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A Sobering Thought      6/8/12

 

Sir,

I like millions of our fellow countrymen from Port of Ness to Port of Dover have been simply wallowing in the success of Great Britain hosting and competing in the 2012 Olympic Games. A series of stadiums and events courses across the country built well, stunningly attractive and diverse. Built by the varied 'tribes of Britain' established and newly arrived.

Built on budget and on time; opened in splendour and watched by billions. Many in the economic and industrial world doubted our ability and we have showed them. Now their commentators are in awe and praise our achievements to the heavens. The worlds sportsmen and women praise the support from the massed crowds to all competitors - a very British attitude.

To top it all as an ex soldier with a son now serving when the folly of depending on private security was exposed the British Army stepped in; how warmly they were welcomed and exposing yet again to the world just how professional and multi-roled they can be. The Tories are foolish to down size this magnificent asset.

Saturday was the icing on the cake as Gold after Gold, success after success, resulting in Great Britain proudly sitting in 3rd place under the mighty populous giants of the USA and China. 3rd place but by no means what so ever 3rd rate. My white wine was fizzy last night as those athletes roared into glory in that magnificent stadium. Not since the British Armed Forces regained the islands 30 years ago for the British People of the Falkland Islands have I felt so proud to see the Union Flag flying. But when you take wine it can go to your head and then the sobering results.

There are sobering thoughts. We have watched and hopefully in the following week continue to watch British people at their Greatest. Not just the athletes ordinary people too - those crowds show our character just as much. It was not in-considered when with the union of parliaments in 1707 that Scotland and England added the prefix Great to that of Britain. Certainly what we have watched except for our youngest grandchildren is ever seeing again ourselves an Olympic Games held in these Isles. But what we may have also watched is the last time Britain will be Great at the games.

Those of us that would opt to cede from that union of nations might just reflect to think of yet another element of an increasingly ill thought out model in an independent Scottish future - Sport. A nation that has a Premier League of one effective club is just one example. We will never see a team of English bike riders led by a Scot who is by far the best competing British athlete in the games, a proud female British Scottish soldier rowing to glory with an English school teacher. A Scot tennis star and a wee English lass. Scots, English and Ulster men canoe to Greatness. They are teams made Great by being British.

The world is watching Britain and we are showing them how Great we are both as hosts and competitors. Many visitors to London or indeed TV viewers will now be considering Great Britain as a future holiday and that particularly for North American travellers means a visit to Scotland. So what is Scotland to offer? At the present a nation divided by this cursed separation issue and denied for cynical political purposes a right to get on and vote one way or the other. A nation in which many desire to cede from their neighbours but present no joined up plans of how to do so and exist in the future other than confiscate diminishing oil wealth. And on a personal note a nation of visual beauty damned by politicians and greed to be despoiled by turbines and pylons across its length and breadth.

So are we to reflect of a Great British nation moving forward together Today, to further glory and success or to revert to a smaller less significant nations determined by a vote by a few in 2014 based around its Past and the cynical use of an anniversary of a medieval battle? Given the success of Great Britain in 2012 no wonder we have to wait. Sorry Mr Salmon you may loath the term but its Team GB and that reflects modern Britain a team of nations making us simply Great. Scotland works well in its devolved model within Great Britain why meddle? But for now lets Medal together any way.

Paul Blake

16A Lemreway

Pairc

 

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