Words of wisdom from 87 year old Baroness (P D) James

On the day that the people of England and Wales actually managed to apply some vigour to voting in the council elections - delivering a clear message, as it now transpires - P D James was at the Palace of Westminster delivering a clear message of her own.  Baroness James warns that we are "living in a land of ghettos" and "bedevilled by political correctness".

Do read the article in the Daily Mail as it carries more text than other sources online.  Here some quotes:

"Our society is now more fractured than I in my long life I have ever known it.

Increasingly there is a risk that we live in ghettos with our own kind, with a strong commitment to our local community but little contact with those outside it. Mutual respect and understanding and recognition of our common humanity cannot be nurtured in isolation.

And in our relationships we are bedevilled by the cult of political correctness.  If in speaking to minorities we have to weigh every word in advance in case inadvertently we give offence, how can we be at ease with each other, how celebrate our common humanity, our shared anxieties and aspirations, both for ourselves and for those whom we love?

There is little point in government promising money to recruit extra policeman if they are to spend their time in filling in forms.  It sometimes seems that we have an army of well-paid unproductive officials whose only task is to interfere with those who have a proper job to do.  Perhaps the time has come when we need to look at the whole structure-of our police service to see how far it meets the challenges of our changing society."

Hear, hear.

I've heard P D James speak on two occasions.  Her intellect is as swift as a Google search.  If you ever have the chance, don't miss her.  I suspect that she may be at the Cheltenham Literature Festival (10 -19 October) again this year.  The timing seems perfect for the publication of her next Dalgliesh novel "The Private Patient" which is due on 4 September from Faber & Faber (UK & Commonwealth, excluding Canada).

Comments

[Debi]

'Her intellect is as swift as a Google search.' Love that line!

[Norm]

I agree with everything in your post and especially:

'It sometimes seems that we have an army of well-paid unproductive officials whose only task is to interfere with those who have a proper job to do.'

The long silent majority are perhaps now flexing their collective voice in these local elections. Enough is enough.