COVID-19 and BlackLivesMatter are Just Two of our Problems

The Winter of Discontent moves into Summer 2020

Sunday 14th June 2020  The Daily Echo reported:-

TWO more Hampshire patients have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

The number of patients who have died in Hampshire hospitals with Covid-19 is now at 598.

University of Southampton NHS Trust has seen 191 deaths in total.

While the number of those who have died at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has remained at 229 deaths.

Solent NHS Trust has had two recorded deaths and Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust has had 17.

A total of 159 people who had the virus have died at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, a rise of two since yesterday. Every death is still a death too many, especially the total number is fast reaching 45,000.

The BlackLivesMatter demonstration on Sunday 7th June in Bristol was worrying, where thousands of people congregated disregarding social distancing rule, which was put in place for our safety so we could avoid being infected and impact on the NHS.  But my sympathy was with some, who believe they suffered discrimination because of the colour of their skin, so I tweeted:  "Of course Black Lives Matter, but so do White or yellow and Britain's historical past. If you choose to live in this democracy you need to put in equal efforts and hard work to reap equal rewards. Wilful destruction of property is unacceptable."

The next morning we heard the demonstration was not a peaceful event, more like a riot against authority, targeting law enforcement officers tasked with keeping Britain safe and crime-free; they defaced national monument and pulled down the statue of Edward Colston, born in1636 who joined his family business trading in wine, fruits and textile with Spain, Portugal and other European ports, and became involved in the then-legitimate Atlantic slave trade by shipping slaves to America.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said she was “sickened at George Floyd’s tragic death”, and fully appreciates “the strength of feeling over his senseless killing, and the inequality that black people can sadly still face, and the deep-seated desire for change”.

But speaking about the confrontation between protesters and police she told MPs: “This hooliganism is utterly indefensible. There is no justification for it.
“There is no excuse for pelting flares at brave officers, throwing bikes at police horses, attempting to disrespect the cenotaph or vandalising the statue of Winston Churchill - one of the greatest protectors of our freedoms who has ever lived." 
The BLM demonstrations continued with more turnout!

Monday 8th June 2020 - I was so upset about the turn of events, I tweeted again today:

"Many demonstrators in Oxford today are trying to take down the statue of Cecil Rhodes as they illegally removed  Edward Colston in Bristol. Be grateful! These gentlemen brought Black Lives to the West, so you now enjoy Western hospitality.  
Don't violate COVID-19 distancing rule." I also said:

Those who wilfully destroy public property and disturb our peaceful way of life cannot complain of inequality, but by respecting the rights of millions, who worked hard to make this country so beautiful and generously shared it with those who chose to live here, that's equality."

"Wednesday 10th June - BlackLivesMatter demonstrations are no longer peaceful protests. We cannot support their cynical agenda to destroy centuries of world history and their blame game of inequality when thousands of their ethnic cousins had grasped equal opportunities to reach pinnacles of top jobs." This tweet refers to the Sunday Times’ News Review on 7th June, 2020 featuring

Olivette Otele, first black female professor of history and memory of slavery at the Bristol University, who was literally pushing for racial demonstration and asking the public to do their homework by reading the 12 ‘classics’ from the anti-racist canon, highlighting these books and their black authors, all but one extolled pain and oppression by white supremacy. 

One author taught history of scientific racism in New York - the theory that black people are genetically inferior to white. Another book, ‘How to Be Less Stupid about Race’ was written by a professor of sociology at Stony Brook University in New York. The book I found most apt for the recent BLM demonstration entitled ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race’, was written when Reni was in her twenties, about explaining to white people how tedious it was to be at the receiving end of racism.  If racial prejudice is so dire, how did those authors get to their luminary position? A secret the students of Bristol University couldn’t fathom, so they took to the streets, and injured 35 law-enforcement officers

I also came to Britain during the 1948 - 1970 rebuild Britain programme, arriving at Gravesend on the foggiest day on record, where I could not see the fingers at the end of my extended arm.  However, just before disembarkation  my passport was returned to me, with information to apply for British citizenship at the end of five years, if I wished to remain in the UK, which I did in due course and started work within one week of arrival until I retired; that was 55 years ago and I have never encountered racial prejudice at work or play; all because my parents taught me to respect everyone's right to privacy and their pace of progress.  In return respect for my person and work allowed me to progress happily with my group of friends and family. So have many Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic immigrants and their children gone from poverty on arrival to becoming pillars of society, achieving recognition for their hard work and a rightful place in society.


In the next episode I will set out how fortunate we, the so-called BAME population are to be sharing the benefits accumulated for thousands of years by the pragmatic pioneering indigenous peoples of Britain, who had ventured out to the darkest corners of the world to bring back knowledge. inventions and new experiences that endowed the culture of this diversified United Kingdom. Long may we continue to grow and assimilate for the benefit of all citizens of Britain.