Everyone's had something to say about the tweet of Reverend Jarel Robinson-Brown. Which no longer exists. And I'm not reproducing it but I'm sure you can find a screenshot.
My view for what it is worth:
- Racism and homophobia are wrong. The hateful atracks on Robinson-Brown are far worse than anything he said, or might be inferred to have said.
- It was a poorly-thought-through tweet, and factually wrong. Some people might disagree with my view here. And that's fine. Though they'd be wrong, but we can disagree respectfully.
- Most people who clapped for Captain Tom Moore just wanted to say thanks to a bloke who had put his heart and soul into helping out the NHS. The man lightened some very dark moments.
- Sometimes, whatever nefarious motives their opponents put on them, Prime Ministers have to do something that speaks for the nation. Think Tony Blair with Diana. They'll still get the blame for bandwagon jumping.
- See (1) above, in case you forgot.
- Some people have leapt onto Jarel Robinson-Brown because they're so pleased to have a young black man they can hate who isn't Marcus Rashford. They've been hating Marcus Rashford and haven't dared say it out loud.
- Some people actually have dared to hate Marcus Rashford out loud.
- Those people also hate Lewis Hamilton by the way. If I could only work out what the connection is. But I know you can get away with a lot more if you don't share a certain characteristic with the three people above. See (1) above.
- Jarel Robinson-Brown needs a lot of protection and care from his bishop now.
- Don't make living or recently deceased human beings saints. It doesn't always work out well. This is saying nothing about Capt Sir Tom. Just a good general principle.
- Some people blamed Capt Sir Tom and his family for his death. Because some people are capable of vile things whatever age or colour you are.
- If you go on Social Media complaining that other people haven't been clapping on doorsteps when you have, that is a bit cult-like, don't you think? Bit Orwellian?
In the light of (12) above, Young Keith will be collecting the names of everybody that did not stand on the doorstep and clap either the NHS, Captain Sir Tom, or Boris Johnson over the last 12 months on at least 5 occasions. Nothing sinister in this. It's just in case it's something I need to know if anyone calls up about it.
Mid-80s charismatic...if only it were confined to the past! One of the unlooked-for benefits of the restrictions on public worship has been the disappearance of the Bidding Prayers. Which unless carefully watched, tended to be as written by a Social Worker, on occasion a mad Social Worker, and to go on and on and on, while the congregation, which starts out quite enthusiastically chiming "Lord, graciously hear us", retreats to shifting its feet and mumbling instead at the unrelievedly non-spiritual demands, not prayers. I think it was Ysenda Maxtone Graham who lucked upon a gem: "And finally, Lord, concerning the General Election..."
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear from you as ever Charles, but I suspect you were trying to comment on this post.
Delete1. How did this end up on the wrong thread?
ReplyDelete2. Like Revd Brown, I didn't clap for Sir Tom but I said a prayer for the repose of his soul. Why clap? Has Boris got Sir Tom mixed up with Tinkerbell?
3. Listen, don't clap for the NHS either. If somebody set up a fund for restoring bursaries for nurses, paying nurses and other junior (ie low-paid grades) health staff decently, supplying hospitals and clinics with desperately-needed PPE and clinical equiment, offering vaccination to all frontline workers, I'd clap for that. Otherwise it's just diplacement activity, letting people think they are "doing something" to help.