where's me country?

YFG suicide campaign

5.11.2005

Recent launch by FG of their YFG campaign on suicide should draw praise from all sides its a small piece of good publicity for Enda Kenny, fast turning himself into a man who knows what buttons to push to get us all moving away from the government. On a broader view it is also clear that this government has a serious issue with people, not just sucidal citizens but anti-social, disabled, unemployed the old etc...across the political spectrum whole rafts of people are simply not 'reached out to' by the politicians. Its becoming diabolical. There is a large swathe of backbench TDs who could reel off the problems affecting local constituencies and constituents if we cared to listen, but we dont. The government takes a view of us as cogs in some broad economic machine. All initiatives are taken with monetary value in mind. Thus the marginal groups in this society go ignores. The recent argument over the disability act is a case in point, although one should begin to properly examine rights-based legislation as an issue in itself not just for the disabled. Such legislation would have a great deal of impact on Mr Mcdowells legislative agenda.
But i digress...the government is sitting on top of an increasingly restive can of worms. People are being bought off with 'productivity growth' but this only exacerbates the gap between those served and those not served. Has anyone told our TDs what their full job is? Apparantly not. The answer is not jockeying for position although some do like the gee gees (Eh Jim?) the answer is service. Not slavery but service. If u cant manage it then let local councils do it. I fear TDs eyes are too big for their political bellies in this regard. People can no longer be micro managed.
Unless we are treated like people and get a government who can see the endemic social problems in this country we are lost. Im glad the PDs are economically aware (wrongheaded but knowledgable) because on people and publice services they are inept. One must marvel at Harney's economic approach to the health service, the PDs and much of the right are one trick ponies. Sure you might save on your taxes but you aint gonna have a service worth paying for in return. The government must start seeing us as people not a consumers. I am tired of leading this imposed double life. I am both a citizen with my full political rights but also a consumer and all i actively do is work toward goods. Sorry but two dimensional people dont make up a full and vibrant society. There are people out there who cant fully enact their rights. The government has a moral responsibility to include them. They are people. Not paper. Not numbers. Not euros. People. And they are falling through the cracke. They deserve better.
Red Rover

This entry was posted on 5.11.2005 at 5/11/2005 02:11:00 p.m.. There are . If you want, you can leave your own response by clicking here. You may also send this post to a friend of yours via email, or bookmark it for yourself by using icons below;