Let’s carry on co-operating
HI there to 99% of all referendum voters who, like me I suggest, don’t have access to relevant data and are not attuned to the myriad of pros and cons that have to be sifted through before reaching a balanced view
Referendum fever, gleefully stoked by all sections of the media, fills our screens and columns whilst giving numerous faceless failures and “has-beens” a lucky chance to get their name in lights.
Fair enough, everyone is entitled to their view as to why Britain would be better in or out. Snag is that in this unique case we’re not giving opinions about the best football team, TV programme, election candidate or other irrelevance – we are setting out the future for our beloved country and for many generations of our offspring.
Following June 23 the media will have to find another issue to plug, possibly – no, certainly – leaving politicians of whatever colour to sort out an undreamed of mess whilst other countries benefit from their stability and security.
I’m getting on a bit and have been around a bit, but like millions I suspect my preference will be based on those things that have impacted on my family, my education, my professional life and a multitude of events, some of which I had little or no control over.
Uppermost in my mind is the memory of when Britain was recovering from World War II and a growing Warsaw Pact threat. The unanimous cry across Europe and further afield was that we should ensure that the conditions leading to the war should not be repeated and the key change was seen as much closer co-operation between consenting neighbours.
The growing pains of achieving that primary aim lasted for decades and I have groaning memories of boring frustrating days in Paris or Brussels – but it was better to talk than kick each other to bits!
I’m very proud to be British and to live the British way. I also want Germany, France and all the other European nations to be different, to do their own things – but have that immensely important link of respect, tolerance and cooperation that leads to a feeling of peace and promised prosperity that does not exist in the Middle East, Far East, South America or Africa.
I hear many calls for “out” based on isolated feelings or sentiments with which I can agree. But I want this decision to be made by those who have all the facts and forecasts at their disposal, not by knee-jerk reactionaries who in years to come would only be able to plead that “it seemed like a good idea at the time”.
You’ll have gathered, I hope, that for me it’s “in” by a mile. Kel Palmer Mountain Ash