Advent Poem 2019

Start off with the End in mind
Whilst the End doesn't justify the means -
The End really does give the means meaning.

Advent - four weeks to look forward to the End
In the End, the King is coming!
Everything will be alright,
in the End.

That's real HOPE.
We look forward to everlasting JOY
Where PEACE is the rule and
LOVE is our guide in life.

The End is not the end —
it's a new beginning.
It can happen at any time,
And King is forever your friend.

World without End
Amen

Poetry at Pride - Waltham Forest Pride 2019

Yesterday, at Pride I was scheduled to read one of my poems but due to the inclement weather, that part of the program that was going to take place in the open air was understandably cancelled.

But I prepared it including some introductory thoughts and so if you might indulge me, I would like to share with you what I was going to say, including, of course the poem.

Homophobia takes many forms and they are it all to do with sexual activity.

You might have seen recently a news item about a nine year old boy called Charlie, whose love for musical theatre has turned him, unfairly into a target of bullies at school. This understandably made Charlie sad. His drama teacher posted on Twitter about this, and asked people to respond with the hashtag #CheerupCharlie, which the Musical Theatre community with stars from the West End sending great encouraging messages. 

You might rightly ask, "Why in 2019 in the UK, is a boy's interest in musical theatre - singing and dancing - a cause for people to pick on him and abuse him, physically, verbally and emotionally?" 

The reason is, as I see it there are very strong gender-based stereotypes about what boy's are girls are supposed to like. 

This is my answer to those stereotypes, written in December 2014. 

Some boys like to play with trucks

Other boys like dolls

Some boys practice rugby rucks

Others, gymnastic flicks and rolls,

All that could be said of girls,

Some like their hair short, others in curls

A toy’s a toy, a plaything, a tool,

A thing that they learn with, at home or in school.

One child wears jeans and a t-shirt,

Another, a blouse and skirt,

Whether girl or boy, it doesn’t really matter

Help the child feel good, whether thin, or fatter.

“Your gender-blender agenda,” I hear you declaim,

“It’ll bring us all down! it’s such a shame!”

I don’t know this agenda of which you speak,

What I know is, God made us all unique.

Now let me tell you that’s not my game,

I don’t want all children to be the same.

Boxing or Ballet,

That should be A-okay,

Doesn't matter what people say,

They don't make you lesbian, bi, straight or gay.

Many achievements towards which children aspire,

Whoever they are, let them do as they desire.

Some people take toys out of boxes, then

They put their children in,

Nicely labeled, each one to define

Girl aged six, boy aged nine.

Toys can fire a child’s imagination,

Help them discover, they’re a special creation.

© J. Fairlamb 28-12-14.

Ann Widdecombe: You cannot condemn Prince Harry and Meghan for championing LGBT rights.

This week, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan celebrated the birth of their son, Archie.

The government conceded that UK will participate in European Union Parliamentary elections,

And Ann Widdecombe announced that she will stand as aa candidate to be MEP for Brexit Party. 

Also, by coincidence I read a bit of old .news, though it was new to me. Shortly before Harry and Meghan married, they let it be known that they would champion the rights of LGBT people around the world. Anne, writing in the Daily Express,  said that they should not champion rights but should champion plights.

I responded in an open letter to Anne in the following Open Letter


Open letter to Ann Widdecombe

Dear Miss Widdecombe,

I realise that this letter is a very slow response to something that was published a year ago. This is because I only just came across the opinion piece you wrote for the Daily Express with the misleading headline:
“Meghan Markle will be a breath of fresh air in a stuffy family” says Ann Widdecombe.

I would take you to take you to task for that statement alone, except that there is so much more. Not only is it deeply insulting to Queen Elizabeth, but it is extremely rich coming from one of the most stuffy people I know. What was made to sound like a compliment to Duchess of Sussex, was in fact completely undermined by your real purpose of the opinion piece.

You wrote: Earlier that week my doubts had grown when reports appeared in the press about how she and Harry were going to champion the rights of the LGBT community.
First, royals don't champion rights, they champion plights. That's what Diana did with the victims of AIDS and landmines and very effective she was too.

I am not sure what qualifies you, Ann, to lecture royalty on what they may or may not champion.
Why on earth should the royals not champion human rights? You say they are championing the rights of the LGBT community — actually they are the rights of LGBT people.

How can you take the view that human rights are controversial? These are the same rights that you take for granted, and would become extremely vocal if you believed that your rights were not being respected.

Here in the United Kingdom, the road to equality began in 1967 with the limited decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales, with changes in Scotland and Northern Ireland coming many years later, and has continued to this present day , with the occasional blip, such as the notorious Section 28, of which I understand you were a huge fan. Now we have equal marriage (except in Northern Ireland) which is very significant step towards full equality, though, full equality is not yet completely realised.

However, the UK is way ahead in terms of equality than many other countries, including a significant number of Commonwealth countries that still criminalise homosexuality with punishments as severe as death by stoning, in Brunei, and lengthy imprisonment. So for many LGBT people who are citizens of the Commonwealth and subjects of the Queen, their human rights are being denied in the most horrendous ways. Their very right to life itself is challenged. People should have a right to protections under the law. That is, if someone threatens the life of a person, they have a right to seek help from the police and if they are the victims of crimes, they have a right to report those crimes to the police and have them investigated and have the perpetrators charged and prosecuted. However many LGBT people in these countries cannot risk making such a report. Lesbians who are subjected to what the the perpetrators regard as “corrective rape”.

You say the royals champion plights - I agree, if by that you mean speaking out against the plights of many shamefully treated. Championing the rights of LGBT people in the Commonwealth is to speak out against their shameful treatment by regimes that do not treat all their citizens with equality and justice.

This is a moral issue and not merely a political issue, as you would have us believe. Equality is a core British Value — this pertains to sexual orientation and gender identity as much as it applies to race, religion or sex. Since the Royals represent Britain, it is right that they also speak out on issues of equality and against instances, of which there are too many, of human rights abuses against people by reason of their being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Every year many asylum seekers come to UK as refugees. A significant number of those will have faced persecution in their own countries because they are LGBT. If we could prevail upon countries to change their policy in regard to LGBT people, we might be able to reduce those who seek asylum for that reason. But that should not be our primary motivation.

I am fully aware that most hostility towards LGBT people is wrapped up in religious perception that homosexuality is sinful. As a Christian myself, I do not accept that characterisation and believe such an interpretation, at least as far as Christianity is concerned, is based on a faulty hermeneutic. However, even if that were true in regard to Christianity, we cannot impose on the entire populace laws based entirely on a religious doctrine where not everyone subscribes to those doctrines.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex understand this, clearly Ann, you do not.

Yours in complete sincerity,

John

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I am not so gullible as to think that Anne would change her perspective one iota, and I certainly would not hold my breath for an apology from her, but I do hope people in the area where she stands for election, will read this and really understand that Ann Widdecombe  is essentially against the human rights of LGBT people. Please do not elect this person as an MEP.

Disposable Income - Indispensable People

Money makes the world go round

Buying, selling, receiving, and giving

Living

Dollar, Euro, Yes, Rand and Pound

Is this where happiness is found?

Some have lots of them - too many have none.

Many people weigh other people’s value

By the balance the balance they have in their bank account

And the monetary value of their material assets:

Fancy cars, fashionable clothes,

Foreign currency, fabulous homes, etc.

Is this what life is all about?

The well healed look down on the down-trodden

Those born to privilege of wealth

With the proverbial silver spoon in the mouth,

Sneer disapprovingly at the single mum,

Struggling to make ends meet,

To feed her children, have a safe place to sleep.

Many sleeping on the cold, hard street,

Lives disrupted by crises caused by

Credit-crunches and stock-market-bubbles bursting

Because selfish, sly, stock-brokers steal

From Faceless victims as they massage the money,

Making it seem like something super when

It’s nothing but a scam.

Many hard-working people put away a bit each month

For the day when they could relax and retire,

Trusting their “Financial Friends” to do the right thing,

But, in a flash and a bang, there were reserves were gone,

And with therm, their security.

They turn to the state and appeal

“Please help us” they squeal

But they are harshly told to “Get in line!”

Meanwhile the wealthy moan about the “Worthless Workshy” spinning their tales of woe,

All the while milking the system for all its worth

Ferreting away their surplus filthy lucre, so they don’t have to pay their fair share.

Money should not be the measuring rod,

Wielded to weigh a person’s worth./

Our worth is our being - HUMAN BEING

We are of inestimable worth because

We are - people.

Wherever we were born

Whatever is our heritage

Whether born with a title - or a foundling deserted by family

We have value

“Created Equal”

With the Freedom to find our place -

The freedom to be - whoever

With the right, as children,

To protection and nurture, education, recreation,

To be healthy, or at least the means to healthcare if we are ill,

And comfort, if we are scared

With a right, as older people

To dignity and respect, shelter and self-determination (if that’s safely achievable)

Most of all,

For everyone,

Acceptance and Love