Violence and Bigotry.

Thunder, lightning, rain and hail pervade my little corner of Hertfordshire. A prophetic epitaph? Nature taking its vengeance? In a world where plague, pestilence, violence and discrimination have come to the fore recently it is hard not to believe there is some power, divine or otherwise, that I do not understand that has come to punish our arrogant humanity. Nearly two weeks have gone by since I last spoke to you. And so much has happened.

As a white, male, middle class, straight guy I'm not really at risk. Yes I sometimes drink too much. I take my life in my hands with my love of a pub. When manic I say things that alienate people. My arrogance sometimes gets me into trouble. It is true as some have pointed out that all lives matter but not all lives are a great risk of violence. Why should a black person, a woman, a trans person, a gay person, a religious person, a disabled person be at risk more than me? Yes I have a disability and yes there is an argument that my mental illness has cost me jobs in the past but am I at risk? No.

The appalling killing of black man in Minneapolis by a white policeman has brought many onto the streets. I won't use the word tragedy as that somehow exonerates the guilty. I prefer the word catastrophe. Whilst we may look at American society and have questions, but that bigotry exists here too. The great strength of the University of Hertfordshire is its diversity. It is truly multi cultural in image and ethos. Also half of our students are from BAME communities. It is deeply saddening to me that overwhelmingly when I have to pull the trigger and call a Mental Health Act assessment or am told of it after the students are BAME. That is not just true with us but in the mental health world outside.

Although I am loath to make political comment on here and frankly feel unequipped and unworthy of making judgement from my privileged life I am human and I am compassionate. I detest bigotry. So here very quietly on the great complex world of the internet I pledge my support.

There is no need to comment on my life today, it feels small and insignificant. Another day calls for my culinary adventures, my opera, my wine and my books. So with that I leave you. Take care in this dangerous world.

I Heard a Voice.