By What Right?

Direct Dot Gov Dot UK has a load of stuff about Citizens and Rights.

A Citizen is, apparently, someone owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a state. You can get this debt simply by being born. Alternatively, you can accumulate one of these debts by signing up for it, in the form of naturalisation.

I was born, like most people. I was born in England. Not Scotland, Wales the EU, but England. It was part of Great Britain then, and still is, so I guess I am a citizen of Great Britain.

OK. I assume the mantle of Great Britain citizenship, although I prefer to be English (my family have been English for nearly 1000 years).

Now, according to the Direct.Wotsit.Gov.Thing where your rights come from - they come from the British Constitution. The British Constitution is a set of rules of government. It is not formally written down. In fact, it is not written down anywhere. It is actually just a wild guess, at best, and at worst the imposition of a set of arbitrary laws made up by a government that I didn't elect (and nor did two-thirds of my compatriots), along with another heap made by the European Union (which nobody in the UK elected even though they may have been conned into voting for the Common Market).

Assuming (and please don't) that I accept any of this so far, I then have the right to free speech. As long as I don't say something that the government doesn't like.

And in return for this, I am supposed to offer loyalty. Loyalty is something you earn. But loyalty is the Numero Uno that I am asked for.

So, OK. Loyalty. Fair do's. Free Speech for Loyalty. Fair enough.

And what, I ask, is the number two priority, to their tiny minds? Ah. Not plotting against the state. As if.

And then, among my other responsibilities, I see voting, jury service, giving evidence in court. I don't. I haven't. I won't.

But I see a pattern. This outfit must be run by lawyers, for lawyers.

I do what I'm told, then I'm allowed to request information (as long as it doesn't cost much, and I know exactly who to ask, and it isn't sensitive), I'm allowed to protest (as long as it's ineffective), I'm allowed to complain about discrimation (as long as I'm not indegenous, white, heterosexual and able-bodied), and I'm allowed to get married (as long as it isn't to a farmyard animal).

But what I want is change. Not this #changewesee troll, but change. The system we labour under is ancient. It was created when most people couldn't read or write. And they tended to die before 30. And they had wooden teeth. Today we are in the twenty-first century. We can read. Write. Surf the net.

And I know it's bollocks. It's not the government. It's not the parties. It's not the rules. It's the whole shebang. And I don't want it.

So, as regards your deal, in the words of my Great-great (repeat twenty-something times) Grandfather:

NON.

Twelve years hard Labour. I could probably do murder and get less than that with good behaviour.