Bradley's journey

Did you find Shakespeare boring at school? I didn't. Maybe I was just naturally interested - I do love literature anyway, or maybe I was lucky enough to have been well taught. The RSC reckons that people are put off from Shakespeare for life as a result of 'boring' lessons. There is probably some truth in this - the exam system doesn't really encourage an appreciation of anything. I remember having to dissect the war poems - Sassoon, Brooke and all that. We really had to disentangle everything to the point that the poems themselves no longer existed as a coherent whole. Much the same with Shakespeare I suppose. It is interesting which of the plays teachers feel are 'inappropriate' for 13 and 14 year olds. They include Othello and Macbeth in this list. I'd disagree. I reckon Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Othello are pretty sound plays to start off with. It's the laborious histories - Henry IV for example and the somewhat unfunny comedies which are likely to turn people off.

Cash for Peerages is something of a worry although I suspect that this kind of thing has been going on since the Life Peerage was first created. It is certainly eroding trust in the government and it is surely now time for Mr Blair to stand down. It is hard to believe though that he has been in number 10 for nearly a decade. I feel sad about the situation really. Like many of us, I saw 1997 as a time of great potential and an opportunity for my own perceptions of what British government is - I had only known a Tory administration up until that time - to be changed.

In fact, I do believe that the Labour government has achieved a great deal that has been a positive force on the whole. The problem is that the reforms that have taken place under New Labour have been piecemeal and inconsistent. There has not been a clear programme of social reform. Blair is no Harold Wilson, even less is he an Attlee. The government has been to conscious of its image to be daring. It has simply taken the policies of the radical right and has continued them, albeit in a watered down re-branded format. Private involvement in public services has been extended. The Welfare State has not been properly overhauled - it still fails to target those most in need. On top of this we have had scandals not disimilar to those of Major's last years in power. And finally, the war in Iraq.

We need a radical left wing government that will properly distribute wealth. We need higher taxation not least to tackle our heavy contribution to the economic crisis. We need a government that will lead in Europe and which will stand up to America. If America does not alter its stance on pollution targets, we are all pretty much doomed. David Miliband needs to be listened to and by Christ, so does Al Gore.

I suspect that we're soon going to have the Tories back in power though.

It is about time that we moved towards the disestablishment of the Church of England. Clerics should not be given the right to influence the political life of this country. I agree they should be listened to - if only occasionally. Why we should allow faith schools to exist is quite beyond me. I am particularly appalled at the 'problem' that the Catholic Church is facing at the moment. Close all their adoption agencies and put them out for tender. If they cared about the children they wouldn't be bothered about the sexuality of the adopters. In any case, the Catholic church hardly has a clean bill of health when it comes to their heterosexual and celibate priests taking an interest in children. I'm sorry to sound like a columnist in the Daily Mail but come on, those in glass houses...

Then, to make matters a whole lot worse...we have Catholic schools refusing to address homophobic bullying. They will have policies about bullying on grounds of disability or race but not on whether someone is gay or not. I was bullied for being gay - okay, I wasn't ever beaten up although I was hit. I was mainly isolated and excluded - but it was no less damaging to one's sense of self worth. There must be policies on protecting gay and lesbian kids from this. I remember black and Asian kids being picked on and their tormenters were jumped upon by the teachers from a great height. These same teachers knew full well that homophobic bullying but chose to ignore it - possibly because theu felt it was justified or possibly because of the sanctions brought about ny the infamous clause 28. I'm not kidding, it did happen and if I hear one more politician, journalist or priest describing homosexuality as a 'lifestyle choice' I'll scream. Who the hell would choose to suffer in this way as a kid? Sure, I'm happy and well-adjusted enough now but it took some time for me to arrive at this point.

 Anyhow, enough. I've finally got hold of some weed. That should calm me down a bit. Can you believe that the local council has got a CCJ issued against me as I have failed to repay some money that they overpaid me when I was unemployed? As I see it, it is their fault that they overpaid the amount anyway. Always the same story - you need something off of them and you have to jump through hoops to get it; you owe them something and it's heavy handed bully-boy tactics. It's like dealing with Mussolini's blackshirts.

Chris and I are going to Amsterdam in April. Wanna see Anne Frank's house and the Sex Museum. Should be fun.

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• #2 Comment from joobynice 
  03/02/07 19:42 | Permalink

  Feel the same re Blair. I to had hopes for him as a new leader. New labour have made changes in my life, for the better. As a lone parent initially when he came into no10, I received more help with college & returning back to work, childcare costs etc.
  I dread the tories being back in power.
  Take care
  Julie xx
• #1 Comment from selbymegagran 
  03/02/07 19:15 | Permalink

  Have a great time in Amsterdam, you'll be up to your eyes in weed there.  (Watch out for the cake though, as our son's friend ate a huge piece and missed the whole weekend!)  I agree that Blair has to go, but who do we have in his place?  Brown?  No thanks, he's every bit as bad.  Too bad Tony Benn isn't 40 years younger, he'd get my vote anyday, as he's a true Socialist!