As expected DGD Eileen woke me during the night and asked my to sleep in her room with her, so I had a disturbed night. She was up just after 5 and we came downstairs to play 'Go Fish'.
I've also done 4 loads of washing, including DGS's uniform for next week.
At 10 am I collected DGD Suzy so SIL could take DGS to his football tournament.
We then drove to DD1's to look after her four whilst she and her DH went house hunting.
I made and served a picnic lunch for 6 children and 2 adults and hung DD1's washing out.
We came home about 1:30 with just 2 DGD's and I hung my washing out, emptied and washed out my bins and vacuumed through.
At 5pm I took packed the DGD's and all their stuff in to my car, drove to where DGD2 works, collected her and dropped them all home.
Whilst I was doing all this I have been sworn at, called stupid, been called an old fart, been called 2 faced, been called a racist!
Why? Because I voted, I always vote, women died to get me the vote and I intend to use it.
I don't like politicians, I think with a few exceptions they are a bunch of overpaid lying wankers.
But I vote, I live in a democracy, I am grateful for that so I vote.
Whenever possible I vote for The Monster Raving Loony Party, if my preferred candidate doesn't win I don't demand a second election. We live in a fucking democracy, if you don't like the result well that's just tough, get over it.
Yesterday I voted, I voted the same way I voted 40 years ago.
Anybody else want to call me names? Just post in the comments and I'll fucking ignore it just like I've ignored all the other insults today.
18 comments:
Well done & well said!
You sound like a hard working Grandma giving a lot of care to your family. Not sure who was so rude but well done you for using your vote. I have been cheered by the high percentage of turnout for once! we are annoyed with news people picking out people who wished they had not voted as they did and wanting to reverse. Er, you were asked to vote responsibly and in the way you wanted. Did someone say it was a game? did someone say voting tactics (ie vote leave just to give the remain a fright?) was the proper way to use your voting right? The choice was there, the majority made it, live with it and look at the positives.
Well said Hester - the cashier in Morrisons told me yesterday that I was a racist because I'd said that I'd voted for us to leave the EU - I told her that if it meant that my Grandchildren grew up in a safer Great Britain (with much emphasis on the word Great)then I really couldn't give a shit what she or anybody else called me because it's my family that matters to me. Her face was a picture - stupid young girl. Trish is right you are a hard working Gran - take care of you and don't let the buggers get you down xx
I voted against joining the common market; although it was a different world then - but hard times for most of us working class voters; but I suppose we knew no different. We also voted to leave EU - south of Thames and ours was one of only 4 London boroughs to do so. I did a lot of research prior to the election about the workings of the EU - but also voted that way because of what is happening right on our doorstep. There have been a number of elections, both local and national, where my candidate hasn't won - that's democracy and life goes on.
Incidentally, whilst at the polling station I witnessed someone bringing in a friend/family member. Taking him to the booth and pointing to where he should vote. The observers were very quick off the mark and ejected him saying he had voted earlier but was now attempting to influence a vote. He was part of a group hanging about outside. They were all laughing - obviously expected the vote to go their way which I'm sure it didn't.
The right to vote was hard won by the Chartists for working class men and the suffragettes for us women; so I've always voted. Whatever anyone's views it's no good shouting 'unfair' after the vote. Many didn't vote - and it's ridiculous for others to suddenly complain they wished they had voted the other way. Best of ten then!
I certainly believe in democracy and feel strongly that women should vote because of how hard that battle was. But I really, really, resent the fact that as a British expat I was not allowed to vote on an issue that had such a huge impact on my life. The fact that 800,000 Brits were denied the vote because of an arbitrary 15 year absence from the country is just that - arbitrary. It was challenged in court, denied, went to appeal and I believe lost and has one final throw of the dice (I believe). What happens if the decision to deny my right to vote is overturned? I have no idea. For now I go with the result because as you say we are called a democracy, but from where I'm standing it was anything but democratic in that so many Brits weren't allowed a say in their own future. But you know what, que sera. I have got over the shock and will make the most of what I have and like those that did get to vote put up with the consequences. Anna
Regardless of the result, yesterday was a success when it came to turn out. I was told by a reasonably high up in the Civil Service that if the number of people voting fell below a certain level then the Civil Service took over. Sometimes I wonder if they would do a worse job. Regardless, whether you agree or disagree with someone's choices, you vote. You go along and spoil your ballot if nothing else, but you turn up. Hugs x
You are an amazing Grandma, your grand children will be taking on board all your hard work and it will follow them all through their lives. Our country has a major election coming up on Saturday all my family vote it's very important to us that it's some thing we don't take for granted.
Well said, no matter which way you voted-it's your democratic right and yet still about 28% of the population did not exercise that right. As for ex pats wanting the vote-forget support from me. If you don't live here, you don't vote here. We endured all the same arguments at the time of the Scottish referendum. Four of my family live in USA and vote in neither country as they wish to remain British and so don't have the right to vote there. I wasn't offended by your language at all-I have said more bad words since Friday morning than I've said for years! You are an excellent grandparent and I don't think I know anyone else who works so hard and gives so much. Catriona
I have to beg to differ with Catriona. I am an expat because I was offered a job which, over time, turned into a good enough job to be able to support me and my two kids and keep a roof over our heads when my husband buggered off. It also allows me to support my (British) son while he is doing an apprenticeship and earning the princely sum of half the minimum wage.
I am now in my 50s and it would seem unlikely I would find another decent job at my age. So my point is, if I and he get kicked out (unlikely in our case but a return to the UK might be a serious issue for some expats because of this), can you point me in the direction of the unemployment office and how to get a council house because I will have nothing when I come back. Here I am a drain on no-one because I pay my way, have never been unemployed (nor have my kids) but back in the UK - then what? I guess we will save money by cancelling our health insurance though right because we will get all that for free when we come back. But you know, what I am saying is that if we HAD had the vote and it was still "out" then I could respect that. My bitch is that I we have not been given that option. Anna
Abuse because you voted is truly amazing! Most people would expect abuse if they hadn't voted. I always vote, even in local elections, because of what women suffered in order to get the vote.
As for the high turn out, I think it was reported that around 73% of those eligible to vote actually voted. That means almost a quarter of those eligible to vote did not vote, which his appalling. Yes, this is a democracy and I abide by the result even though I mightn't like it.
Margaret P
Please tell me that the abuse didn't come from members of your own family, since you were so involved with working hard for them all day long.
I applaud all your efforts in helping them so much by ferrying them around, childcare and having the children to stay overnight, meaning that you seem to have very little time for yourself - certainly not to relax!
Please take care of yourself - and if anyone finds fault with your decisions, give them what for and tell them to sort their own lives out.
Well said, I vote every time. My grandmother always said that the suffragettes suffered for us and we should support them to the end of time.
I had an outraged text demanding to know how I voted. My reply was 2 words, the second one was OFF. A ranting phone call followed so I propped the phone up and went outside..My response to abuse is generally along the lines of, "my taxes and NI payments paid for your schooling, Did you learn anything?.
Well said!! Some people only want democracy when the vote goes their way. Disgusting!
I feel that if you are living and working overseas, paying taxes there, yo are no longer a resident of the U.K. a and as such don't get a vote.
My family emigrated to Canada in the 1960s and never took out citizenship instil the 1980s. Not entitled to vote here or in the UK. We just paid our taxes and got on with life,
What bothers me is the UK migrants to Canada who insis on calling themselves expats all the time. You are immigrants who chose to come here for work or whatever. We don't call yo economic migrants which many are. If life in the uk was so awesome, why leave? Oh, yep, more money in your line of work here.
50 and counting, I lived in the US because my ex is American. I would never in a million years have expected to vote as a legal alien the US or Canada because it would not have affected my right to live there. I now live in France, Brexit affected my and my son's right to live and work here and we were denied the right to vote. So in a debate in which we have no right to vote we get kicked out of France - that is my gripe. As a citizen of an EU member State (i.e. the UK) I had the right to live and work in France. Now I don't but I had no say in the matter. So I hope you can find a council house and unemployment benefits for us because it seems we will have to be on the way back. And yes we have that right because I have paid into the system and we are both Brits. And no I don't want to come back because I am paying my way here. And for me it will work out, I will stay, but for many other Brits in my situation (ie not in the US or Canada but in other EU countries) they will have to up stick and come back. All I wanted is a say in my own future. I didn't get it.
I could have voted, 12 years out of the country with dual citizenship, but after careful consideration decided against it. Though I visit England, I'll never move back, so felt it wasn't really up to me. I would have voted leave though. I'm certainly no racist, it sure as hell isn't about that, it's about Britain being able to stand independent, make its own decisions and guide its own future.
Much like when large councils amalgamate, giant Europe had to look out for the best interests of the whole, or sometimes just the loudest member. Sure, there are some efficiencies, but how successful you find it for your own country will depend on how their policies align with your own needs. I feel that European policies were getting further away from Britains needs.
There's a hell of a lot of scaremongering now. Will the other countries close borders, will the pound plummet, will other countries stop trading with the UK.... the short answer is, other countries will continue to do what makes economic sense for them. It makes no sense for Europe to entirely cut ties with the UK. And you know what, the EC has now 27 member states, there are 195 countries in the world (and another 65 disputed areas), the UK won't be the only independent place around.
I agree with you that women should vote, as other women died for us to have the right to do it.
I also love your attitude to other people being twats.
As for the rest of it: if they can't say anything nice, they should say it in their heads or go look at themselves a little more closely. Hey ho!
Treaders, I am in the same situation as you but on the other side of the Channel, that is I am a French national who has lived and worked in the UK for over 30 years. Like you I have no say in this referendum, because although I have made my life here, have a family here, work and pay my taxes here, I am not British. This is fair of course, but I agree with you that regardless of how long you have spent abroad you should have had a right to vote. I am sure you are still allowed to vote in general elections, aren't you? so why not this, when it affects you so directly?
You will not be kicked out of France anymore than I will be kicked out of the UK. After 5 years living here, people have a right to apply for residency. If anybody in this country voted "leave" and expected to see foreigners being repatriated straight away, they will have a bit of a shock. They would have a bigger shock if it indeed happened, as so many foreigners actually work in this country.
In any case, it will take a minimum of 2 years from when there is an acting government in place for the negociations to be complete. Plenty of time to weigh your options and make decisions regarding your future.
I would never hurl abuse at somebody for the way they voted, but what a mess we are in right now! No real acting government, and here in the North East of England, worries as to whether companies like Hitachi will pull out of the UK when it's not in the EU any longer, losing thousand of jobs.
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