2024-06-01
Well, "flaming June" is upon us, and not a moment too soon if you ask me.
Whilst July usually marks the summer temperature zenith, June is the month that traditionally opens the doors of summer (unless May gets its retribution in first). May did manage to squeeze a couple of hot days out in our neck of the Kingdom, but its heart wasn't really in it.
And that does kind of sum up Martin Geddes' review of the state of the Kingdom as he sees it, not from the viewpoint of the weather, but from the viewpoint of the streets.
So I feel compelled to offer another perspective that may lighten the gloom of a society of many parts, not all of which may be seen to talk to each other. Not talking to each other is in fact a traditional trait of the British, who in many ways are more reserved than other nationalities ethnic groups.
Now that may be OK when we are all of the same ethnic origin, because then we understand that we share a common background and a common notion of society, but that doesn't necessarily hold when we are clearly of differing ethnic origins. When our cities team with multiple diverse origins, if we don't talk to each other then it is easy for misconceptions and fears to arise, without being either countered or confirmed by personal interaction.
So what do we need to do to get along in the future?
I suggest that we need the traditional British attitude of "live and let live", tolerance of others' differing social habits, equality under impartial law, and a determined spirit of mutual cooperation; all in recognition of the very obvious truth that we are vastly more productive and friendly when we work together for the common good, but hugely destructive when we work against each other's interests.
In fact I suspect that there is nothing particularly British in any of this, these principles are equally applicable to all races and ethic origins, and all religions that respect the freedom of the individual to live his/her own life as best he/she sees fit.
Oh, and it would help if we could talk to each other a bit more ...
We are all one, but perhaps we don't fully realise it yet.
