I happen to believe that if you are capable of working, you should. I wonder if there is ANYTHING at all controversial about that? I am thinking long and hard about the tone of the speeches from the Tory Party Conference, which I know are about rallying the troops, and taking a swipe at the unemployed is an easy way to get the faithful cheering: it's just that I don't think some people really know what life is like for the poorest amongst us. I'd sum up in one word what I see most of: despair.
I am a bit of a left-winger, though with age, a little more likely to stand in the Centre and wonder at it all. My work with the people who use feeding centres and food banks in my locality is giving me pause for thought. George, Sandy, Andrew, Lisa, Alice, Marta, .... These men and women don't strike me as feckless, scrounging, or lazy - not coping well, not particularly intelligent (some, perhaps), brought low by circumstances... Sick.
Compulsory working, or compulsory hanging about in job centres, doesn't seem too tough an obligation to me: somewhere warm and safe to stay from 9-5 would be a good thing for some of our people, but you know what? I'd rather like to see compulsory 'going along and meeting these people you're doing this to' as well.
You get it. I expect if I say any more I'll lose it.
No comments:
Post a Comment