural identity may be weaker in our homeland, but we forget how prevalent and strong it is in countries all around the world. It also means we're more open and accepting to all these different variations of people, meaning we have a stronger collective identity. And because people as a whole are fabulous in their own different ways, as a nation we often don't realise how massively we've benefited from having this amazing, diverse, eclectic mix of people contributing their unique experiences, voices, skills, abilities to our country. We long for the Britain we used to know, or the Britain we hear about from the older generations, but if immigration hadn't happened, and that old Britain still prevailed, I don't think it would be so Great anymore. Although the British people can at times feel under threat, we forget to realise how well we're doing at being this one very important thing: humane. And I don't know about you, but as nice as it sounds on paper, I'm incredibly appreciative that I get to live in the UK as it is today. I'm glad things changed.
Many people are reluctant to admit it, but immigration and I guess our EU membership, has actually been the making of Britain. It is what makes us deserving of that Great. There is nowhere in the world like us. I just think we need to start realising that, as do I think we need to start integrating and respecting the diversity we have better, and provide people with more opportunities to learn about it, because it's the uncertainty and unknown that creates all that horrible, messy polarisation. We're already Great, but there's so many things we can do to make us even better. So as I come to the end of this rather long winded post (congrats if you made it this far), I can't honestly say that I've 100% made up my mind, but I think I've begun to figure out what's actually important to me, and where I want my beloved little UK to go next. And come Thursday, I'll be doing my bit for politics and my country and using my vote, and this time round, I'll be doing it with pride.
