Friday 11 June 2010

Neck Ties and Head Scarves...

A tie is a symbol of submission, it can be seen as representing a noose by which the wearer can be lead by their master. While a person may choose to wear a tie for many reasons, if that person is (or feels) obliged to wear a tie on a particular occasion then the symbolism is complete.

In this 21st century, in the UK, slavery has long since been abolished in law, but remnants of enforced servitude/obligation have remained in our society. Generally being seen as irrelevant, benign or traditional national foibles.

In private life it is fundamentally for the individual to decide to assert themselves against oppression - with the full support of society if called upon.

However in public life there is a more serious issue - if a person is so oppressed that they do not feel they have the personal authority over their own lives to even choose their own clothes, then how can they be trusted with any authority over the lives of others? Once they have authority over others, then whoever/whatever has authority over them will have authority over their subordinates too.

Moreover, if they are so used to their oppression that they are blind to it or they accept or even celebrate it this is even more insidious as it becomes a baited trap for others to be captured by.

To be an MP or councillor a person must be personally responsible and accountable for their actions, if they are acting under the influence of the will of anyone other than their electorate then they are unsuitable for the job and damaging to our democracy.

Throw off your ties, throw off your head-scarves, you have nothing to lose but your symbolic chains.