WHERE
ARE THE FROGS?
OK,
I admit to having a few drinks before setting my fingers to the
keyboard, so maybe I haven't quite mastered all the facts, but aren't
there times when the data just gets in the way of the truth? Bear
with.
Two
days ago the Westminster Parliament passed the second reading of what
is colloquially referred to as the Gay Marriage Bill. Cue great
celebration by all those in favour of equality and treating everybody
as human beings. Cue hand wringing and prophesies of doom and the
collapse of civilisation from the eternal bigots.
But
what if the latter actually have got it right? Shouldn't something
have happened? Or does that have to wait until the bill passes the
Lords? Or becomes and Act next year? It was all very disappointing.
If the rebel Tories and their sundry allies really are on the side
of the angels shouldn't there have been a few decent omens. Lowering
skies, thunderbolts, the odd tsunami on Windermere and a bit of ash
coming off Snowdon? And frogs. I distinctly remember being promised
a plague of frogs. But nary a hint of skyfalling amphibians
yesterday or today. I was really looking forward to the frogs.
Nor
has my marriage felt under threat. Although, now I think back, we
did have a bit of a row about sweeping the floor (mostly my failure
to ever do it). Was that a sign? Is that divine intervention
showing it's hand in a mildly petulant fashion? I think I'm
beginning to get a handle on how this thing works.
Which
takes me back to the frogs. And Nadine Dorries. Suddenly it becomes
clear. The gods won't send a plague of frogs - just someone who
sounds as mad as a box of frogs. Seen like that, our Nadine is gift
from the skies, a bell weather of discontent and forthcoming
catastrophe. Didn't we all suspect there was much more to her than
just an utterly barking self-publicist? No? Oh, maybe not.
I
do hope I get to discuss this subject properly with someone who is
clearly opposed to the legislation. Especially if they would like to
introduce Adam and Eve into the conversation. There's no better way
to convince me of your philosophical credentials than using as
evidence a story featuring a talking snake and in which the crux of
the storyline hinges on eating a bit of fruit. Or am I getting mixed
up with Snow White? Maybe their next example will be Kermit and Miss
Piggy. I'm guessing Fozzy will feature as the evil family-wrecker in
this one.
Meanwhile
I find that my own MP, John Pugh of Southport, voted against the
bill. One of only four brave Lib Dems to do so. Maybe he just
wanted to stand out - not an easy task for one of Clegg's laddies
these days. His principle objection appears to be the supposed
decoupling of 'marriage' from 'family'. Now I've lived in Southport
for a couple of decades and wasn't aware that adoptions were regarded
as culturally different from family. I really should read the local
rag more frequently. I think I may have to write to Mr P just to get
a clarification of his views. And check that I'm not living in the
constituency of a nasty, narrow minded, little bigot. I'm sure I've
just misunderstood somewhere along the line. Maybe he read my blog
piece
(http://baclitter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-problem-of-marriage-gay-or-not.html)
and agrees with me that the whole marriage thing needs to be
rethought from scratch? Maybe he wants proper equality that provides
civil partnerships for heterosexual couples? Or maybe there are frogs
involved....
So
no portents, omens, signs, auguries, harbingers or disasters. What
an anticlimax. And if they've just been delayed for a day or so I'm
going to miss them. I'm now up in Scotland for a couple of weeks and
the legislation won't apply here (give Holyrood a bit of time....) so
no gods can be taking offence. Yet. Well, you'd think not, but our
own special brand of discrimination has been much in evidence. Yes,
Cardinal O'Brien is a shining example of how Scotland can do bigot at
least as well as anywhere else. I'm so proud.
Maybe
he can arrange some frogs for me?
No comments:
Post a Comment