A MERE SLIP OF THE TONGUE

In recent days, the news, Brexit aside, has largely been dominated by what have been deemed to be inappropriate remarks by senior government officials.

There have been calls for resignations and a lot of grovelling required, in an attempt to restore the credibility of those who have put foot firmly in mouth, failing to engage brain before speaking.

This is something I am certainly no stranger to, having spent much of my life, especially as a locally elected council member, in hot water; a frequent comment is ‘the trouble with you, Linda, is that you say what everyone else is thinking.’

Of course, our paymasters do not like be challenged, least of all in public; the result being that they fight back, giving it both barrels, in an effort to annihilate anyone who has the temerity to voice an opposing view, or to question their decisions.

In these politically correct times, we are damned if we do, and damned if we don’t.  Whether we are talking about someone’s ethnic background, religion, gender or colour, for me, what really matters, whilst the media attempts to whip everything up into a frenzy, is the intent behind the comment.

We all inadvertently say or do things that others find offensive. Whilst we must be mindful of others’ feelings there has to be some understanding of those who mean well but somehow manage to get it wrong. Hardly a criminal act. Yes, those in the public eye must be called to account, and acknowledge the effect their words and actions can have, but we also need to put things into perspective and consider the real issues we are all facing, each and every day, when people are being neglected or abused, going hungry, and do not have a roof over their heads.