Meldrew moment.

Two posts on the blog in one day is something of a record for the crew.

I was up bright and early to prepare myself for a day of bricklaying. I have been looking forward to this for a while. I took the Memsahib to the railway station as she travelled in to her place of work. On my way back I heard a snippet of the news on the radio. It seems that an electrician faces the sack for placing a small palm cross on the dashboard of his company van. 

It rankled me, which is not a good thing to do, especially as I have a lot of time on my hands and more access to the phone these days.

Mr Atkinson, aged 64, is being taken to a disciplinary hearing by his employer where he has worked for 15 unblemished years. Mr Doody, Mr Atkinson's manager apparently displays a poster of the Marxist revolutionary, Che Guevara, on his office wall. The publicly–funded Wakefield and District Housing association, have ordered Mr Atkinson  remove the Christian cross on the grounds that it may offend people or suggest the organisation is Christian. There is no news on the Marxist poster.

According to Marx, religion is an expression of material realities and economic injustice. Thus, problems in religion are ultimately problems in society. Religion is not the disease, but merely a symptom. It is used by oppressors to make people feel better about the distress they experience due to being poor and exploited. This is the origin of his comment that religion is the “opium of the masses”. 

 

Wakefield and District Housing association claims to be a religious neutral organisation. (does that makes it agnostic if it does not have any affiliation?) Says that allowing Mr Atkinson  to continue to display the cross would demonstrate favour towards Christians. There is no news on what the Marxist poster demonstrates.

In a bizarre arse over elbow stance Wakefield and District Housing association says that employees who adhere to other faiths (other than Christian apparently) are allowed to wear headdresses and turbans. Wakefield and District Housing association said "We do not allow employees to display any personal representations in our vehicles, although they are free to do so upon their person."    Mr Atkinson could lose his job over his alleged failure to comply with company policy, which prohibits employees from displaying personal items in the organisation's vehicles.  

Now, call me old and cynical but this carries with it a smell of a different kind. This is crass stupidity that has been thought through to a monumental degree. Someone working within Wakefield and District Housing apparently has to much time on their hands. Plus their left leg is shorter than their right one. 

My views on religion are - I don't have any. I was brought up in an enlightened Christian household where I was given the choice. I chose not to have any and my wishes were recognised as such. So that makes me a none denominational, fundamental agnostic.  However, I do recognise and support the freedom to have personal beliefs, to practice those personal beliefs and to demonstrate those personal beliefs. Whatever those beliefs are. In the 2001 census I was at that time affiliated to the Jedi Knights.

So this morning I rang Wakefield and District Housing association  to express my displeasure as a none denominational, fundamental agnostic, member of the public and Jedi Knight. I voiced my objection to their employees displaying religious apparel without a red plastic nose.  I pointed out that I found it deeply offensive to me that these particular employees were not sporting a red nose. That this was aimed specifically at me as a none believer in the religious persuasion of the individuals choice. (Exactly the same views as the person who complained about Mr Atkinson's cross) Wakefield and District Housing association it seems did not understand what I was talking about. That's because is was a load of bollocks just the same as the complaint and their actions towards Mr Atkinson.  

Che Guevara was a terrorist, albeit one who captured the tee shirts of a whole generation.  He was a symbol of rebellion and played a leading role along with the Castro brothers in the guerrilla campaign to over throw the Cuban government of the day. Following the Cuban Revolution, Guevara was placed in charge of reviewing the appeals and then organising the firing squads for those convicted during the post revolutionary tribunals. Guevara remains as a revered by some and reviled by others, questionable historical figure.

Che Guevara is a role model to some and a murderous despot to others. Wakefield and District Housing may have managers who have made their choice. However, I have not been able to find out which one it is. 

The bricks are calling. 

Later....