Its sad to see that Adam Price, one of Plaid Cymru's MPs (a guy I normally have a helluva lot of respect for), is obsessing about one single sentence in a blog post on Freedom Central. Or maybe make that several sentences. I really don't care.
A declaration of interests first: the Jeremy Townsend named by Adam Price repeatedly is my brother. Don't worry, I don't always agree with my brother (in fact, we frequently disagree quite vehemently).
"Who cares?"
That's what a sixteen year old said when she looked at the posts flying back and forth on blogs, Facebook profiles and the like. It really brought me up short. There was I, thinking I was in some perfect political storm, fascinated by all the arguments and counter-arguments. But to a "normal" person?
It means absolutely nothing to her.
To me though, this argument is indicative of wider divides in Wales.
I'm from Newport (okay, I was born in Birkenhead and lived there for less than four years, so I carry an unfortunate legal baggage of being English, even when my heart and soul are largely Welsh). I'm not sure many people realise how many jokes Newport has become the brunt of, in recent years.
As far back as John Wesley (perhaps earlier than that even, I heard a rumour that the Mabinogion has reference to a border town filled with thieves which some people claim is Newport), the Methodist preacher, Newport has been slagged off. The founder of Methodism once wrote that he found the citizens of Newport the most insensible, ill-behaved people he had ever seen. In fact, he went so far as to say they were "as wild as boars".
Newport is still being slagged off. But you know what? Its not a political issue. Its just an issue for those of us who love our area to say, "Nah, its not really that bad". So therefore the same for this perceived "attack" on Bala. I mean, damn, Bala's a lovely, lovely, lovely location. We've been there as a family several times and I think have always enjoyed the experience. But stating a geographical fact isn't neccessarily slagging off the location.
But this slagging off of Bala (perceived, not real) is actually a symptom of deeper, more dangerous divides in Wales. And it involves the Welsh language. Maybe the Welsh language wasn't part of this debate. I don't know my brother's views on that, nor do I know Adam Price's views.
Before I continue, I want to put this big disclaimer in: I love the Welsh language. I cannot speak it, because unfortunately I was educated in a State school which as of yet does not place enough significance on the teaching of the Welsh language from a very early age. I intend to learn Welsh as soon as I can, largely because I find the language fascinating. Nonetheless, my admiration of the language has not blinded me to some of the problems around it.
As someone from Newport, I know that me and many of my friends are deemed by some as "not Welsh". I went to North Wales on holiday with some friends. While we stopped at a pub for lunch, a North Wales woman approached me (my friends were at the bar) and said, "Where you from?"
"Newport," quoth I.
"Oh, not Wales, then."
Perplexed and I confess, a little aggravated, I rejoinder, "No, it is in Wales. I mean the one in South Wales."
With a superior smirk, she completed the conversation, "So not Wales, then," before walking off to the bar where she proceeded to look down on us and speak in Welsh whilst giving dismissive nods and points towards us (and no, I don't challenge her right to speak Welsh, she can feel free to speak it as much as she likes - my issue is with her rude nature and dismissive actions, not her language).
For too long, the ability to speak Welsh has been seen as a requirement to be or feel Welsh, and certainly to be considered Welsh by some narrow sections of our country. I feel Welsh, I consider myself Welsh; heck, with Welsh ancestors and Welsh upbringing, I probably jolly well am Welsh. But because some narrow group of people think the only way we can be Welsh is to speak Welsh, I'll always have to cope with the elitism shown by that woman and others.
Is that real elitism any less deplorable than the (unreal) elitism shown by my brother in his post stating that Bala was in the middle of nowhere? It seems to me that many in Wales are quick to claim that those with "Anglo-centric" viewpoints are slagging them off or mocking their culture.
Could you please tell me what Anglo-centric means, Adam Price? If you're reading this. Could you please tell me how we avoid being seen as Anglo-centric? Could you please tell me why it is only you as a Nationalist MP who can state what is Anglo-centric or what is not? Anglo-centric would by semantics appear to be "English-centred". I don't think you're getting an English-centred party with the Lib Dems, Adam. We're in favour of full devolution, and as I recall, are making more of a push for it than your party has been. Does that mean you are Anglo-centric for not pushing forward the devolution debate? I didn't think so.
Personally, I detest the word. It is so vague. It is an easy, guilt-free attack generally used against people who try to point out ways the establishment can be moved forward.
If someone was suggesting the compulsory destruction of homes to create reservoirs, or the banning of Welsh-speaking in schools... that might be Anglo-centric. But Mr Price, those battles were fought years ago. Yes, your party was pivotal in fighting those battles and I give your party the greatest respect for that achievement.
But we've moved on. Wales now has serious inequalities and serious cohesion issues. When we have debates about the Welsh language and its effects in future, they must be dealt with in a mature way, not with a mud-slinging "Anglo-centric", which seems to be a knee-jerk and automatic response generated from the years when the English Government did pursue campaigns of subjugation against the indigenous Welsh people and culture. When we have debates about the Welsh culture and state funding, especially in this troubled time for the economy, let's not automatically take out the grief-marked "Anglo-centric" trophy to polish before waving it around. When we start talking about ways to unite Wales rather than divide Wales, lets leave the "Anglo-centric" fanfare in the cupboard?
It is distracting. It is overly political. It is from a history long-buried. It is unhelpfully indefinable. It is too easy. It is smearing. It is misleading. And more to the point, its usage is overly reserved for Plaid Cymru MPs.
Please stop using the word, Adam Price. The wars against England finished centuries ago. The political battle against England is largely over. The debate has moved on. Plaid Cymru and yourself should move on with it.
Oh, and a final point, Adam! My brother moved from Newport some years ago. He's no more a "Newport activist" than you are! (Although you're welcome to help the Liberal Democrats in Wales' newest city whenever you have time, Mr Price!)
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3 comments:
Congrats on the post Ol. Well thought out and clever. Sadly. you will probably be met with a similar immature response as your brother was.
Ol,
I think the 'Anglo-centric' claim was somewhat misplaced... In my original article I mentioned a German composer, an Italian conductor, a Northern Irish film, jazz (American) and in my response to Adam Price made reference to Bohemian, Finnish, Russian and Polish composers. I don't think anywhere I mentioned England or anything English in trying to justify my arguments.
What is far more sinister and unsettling, however, is that one of the first questions the Daily Post journalist asked the Welsh Lib Dem press team was 'Is he Welsh?' - a question I find to be totally abhorrent.
Jeremy
I read this post with amusement. First, you make great play of one unpleasant experience, and then suggest that this is endemic to Welsh-speakers. That is your suggestion. It's like me saying that the letter in yesterday's Western Mail from some idiot in Barry about Welsh-speakers herding sheep and reciting poetry, or a comment on Betsan Powys's blog that Welsh speakers are 'inbred and inferior', represents English-speaking Welsh people, and that you should be accountable for nasty comments made by someone in your community.
Some Welsh-speakers think thoughts that you attribute to them. Most don't. Some English speakers hate Welsh-speakers. Most don't.
You conflate one person with an entire community at your peril.
As for the old 'they told me I wasn't welsh then "proceeded to" speak Welsh all evening' (I love it when you people use that phrase - they don't speak Welsh, they 'proceed to' do it, you see... )
Funny how the old urban myth stays the same: it's always a pub, they always check you don't speak Welsh, then they always 'proceed to' speak Welsh to exclude you. If I had a pound for the number of times I've heard that, or a variant on it, I'd be able to make a large legal donation to Lib Dem funds.
For what it's worth, I'm English, live in Caernarfon (probably the "middle of nowhere" in your terms...), and have kids at local schools. I've never - not once - encountered any of the hostility you imply is endemic to Welsh-speaking culture. On the contrary. I'm inclined to think that people here try so damn hard to make one feel OK about not speaking Welsh that it's not fair.
I walk into pubs and they 'proceed to' speak in English for my benefit.
Basically your post is a familiar piece of 'come on Welsh-speakers, apologise for the occasional nasty person I've met' whingeing, with zero sense of how Welsh-hating comments, which are rife, affect the balance of power and the dialogue between cultures. You wouldn't dream of being held accountable for comments like 'Welsh is a toxin and welsh speakers are in a jihad against us' (another choice morsel from Betsan Powyss blog, but you're happy to challenge Welsh-speakers to apologise for some miserable old trout in a pub. Assuming she exists, because most of the stories like this I hear from people who go to the same pubs as me in Caernarfon are lies.
You call a historical place in Wales 'the middle of nowhere' and the culture festival 'regressive', then expect everyone to like you. Worse still, as a defence mechanism, you then post comments, like this one, which imply that there's some kind of root illness among Welsh-speakers and that it's their problem.
I'm amazed, frankly, at the mendacity of it all.
As for Jeremy's finding the question 'Is he Welsh' 'totally abhorrent', he's obviously led a very sheltered life. I'm asked whether I'm Welsh al the time. I imagine that when you sneer at a place for being in the 'middle of nowhere' and call the Eisteddfod 'regressive', then whether you're Welsh or not has some relevance, doesn't it? I mean , they are journalists... I read the article about you and it didn't make any even sub-racist point about your nationality.
But here too, Jeremy is imputing racism or bigotry to the Daily Post merely for asking the question - is that what you mean Jeremy? Do you find the Daily Post racist for asking if you're Welsh? If so, why not say it?
Are you perhaps trying to divert attention from your original comments?
After all, nothing works better than firing up the suspicion of the language than a good story about how Welsh-speakers like to use Welsh to exclude us, and it has the merit of changing the goalposts from the original mistake you made.
Perhaps in your next post you can issue a demand for Welsh speakers to apologise for the nasty woman in the pub?
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