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How Far Do You Go?
One email I got from my recent Brexit posts asked the following;
You can argue that acceptance of an English identity is the reverse of racism or nativism, e.g. the mature embrace of one’s culture without the need to impose it on others or to deny the value of other cultures. However, my question about all ‘identity’ issues is: how fine do we go? Regional (the North vs. the Midlands)? Civic? Language? Hobbies? Down to the level of the individual?
.. good question, to which I do not have a specific answer, other than the ‘will of the people’. I have heard it said that the day Texas secedes from ‘The Union’, so too will Austin secede from Texas. It’s a lot to do with the ‘will of the people’ and similar in vein to the one that connects to how much time must pass before things should be repatriated.
The Elgin marbles have been in the UK for a little over 200 years - and at last check 40% of people in the UK feel that they should be returned to Greece. We still aren’t even at a 50.01 % majority and that vote is less than the combined ’won’t vote / no opinion of 45%.
I know about the marbles - but still, put me in the ‘no opinion’ camp - I just don’t know enough. Sadly that doesn’t stop people voting in real elections, which might explain the pickle we are in.We now see that Scotland is pushing for another referendum, they have strong benefits of the EU and given that they significantly voted ‘Remain’ and only just lost the independence vote, I suspect a new referendum would see Scotland breaking away and joining the EU.
Separately, I don’t quite see the logic of being so adamant on your independence that the first thing you do is subjugate yourselves to something even larger and more controlling … go figure. Still we know that Scottish Nationalism is alive and well, and if I was a betting man - then the Scots will break away. I suspect also that Northern Ireland will go the same way for different reasons. But that might take longer.
And so, back to the Elgin Marbles, once all this is said and done, who then is in control of The British Museum (current home of the Marbles) … and who gets to decide where they go? It really isn’t clear cut. Around countries - it will be the will of the people. This is why the USA won’t be returned to the original natives of the continent any time soon - they just don’t have the vote!
Yorkshire people
- .. and I speak as an honorary member of that fine county
- .. and yes - I still see it as a single county - despite the ‘new’ boundary changes that have been in place for more than two thirds of my life.
Yorkshire people are proud of their heritage and are very clear on their identity - but I am not sure that there is a serious movement to ‘do a Scotland’. But heh - we are in a new era!
If that doesn’t answer the question - you know who you are … ping me back!