Gordon Brown and The Sun - a dyslexic viewpoint

I haven't felt too sorry for Gordon Brown over any of the problems he's had with the press.  That was until yesterday when the story broke in The Sun over his virtually illiterate letter to the mother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan. You see, I read Mr Browns reply (as best I could) and I thought - there for the grace of god go I. I've no desire to be Prime Minister, so it's one problem I'm not going to have, but as a dyslexic educated in the 60's and 70's I know what it is like to be on the receiving end of harsh criticism when you've done your best, purely for appalling spelling, awful grammar and dismal punctuation.

I was hit with a ruler on more than one occasion by teachers for "deliberately" spelling words incorrectly. I'm sure that Gordon Brown decided that a hand written letter from the Prime Minister would be far more appreciated than a stock word processed letter with his signature. I've no idea whether he's dyslexic, but his letter has a few of the hallmarks. He's clearly an intelligent man, but like me his brain clearly has a problem with names and words. It isn't helped by appalling handwriting, but I doubt a non dyslexic with his education and job would spell in that manner.

I get my wife to fill in all the forms I have to send off. I always get them wrong. Is it because I'm lazy or not careful? No. It's because if your brain tells you that's how it should be, that's how it should be. Ok you say, surely Gordon Brown should have a civil servant to read it before it's sent? Well hang on, it's supposed to be a private letter of condolence. What would the Sun say if it found out that "Gordon Brown is dyslexic and needs to pay a civil servant to read all his private letters". I say shame on The Sun for using a private matter for such horrible political ends. This whole issue is about trying to belittle Gordon Brown. I'd like to see whether The Sun feels it's inappropriate to use peoples disabilities against them? If it does then it is breaking the law. Let's just have a look at a few famous people, who've made a huge difference to their country :-

Winston Churchill - Alchoholic & Manic depressive
Franklyn D. Roosevelt - Virtual cripple.
Joan of Arc - Schizophrenic

All national icons, in the eyes of many, national saviours. Lord save us from becoming a nation where only the perfect are allowed to succeed. What message does it send to all of those kids out there struggling with dyslexia - "Keep your heads down, don't be too successful, because you've got an achillies heel that your enemies can destroy you with" - before I started writing this blog, I never wrote anything (apart from song lyrics) after I left school. When the Barnet Times asked me to write I blog, I was actually rather nervous about the concept. When I found people wanted to read it I was truly amazed. What I found was that people didn't care about the appalling use of English. They liked the fact that I was saying things no one else seemed to want to say. As a result others started having their say as well. Just as they say "don't judge a book by it's cover" I'd say don't judge anything by the handwriting or the spelling. What is the person trying to say? I wish I had the elegant prose of a Wilfred Owen, the wit of William Shakespeare or the dry humour of Stephen Fry. I haven't, but people still read the blog and get what I have to say (hopefully).  That's why I just can't stand by and say nothing about the crucifixion of Gordon Brown for his letter. I hope that this clobbers the Sun and  it's circulation figures. I think that the editor should be truly ashamed. I'm not going to criticise the mother of the soldier. She clearly has been deeply scarred and holds Brown responsible. She's just hitting back in any way she can. The Sun however are exploiting this to sell newspapers and it makes me sick.

There are plenty of reasons to have a go at Gordon Brown. His inability to write a letter of condolence is not one of them.