Inform, Educate, Entertain.... with Impartiality???

Words fail me. They really do.
In the UK we have an enforced license fee which we must pay to the BBC. In return we supposedly get 'free' television from a company who is supposed to remain impartial.
But does impartiality mean ignoring major events? Surely by failing to report on something major they are failing to be impartial by omission.
Many people in the UK will have the full story of how many Easter eggs have been bought, who makes the best hot cross buns and how many 'eco warriors' glued themselves to the road in London (incidentally, I can't believe such strong glue is in any way environmentally friendly but there's irony for you).
Those same people will unfortunately be blissfully unaware of the many thousand veterans of the armed forces along with many serving members who have protested recently.
On the 12th April, 22,000 motorcyclists rode through central London #rollingthunder - imagine for a second the sight and sound of 22,000 motorbikes. You'd have thought that would be newsworthy wouldn't you?
On the 19th April there were large marches in many city centres - London where there were over 12,000 marchers, Manchester, over 7000 and thousands more in other cities. In each location a sea of regimental colours, men in berets marching together - it could hardly be missed #millionveteransmarch. Again - a coordinated set of marches in major cities should certainly be newsworthy shouldn't it??
Well - it seems that there has been a news blackout for these particular protests. Not just by the BBC, but by every other mainstream broadcasters and most of the minor ones too.
Now I hate conspiracy theories, but could this be the government gagging the broadcasters? Is this too much of a sensitive issue for there to be an open and balanced conversation and for the public to know about it? Shouldn't a truly independent and impartial organisation disregard any government directive if the story is in the public interest?
What are the protest marches all about you may wonder? Well the date of the last protest should give you a clue. Good Friday. The Good Friday agreement was drawn up to bring about peace in Northern Ireland. As part of the agreement 400 convicted terrorists were released and a further 200 suspected terrorists were given 'get out of jail free cards' - letters guaranteeing that they would not be prosecuted for past terrorist crimes.
You may have seen recently stories of 'Soldier F' and 'Soldier B' who are to be prosecuted for past events in Northern Ireland.
The protests are about the injustice of this situation. They (or as a veteran myself I should say we) are protesting at the double standards and witch hunting of men and women who took an oath to protect this country, and who in many conflicts before and after Ireland have done just that - whatever the personal cost.
The entire military family are not happy.
This is not just about Northern Ireland. It is about every conflict before or since. It is about every action a member of the armed forces takes at any time. Actions which may seem unsavoury or difficult or even savage to those who benefit from the protection and security which comes about from these actions. But how can a member of the armed forces be expected to do these things if they think that 20 or 30 years later they may be facing prosecution for doing their duty?
However, in the marches there was no trouble. No fighting. No environmentally unfriendly glue. What was on display was dignified and disciplined, showing pride and respect. Something to be expected from those who understand what these words mean. Something which those who failed to report these marches clearly do not understand.

Manchester

I remember my first gig. I was 14 and a few of us got the bus to town, then off to the City Hall in Newcastle. I think the biggest worry I had that night was whether I fell over and crushed my 10 Regal King Size. Skip forward the best part of 40 years and I wonder what is happening in this world. My feeling of horror when I first heard the news about this atrocity has not lessened. Music has the power to evoke so many strong emotions, bring back memories and make you feel good. For many young people who went to their first gig, music will now evoke memories of death and panic.

In Manchester we have seen the very worst in humanity, but thankfully also the very best. Communities coming together to help strangers, taxi drivers turning off their meters to make sure people got home safely, medical staff turning up to help in hospitals and being turned away because there were already too many volunteer staff there, strangers running towards danger to help others... people of all colours, nationalities and beliefs coming together with a common purpose - to help those in need.

It saddens me to look at social media and see posts from the ill informed, ignorant and racist who have immediately seized on this as being another reason to 'kick out the immy grants', or to 'get rid of the muslins' (why is it that racists can't spell?). But it also gives me hope when I see the resilience and positivity of many.

Fortunately I have not been touched by terrorism directly and hope I never will. I know many who have experienced it though, and many who have risked their lives to protect us from it. Because of this I know one thing for certain - you cannot change the way you live because of terrorists - that means they have achieved their aim.

So Manchester, be safe, but go out, see bands, go to the theatre, have a drink. Don't let these warped people with warped beliefs change your life. Yes - be vigilant and careful, but don't do anything different. And if you see a copper on the beat with a gun or a soldier patrolling, be thankful they are there to protect you so that you are able to carry on with your normal life.

Tis the season to be...

Well, I'm not really sure what it's the season for any more. Certainly for some people it seems to be a grotesque celebration of many of the seven deadly sins, and certainly nothing to do with the traditions surrounding the birth of Christ. Fair enough - most of the symbolism surrounding Christmas was stolen from the pagans and even the date of the winter solstice (or close enough) was stolen, but it is still supposed to be a celebration to do with birth, peace, and loving your fellow man. I'm not really sure what filling shops with tacky crap from September onwards has to do with any of these. Or filling your house with enough food to feed a third world village for a month (then throwing the majority of it in the bin). I really think people have lost the plot and use Christmas as an excuse to eat until they're nearly sick and to spend more money than they have on crap they don't need.
And just in case you haven't spent enough before Christmas don't worry. The sales will give you a huge discount on all of the crap the shops couldn't get rid of before Christmas - some shops even started their 'Boxing Day Sale' on Christmas Eve.
So is this what Christmas has developed into? A quest to spend as much as possible to prove how much you like Christmas? Well not me. I'd rather just have a nice meal and some good company - and be able to stand up after the meal.