Guest blog by The Poet,
A certain Professor David Starkey has claimed that rioting and looting is black behaviour. Mr Starkey lists his job as "historian". He ain't much good is he? A cursory look at any history book will tell you that the British were rather good at riotin and a' lootin long before there was a large black population on these isles. Like Mr Starkey, I have spent my life with my head buried in books. History is a fascinating subject, hopefully it teaches us lessons for the future. Children realise things can get better. I wonder what history books Mr Starkey has read to decide that murdering, robbing and looting are black behaviour.
When I look in the mirror, I see a face looking back at me that has a rich history. It tells a story of people transported across a great sea. When my great, great, great, great, great grandmother arrived in chains in the Caribbean, what awaited her? Was it a life of luxury, with slaves to tend to her, all the food she could eat, prepared and brought to the table? Or was it a life of slavery, eating the leftovers from the masters table, being sexually and physically abused, being worked to an early death? My face tells me that it was both, because I have a white family and a black family tree. Sadly, they collided during an act of sexual violence.
And the male side? Owning a plantation, being a rich man, or working as a slave? My face tells me that all of those things are in my genes. Is the anger and violence I feel my white anger or my black anger? When I read Mr Starkey and what he has to say, I know for sure he's a white historian. I don't believe in white history or black history, just the history of the human race. This teaches us that injustice and ignorance is a dead end philosophy. Sadly much black history was lost, there was no one to record it. Just oral history, family mythology and half remembered tales. How much of the violence, injustice and hurt lived and died with the victims?
In the USA decendents of slaves are asking for reparations. The question that the white establishment asks is "Why should we pay for the sins of our forefathers?". The answer is "I am poor, because your granddad robbed my granddad, your great granddad robbed my great granddad, and your great great granddad robbed my great great granddad, and until I can get a decent education, I will never be in a position to even start to catch up". This isn't begging, it's asking to have my stolen inheritance back.
When I was a child my family was poor. I discovered books at an early age. I learned that I could escape from the drudgery of my daily life into a world of excitement, wonder and awe. As I grew, I started to read history books. I started to understand why the world we live in is how it is. When I was 14, I started to write poetry. What has always puzzled me is how I notice things that others miss. A flower, a sunrise, social injustice, sexual violence, repression, love, hatred. Why does everyone turn the other way? I wonder why we miss all of these things?
Then I see someone like Mr Starkey, an expert in his field, as we are told? Then we realise. Was it Kipling who said "In the land of the blind, the one eye'd man is king". When you look at me do you see a rioter and a looter? I hope not. I have read ten thousand books and I hope I read ten thousand more before I die. I have learned one thing. I don't judge them by their cover.
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The Poet has been writing poetry about life for the last 42 years and is a great friend of this blog. This blog was dictated over a pint of Guinness in one of Londons finest hostelries. Guest blogs are always welcome at the Barnet Eye. Usually people send them via the email link in my profile, in the grey sidebar, but you are welcome to buy me a pint and dictate them if you know a decent pub and have a great blog to dictate.
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