'Oh, so that's who Richard Morris is..." Lord Hattersley on The Daily Politics

'An influential activist' - The Guardian

'Iain Dale, without the self loathing' - Matthew Fox in The New Statesman

'
You are a tinker...' - Tim Farron

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Someone threw an egg at my house. Is this a political rite of passage?


The other night someone threw an egg at my house, and then ran off. The window it hit didn’t smash and cleaning everything up the next day only took 20 minutes or so, so no big deal.

Hubris obviously makes me want to think that someone was making a political point about my being a Lib Dem activist. Realism makes me think that it was kids drinking on the Common having a laugh and we were randomly targeted. Who Knows?

Anyway, it did make me ponder the nasty side of politics. The side that, as Caron points out on her blog, means that a 14 year olds experience of her first national conference was to be sworn and spat at by protestors. And to show it works both ways – the alleged use of inappropriate language by a Lib Dem to describe protestors, who will be mainly decent, well meaning people who just happen to have a different view from us (thanks to Lisa H for blogging on this).

I wonder how many more good people, across the political spectrum, are put off getting involved in politics because of behaviour like this?

I’m struck by how few people who read my blog actually feel like they can leave a comment – it’s way less than 1%. Now obviously a lot of people just don’t want to comment – but I do wonder how many others just don’t want to put their heads above the parapet, for fear of the response they will get.

We moan a lot about the low regard politicians are held in this country, and obviously there are ample examples of poor behaviour from national politicians who have got us to that position. But unless the rest of us can behave in a more civil manner, a lot less people are going to involve themselves, and the country will be poorer for it.

5 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. Hmm. I've never deleted a comment before on the blog but I thought that the one above kind of overstepped the mark on the abuse front. While at the same time rather making the point of the post itself.

    It doesn't sit easily with me though. Should I feel bad about deleting an honestly held view? Not sure if I've done the right thing.

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  3. You have Richard. Your blog, your rules. Free speech is one thing but to be honest, I have had my fair share of abuse for speaking my mind and I now set my own rules on my blog and certain people are blocked altogether.

    Its a damn shame thats for sure but sadly until people grow up and be civil as you said, what can a blogger do?

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  4. Seriously though. Why do people, other than Justin Bieber, throw eggs at houses. It happened to my harmless little ol' lady neighbour at 4am this morning. Is it just kids being stupid?

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