Do you remember when politics drama was acted out on a stage like Sunday live big questions in a mediated and most importantly safe environment.
How has times changed that politic disputes has now become like a badly made western tv series where the politicians are the target of the violence and are then begging to be written out of the show.
And I think Lilian Seenoi-Barr can agree to this.
She was selected by the SDLP to be the next mayor of Derry and Strabane essentially being Northern Ireland’s first black mayor.
And since this historic news it has been met with a barrage of threats to her life,and police have even arrested a 30 year old man whose behind some of the online abuse.
I’m so proud that Northern Ireland are taking a stand and giving their full support and endorsement to Lilian.
And you wouldn’t blame her for being afraid for hr life look what happened to MPs Jo Cox and David Amess that have been victims to the new craze of senseless political madness.
It’s sad that bad news always overshadow the good news.
But I want to highlight the positives as she deserves that.
She is a kenya born woman who arrived in Ireland as a refugee,and is the founder and director of the city’s North West Migrants Forum, which supports Black and minority ethnic communities who live in Northern Ireland,and during the black lives movement she organised protest in Ireland.
It truly is inspiring and I find it in these refugee -feared times.
Her journey shows that refugees truly can add value to a country and repay countries that give them a second chance.
I’m happy that she is standing her ground and is eager to accept her appointment, but I advise her not to downplay the threats as she said it’s her family more concerned not her.
I tend to think of politics like ice cream people like vanilla chocolate strawberry there all displayed in a shop , and it’s up to people to purchase their flavour of choice.
What happens if someone takes it upon themselves to hide the 2 other flavours and make only 1 flavour available.
Would that be healthy competition?
Sadly there’s some people that see healthy democratic competition as bizarrely dangerous and will do anything to take down the ‘assumed threat’.
This is what makes modern day politics now dangerous.
I too went through a incident of harassment while I was a councillor, and remember before I was elected a white elderly man told me in a local meeting that he was angry that 3 black councillors were going to represent the ward and he wants to report to the head office that he’s not happy with the choice of all black candidates.
And the irony Harlesden ward has a predominantly Afro -Caribbean and Irish demographic.
But had never have a period of more than one black councillor representing it at the same time.
So the man was pissed ,but he could never know he was talking to me one of the candidates, when I told him it’s me that is contesting for the seat.
He froze maybe wanting the ground to swallow him up, and then apologized to me and I shook his hand.
I truly educated him that i want to serve everyone not just black people and we as human beings are more similar than different.
But it did put fear in my heart with the realization that at times people can hate not because they know a person but just because they perceive them as different.
I truly believe blind hatred is on a rage now especially in British politics, and truly hope they find a vaccine for it immediately.