Originally Published May 5th 2010

Roll on June 8th and let us get this election over and done with.

Everyone must be getting fed up listening to all Parties making promises we know it is impossible for them to keep while at the same time they condemn everything the other parties are proposing. Nothing new there then!

It wouldn’t be quite so bad if it was only the politicians and their loyal followers, but it isn’t. A large number of people will vote following the guidance given by the media.

The days are gone when they just reported the news. Now, any bad news is made out to be worse than it is while good news invariably has ‘what if’ built in before listeners have had time to assess any of the facts.

It is obvious that in the wrong hands the media has the power to bring down almost anybody or group if they choose to do so.

The Government introduced the Lottery. Under control it could be fun for everyone and a boost for small charities, many of whom still struggle and have to depend on donations for their survival.

Look what has happened. Society has now been educated to have what they want when they want it regardless of their financial position. Consequently people use borrowed money for gambling just as they do for anything else.

Who can blame them? They are repeatedly reminded that their turn will come and ‘IT COULD BE YOU!’

There is now no need to leave your armchair to gamble. You can use your phone, computer or television or even just ask someone to buy you tickets when they do the shopping.

We are being told how badly off the majority of people are and how much more they will suffer if they vote for the wrong party: – Recent events showed some who could barely afford to go abroad for a holiday!?? They were stranded and broke.

When it is announced how much is waiting to be won on a lottery roll-over it makes you wonder how much was invested in it before the costs and charitable donations etc. were deducted.

Perhaps the recent report confirming the rich are continuing to get richer and the poor poorer at a rapid rate will give everyone a clearer indication of what is happening.

Did You Know?

Before we had radios, televisions and computers, when people used their own judgement without the influence of the media there was far less discontent and dissent.

In the past everything was more localised and everyone was content with much less than they have today. Whenever things were not easily come by the human race was always able to show initiative and find a substitute or alternative. Now we seem to have reached a stage where we have become dependant on modern technology.

We all use it even though many of us don’t understand how it works. Our attention is drawn to it only when something breaks down. None of it is infallible and much is very easily put out of action, even by natural phenomenon.

A good example is the chaos caused by the ash from the volcano in Iceland, they are still counting the cost. Then we frequently have the effect of thunderstorms and heavy snowfalls. Such conditions soon bring a realisation that man is a very long way from ruling the world.

The current election campaign seems to have highlighted, not only the terrible mess this country is in but also the dilemmas facing the whole world. Nothing can change until we put our own house in order and plan long term.

‘Our own house’ is to be taken literally. We have to restore the family unit before we can successfully sort out any of our social problems. That is where children find the seeds for the role of being human and acquire qualities such as good manners, discipline, respect, loyalty, honesty, how to live with others in the community and many more. Not forgetting, when things go wrong the home has to be the families first refuge at all times.

A good place for any Government to start would be to make it more profitable for couples to be married rather than live together as partners.

Then make it easy for at least one parent to be with their offspring at all times until the age of five. That would allow them to bond and the child to get the best from those early years when they could learn so much before being introduced to the stress of academic schooling. It would give them a chance to have fun as they became familiar with the ways of life.

Which party is prepared to make such a promise in their manifesto??

valley lad – [EIGHTY-ONE]