 Op-ed; Talk to some young people about politics and the upcoming elections and you will get a mixed response. Nothing is ever cast in stone and we are all individuals but on more than one occasion this woman has encountered the politics of apathy.
But the politics of apathy strikes all ages. Last year one taxi driver aged in his late 60s bragged to us he never voted and never had when asked about the EU in / out referendum. But for some others it is genuine unresolved concerns and in other cases bone idleness. "I live such a busy live I have no time for voting" is a good one. My Dad worked hard all his relatively short life but he always managed to get out and vote. Sometimes this meant a 7am visit to a polling station as soon as it opened other times in the evening after work. Certainly current shift patterns in NHS hospitals where nurses work around 13 hours in one shift are tricky but these days it's so much easier to register for a postal vote. At one time you needed to be at death's door, if you know what I mean, to be allowed a postal or a proxy vote. There is still a timeframe and voting deadline for postal votes but it means there is really no excuse for not voting if you are eligible. And how many times have you heard "we do or did not get taught anything about politics in school?" That has been the case on and off for years. Politics is of course taught in the public schools toffs attend ensuring they have an edge when it comes to elections. Many older people adopted the habit of voting as a type of citizenship responsibility after watching their parents tootle off to vote. Family time TV viewing meant all age groups watched party political broadcasts and there was no live broadcasting from Parliament. Currently it seems a younger generation wanting to appear more grown up than we were at their age are babies when it comes to some things. The Internet is at peoples' fingertips and most younger voters are competent users of modern technology. Surely this means they can do a random search and find out what voting means for them, how to register to vote and register, which political party suits their views and actually vote? Many times we hear and say "politicians are all the same" but that is not really true. How about "politics does not interest me." Funny that one as politics ultimately determines what taxes you pay, education standards and so much more. On May 4 you can help decide what matters in your area by voting in local elections On June 8 you can decide which political party and people form the next government and what it will offer others. Maybe you prefer to let others do it for you so that you can complain but if you do not vote you cannot complain. This General Election could be make or break in many ways and on many issues and you have to be in it to win it. Am I eligible to vote? "To vote in a General Election you must: ... be 18 or over on the day of the election ('polling day') be a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen. be resident at an address in the UK (or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)" How do I register to vote? "When you move you need to re-register to your new address. If you want to register to vote in England, Scotland or Wales, you can register online any time at gov.uk/register-to-vote. To register to vote in Northern Ireland, visit the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland website." Possibly just for fun https://www.politicalcompass.org/test More; http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/elections-and-voting/voting-systems/ http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/eileen-kersey/voting-matters http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/eileen-kersey/general-election-you-have-to-be-in-it-to-win-it
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In 2014 this woman wrote the following piece in support of the local RSPCA charity based at Clough Road Hull.
Like many people this woman also made a small donation to the charity and hoped for the best so she was sad to read this week that this same local RSPCA is once again facing a huge financial crisis. But first the background - our piece from 2014. "The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or the RSPCA, has been the foremost animal charity in the UK for around 200 years. In recent years many other animal charities have been created, some local to the surroundings. However, to my mind the RSPCA is still the leading animal charity in the UK but it struggles to survive. When the RSPCA was originally founded animal welfare was often not recognised. Ordinary children and people of that time were often left to suffer and so animals were obviously disregarded in many ways. What the RSPCA showed, within a short space of time of being created though, was that such an animal charity was long overdue. Prosecutions for animal cruelty began and so did the sterling work of the RSPCA. Almost 200 years later, you would think that we had would have learned a thing or two and animal cruelty be an issue of the past but this is far from the case. Many people are aware of the acts of cruelty, to animals, meted out around the world, in countries such as China, but surely this does not happen in England? After all, the English are a nation of animal lovers, aren't they? Well I hate to admit it but the UK has seen an upsurge in the abandonment and maltreatment of animals in recent years. Sometimes it is pets, but other times it is farm animals, and the workers that should be caring for them. Abandonment is often blamed on the current economic climate but plenty of pet owners use this excuse to part with their pet and then promptly take another into their home. Bearing all of this in mind, I was sorry in 2014 to read in the local press that the local RSPCA was facing closure unless donations increased; the branch has been active for 106 years. With the credit crunch charitable donations have fallen but costs have risen. This is also true of the amount of animals needing this shelter.Unfortunately there are more than ever. Our RSPCA dog a few years ago One of our previous dogs came to us via the RSPCA, Clough Road, Kingston-Upon-Hull, East Yorkshire. He had been neglected and in and out of the RSPCA over a few months. They rarely euthanize healthy dogs, so they stuck with it and eventually we adopted this dog. He was a cross Alsatian or German Shepherd, with the sweetest nature. His two aims in life were to please his owners and to enjoy life. He was an adult dog when he came to us but he had six good years before bad health took its toll; did we have some fun though before he grew ill. Without the RSPCA this dog would have to be put to sleep." Donations helped Hull's RSPCA continue but it needs help once more.. Do not forget that the RSPCA is charity based and receives no help from the Government. In the past the Clough Road branch have had to issue pleas for help and people have rallied and supported this charity, keeping it alive and kicking. Looking online the Hull branch has previously faced closure more than once but now it needs "£1m to rebuild its Clough Road centre - or it could close." The centre's last renovation was 80 years ago and it must be brought inline with current welfare standards. Ways to help include
The Hull Daily Mail reports "For more details on how you can help call Alison on 01482 343875 or email [email protected]. If you are concerned about an animal in distress or wish to report cruelty please call the National Helpline on 0300 1234 999."
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