Wednesday 8 July 2009
they're coming to take me away ha ha
Napoleon XIV, anyone remember? Oranjepan has a post about the mental stresses of being an MP, which spectacularly misses the point of the whole issue. Politics is stressful, but no more so than teaching for instance, and the fact that it pays a lot better than teaching helps to deal with the stresses of it. If an MP is feeling the strain emotionally they at least have the opportunity, which not many of their constituents do, of taking a lengthy holiday somewhere calm and sunny, or a fishing holiday perhaps. The point is that currently an MP who has experienced treatment for mental health issues above a certain level is then barred for life from standing for Parliament. Which is unjust. If a teacher has mental health problems, they may need to stop teaching, but when they recover they can come back. So should politicians be able to. And Oranjepan hilariously says I have been the subject of a "whispering campaign" about mental health. Oranjepan ought to come out of the mole-hole he has been living in and look around. All women who achieve some advancement, especially if they are not protected by a powerful man, are described as mad. Always. It always happens. I knew that before I started. Where have you been, Oranjepan? And as for a "whispering campaign" it seems to me more like a loud shouting campaign. Cllr Tony Page (failed candidate for Reading East, 2005) yelling my name in the Reading council chamber (four years after I left Reading, have these people got nothing else to think about?) and telling other councillors not to read the "mad woman's blog" (see strapline), while immensely flattering, is hardly a whisper, as anyone who has ever heard Cllr Page speak can attest. So, in the words of a former TV journalist and pirate radio DJ of my acquaintance, "Get real".
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4 comments:
"All women who achieve some advancement, especially if they are not protected by a powerful man, are described as mad."
Are you including my boss in that? Gordon Brown has also had rumours spread about his personal mental state, and as far as I know he's no woman... are you sure you're not falsely attributing motivations to behaviour you disagree with, and from the evidence of your experience would you say that doing so is successful in preventing such callousness in future?
So you accept the argument pushing for repeal of section 141, and you agree that being open about these things is the best way of dealing with them, do you?
My personal feeling is that a confrontational style is not the most helpful.
OK (sigh)
"are you including my boss in that?" The statement was attributed universally and not to individuals, and as I have no idea who your boss is, no.
"are you sure you're not falsely attributing motivations to behaviour you disagree with" Yes. Quite sure thanks.
"from the evidence of your experience would you say that doing so is successful in preventing such callousness in future?" No.
"so you accept the argument pushing for repeal of section 141" Yes.
"and you agree that being open about these things is the best way of dealing with them, do you?" Not necessarily.
"my personal feeling is that a confrontational style is not the most helpful" Duh? Who is trying to be helpful here? And to whom? And since when did anyone's personal feelings matter a flying fuck?
now if you'll excuse me I have to dead-head my pelargoniums.
1. if the statement is universal it must also apply to the individual.
2. how can you be sure about the motivations of others?
3. ok
4. good
5. why so? how does keeping facts under a veil remove the stigma?
6. aren't we all - even if we disagree about the best way to do do?
7. I think it is a necessary calculation about how personal feelings are considered when such disagreements arise.
Do/don't you think there is too much personal bravado involved in public life? Isn't it about the issues more than the personalities?
1. of course it applies to individuals, but not specifically to one individual as I do not know who it is.
2. I can't - but I can be sure I am not confusing motivation and behaviour - I hear what they say not what I think they mean.
3. it doesn't necessarily - but "openness" doesn't always solve problems either.
and for the rest - no, I don't think personal feelings ae particularly important. I wouldn't willingly or intentionally hurt the feelings of someone I cared about - that is a different thing. And no, I am not trying to be helpful in any way to anyone - my blog is just my opinions about things that interest me, and if people don't like it they needn't read it.
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