Is The Coalition Guilty of Human Rights Abuses Against The Poor? (By Gina Ravens and Helen Sims).

Olivier De Schutter is the UN’ s rapporteur on the right to food. The UK is the 7th wealthiest country in the world. If all in the garden was lovely, their paths might never cross.

However, Dr Schutter is applying some interest in what is happening here, – the connection between the proliferation of food banks, and the growth of child poverty.


The Children’s charity Bernardo’s has stated that 3.6 million children in the UK are living in poverty. That’s almost a third of all children in the UK. Furthermore, 1.6 million of those children are said to live in severe poverty.


Bernardo’s also reveals that 58 percent of child poverty occurs in a household where someone is employed. We don’t think this will be news to Oliver De Schutter!

He moves on to state that a country as wealthy as ours should not be relying on food banks to salve their conscience.

We think he has discovered something we already know here – our Coalition Government has no conscience!

Mr De Schutter further states that the people in this country have a human right to food, and that the indicators he is observing show that this Government are using Austerity measures to set a level of pay that is too low, and that plainly, this contravenes the human rights of people in this country.

Our level of social poverty, (when examined in conjunction with the level of employment), and the fact that so many now only able to achieve part-time employment at that, are commensurate with a Government whose policies have hugely unequal effects upon society.

The knock on effect is that many who survive this Government will be suffering a backlash of health problems that will further engulf our economy in about 15 to 20 years time.


Cameron has said that benefits are at a level that nobody should be hungry with, and we are supposed to believe that food banks are only there to ‘top people up’ with some extras if they are feeling a bit peckish?

The Government have invited De Schutter here to see for himself. We can imagine the ‘snow job’ they would want to set up for him, though it seems he is something of a smart cookie who knows his job.

We can see him being steered away from areas where deprivation shows. I also believe the invitation is about their wanting any kind of inspection to take place before the bedroom tax comes into force in April, and not after.

If that is not the case, the timing of this invitation certainly seems very convenient!


We believe the entire austerity package is about the Tory agenda for enriching the wealthy at the cost of the poor, disabled and the poor are as surplus to requirements. The ‘Survival of the Fittest’ definitely seems to be in place.

Those that are not fit, need support and cannot contribute to our struggling economy have been vilified, victimised and effectively cast aside by government – and seemingly my society itself. It’s a sad state of affairs for a supposedly enlightened, compassionate, first world country.

We cannot see this Government being deterred by the accusation of a few human rights abuses. After all, they have waved such things off before, without their consciences bothering them.


Above all else, they are approaching 2015 with an air of finality about their dubious accomplishments. The rich will be richer, everything that can be sold, will be sold, and oh, how their pockets and bank balances will jingle happily!

The economy will have been so tanked that it will scarcely be possible to nationalise anything without it creating an economic imbalance, and the poor and disabled will be dead, dying, or living on a pittance.
The only thing that could possibly prevent this from occurring would be human rights challenges from Europe.
Inviting an inspection is their way of saying “We have nothing to hide”, a bluff we sincerely hope they get called on.

If it should come to greater challenges or examination, we could see this Government breaking away from Europe in an attempt to escape accountability from the EU.

Their actions would suggest that they are not concerned by the results of their policies upon the poorest.

Are we really “all in this together”, as the mantra coming from the coalition claims? As De Schutter observes, the poor and the children should not be in this at all.

For a superb guide to stock Government phrases and methods of twisting the truth, please see:
http://kittysjones.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/the-blame-game/

A large number of people will be watching with great interest where these statements from Mr Schutter lead, 
and those on the front-line of tackling poverty in the UK will be praying for action to force the government to think again about some of its policies.

I HATE Bra's!

I hate bras! It's not that they are uncomfortable - although they can be, especially if an under wire digs in! Ooh, don't!

It's the expectation that women HAVE to wear them. Now, obviously this is not a new idea, but I'm going to say it anyway.

If a woman doesn't wear a bra, people look at her differently, (and not just because she's got 'em hanging free). There is something extra attached.

A woman is a slut or whatever, or easy, or has no pride her appearance. I don't know what it is, a mixture of many things - but it pisses me off!

I didn't wear a bra for years (until recently) because I felt so strongly about this issue. It was my own small act of rebellion.

Who the hell has the right to judge me, or tell me what I should and shouldn't wear?!

Now, most women wear them for support, and that's fine. It's necessary for comfort or whatever in many cases. That's a separate issue though I think - and yes, it's the reason why I started wearing them again - but I still hate it!

Don't go thinking either, that wearing a bra is going to help you stop 'sagging' - (well, it might for a while - or at least make them look better), but things inevitably...go downwards!

Of course you look better when you're wearing them - especially when you put on a little weight like I have!

But I still hate them! I object to the whole thing! After all, you don't see men wearing them to carry around their MOOBS do you?! (Well, not that I've seen anyway)!

Why should men be allowed to be 'free,' but women be restricted It's the same in a lot of issues, not just bras!

Yes, attitudes towards women have changed - and they've moved forward a lot, especially since the contraceptive pill became available.  

Women have a lot more freedom and that's the greatest thing, but why should we be told what to do anyway?! 

I'm sorry, but until I don't feel obligated to wear one or judged if I go out without one, things haven't moved forward enough!

 

 

  (Images - Courtesy of Google)

The Price of Fame - Dedicated to the Memory of Karen Carpenter.

The sweetest voice,
The private pain,
Her eyes said it all
The price of fame.

Her body screamed,
She yearned to be thin,
A manifestation
Of torture within.

Singing songs
Of hearts broken,
In beautiful tune,
Her words were spoken.

Stage lights shone
From up above,
See the fragile figure,
Who longed to be loved.

The public smile,
The private scream,
Her desperate struggle,
To live the dream.

On that last day,
Her heart attacked,
The agony revealed,
The mirror cracked.

The sweetest voice,
The private pain,
Her death said it all,
The price of fame.

Dedicated to Karen Carpenter 1950-1983 


#helenswriting

Images: Google.

The Faded Quilt - (Poem- 2010)

Our love is like a faded quilt,
Comfortably warm,
It folds us in.

Its patchwork,
Our memories
Of blues,
Pinks
And grey.

Knitted together,
We are strong,
If in places,
A little frayed.

But,
I know
that if I died tomorrow,
I'd be happy
To live within it,
Forever.



*This poem won a 'Masterpiece Award' - Given by the 'Poetrypoem' web hosts. A small thing, but lovely that so many people liked it.

The Paralympics - and why the 'Legacy' Means Nothing

Recently the Oscar Pistorius murder in South Africa was told that attacks on disabled people, had increased since the London Paralympics, in 2012. For me. this isn't a surprise, and only goes to to reinforce everything I'm about to say.

I get angry every time I think about it. 

For me, this country hosting the Paralympics was bad enough, and now we’re faced with the relentless ‘Paralympic legacy’ rhetoric too.

In my opinion (and that of many other disabled and ill people I’ve spoken to) we should never have hosted the Paralympics in the first place. The very idea was hard to swallow.

How could we celebrate these seemingly ‘superhuman’ athletes and bask in their glory while away from the spotlight, ‘everyday’ disabled and ill people are being stripped of vital benefits, independence, dignity and rights at the hands of this government? Not to mention the seventy three deaths per week as a result of this government’s policies.

I chose to boycott the Paralympics for these reasons. When you add to that the fact (and it’s still hard to believe, I know) that the Paralympics was sponsored by ATOS – the very company our government is paying to strip disabled and ill people of these vital benefits (after putting us through a so –called ‘Work Compatability Assessment’ which we have been seemingly set up to fail), it became a sick joke!  My stomach turns over at the injustice of it.

So now, all these months later, Mr Cameron and his government are determined to keep peddling the idea of a ‘Paralympic legacy’. The idea that Britain is proud of its disabled people, the idea that the Paralympics has somehow furthered our cause and improved the way society views us.

It is at this point that I feel the anger rise in me once again. No! It’s a lie! It’s a huge (albeit well constructed) lie!

The ‘Paralympic legacy’ has been invented, better to say dreamt up purely to suit the government’s cruel agenda. It has used a vision of these ‘superhuman’ athletes who ‘overcome’ and ‘achieve’ against all the odds, in order to give the public the idea that all disabled and ill people could (and should) be doing the same – and those that don’t are lazy, exaggerating our disabilities. If we have the misfortune to have to live on benefits too, then we are ‘Scrounging off the state’.

After all, these ‘inspiring’, ‘achieving,’ ‘amazing’ athletes can do it, so why can’t the rest of us?! Why can’t we all just put in a little more effort?!  

As a quick side note, how are the rest of us supposed to feel about that - worthless, because we can’t ‘achieve’ like they do? Yes, that’s the idea!

This is where, to me, I feel like I’m stating the obvious, but judging by the rise in disability hate crime nationally and the suspicion with which disabled and ill people are now being viewed  by society, I need to say it anyway. We are not all like that!

In reality, the majority of disabled people can struggle to do basic things. For example, I cannot walk unaided, carry my cups of tea across the room, get in and out of the bath by myself, and I am often exhausted. Some days the pain is so bad that I can barely get out of bed – and I’m lucky compared to some.

Do these ‘superhuman’ athletes represent me? Do they represent the ‘everyday’ disabled person in this country?  No – they do not! The idea that it does, or that it should is deceitful, not to mention hurtful, when we know (despite how badly we may want to) that we can’t ‘measure up’ to a government imposed ideal of we should be.

Disability sport (and able sport) at the highest level, is elite, and obsessive. The athletes are conditioned. They work for hours and hours, day in and day out to get where they are – and they have a whole team of people to help, support, and encourage them. Granted, they have determination. They need it to do what they do.

In reality, every disabled person needs that to survive – especially in a society where we are being lied about, victimised, persecuted and stripped of our rights.

We need that determination to simply get through the day sometimes! Is there a gold medal waiting for the ‘everyday’ disabled person? Are we a source of (what will be temporary) national pride? No, we are not!

We are busy having to fight for basics, and justify our very existence. On top of everything else we already have to endure, we are now facing fear and panic for our future.

Since the Paralympics, many of the athletes that this country (and its government ) claim to be so proud of, and were hailing as national heroes last August and September, have also had their benefits cut for ‘not being disabled enough.’ 

That very fact alone can be used to prove that the so-called ‘Paralympic legacy’ idea is nothing but a fraud. It is a sick way of using the temporary glory of a few, to distract public attention away from the truth.

Disabled people of this country have nothing to celebrate. In fact many of us are dying, starving, losing vital services and being left housebound, while this government tries to tell our society (and the rest of the world) an entirely different story.

If there could be a real Paralympic legacy, it would and should be that ‘everyday’ disabled and ill people get our lives back – our rights, our dignity, our self-respect, and our benefits.

The real legacy should be a pushing forward of disability rights instead of taking it many, many steps back.

We should all be given the chance to live our lives in the best way we can. Until then the Paralympics and the ‘Paralympic legacy’ remains (to me and many others) nothing but a propaganda exercise.

It is only when all these wrongs are put right, and we have our lives back that ‘everyday’ disabled people  may feel a sense of ‘national pride’. Until then, the ‘Paralymic legacy’ will remain meaningless. 

     

A Bad Scene

Reddened face 

An angry fire,
I'm a saint,
And you're a liar!

Shattered glass
Where I took aim,
Lucky I missed,
But you're to blame!

Heated words 

And broken hearts,
Ice cold silence,
We lie apart. 

(Written - 1997 -Age 16)

#helenswriting

Proud to Be Me!

 I didn't go to University, and I didn't get the journalism degree I would've wanted.

If you knew me during my school days (including my A levels) you might know that I suffered badly with depression, anxiety and pain, on top of the Cerebral Palsy, and  everything else!

You will also know that I did well enough in my GCSE's to do the A levels I wanted, but I was pressured to do three rather than two, which I could've managed better.

What you might not know, however, is that during my A level exams, I suffered the worst panic attacks I have ever had in my life!

During my R.E. exams, I was shaking so much that I could barely hold a pen, and during my English exams I had searing pain in my hips on both days, made worse by the fact that my body was tensing.

As a result, I failed two A levels and passed English, but I was heartbroken by the grade. I had worked as I could (given my circumstances) during that time.

It is the opinion of some (not that it matters now - but I'll say it anyway), that I 'did not work hard enough' and I have 'wasted my talent' by not going to University.

So let's sort a few things out. If I had gone to University I know that I wouldn't have been able to hack it then - the same as now. I fall apart in exams!

I wouldn't have met my amazingly kind, sensitive, wonderful husband, and whilst I might be earning more, and be measured as a 'success' by society (as well as certain members of my family), I'm SURE that I would not be able to devote my life to writing and campaigning - the way I can now.

If only society understood that 'success' isn't about how much money you earn, whether you live in a 'posh' house, or have the latest gadgets  - it's about what type of person you are, and what you 'put out there'.

This government (above almost everyone) needs to learn that lesson. People who claim benefits are not worthless 'scroungers'.We know what it's like to struggle and survive against all the odds. We know how to value and care for others.

Therefore, we are worth a million of the people who run this country. I would not trade my life (exactly the way it is) for their wealth and position - not for one single second.

I'd rather keep my compassion, openness, honesty and struggles than live like they do - destroying people's lives without any thought for the consequences.

So as of now, I refuse to let anybody (including this government), tell me that (in their eyes at least) I am a failure.

If what I've been through, and continue to go through makes me a failure, 'feckless,' 'workshy' or a 'scrounger' - then fine, but the problem is with society and NOT with me - or with any of us!

I am proud to be who I am, and I'm proud of what I do. No government is going to make me feel otherwise - EVER AGAIN!

#helenswriting