Political Animals

I had my (7 years old) and nephew (9 years old) to stay last week when they posed me a peculiar question,

‘Aunty Donna, Do you know Robert Murdoch?’

‘Oh hang on I mean Rupert, Do you know Rupert Murdoch Aunty Donna?’

‘I know who he is why’

‘BECAUSE HE’S STOLEN ‘GLEE’’ they both pipe up with passion.

‘Oh’, I said and let them tell me the whole story, voices full of injustice and of why,’ Glee’ (the American T.V. series not the emotion I hasten to add!)has been bought by sky and only those rich enough to have sky will be able to watch it.

They understand that football and other things are only on sky and seem to accept that as normal – I guess because that is the way it has always been in their short lives, however they feel a tremendous sense of injustice at their favourite show going – the rules changing half way through the game. I love their passion, their inherent socialist views, and their strong sense of fair play.

I love the child-like simplicity of their views things are either right or wrong – fair or unfair – good or bad...........

It got me thinking about what you get from your parents in the way of political views – I swallowed my parent’s views whole-heartedly and embarrassingly I remember with shame debating against nuclear disarming in the first year of secondary school using the argument,’ If your neighbour has a stick you need a bigger stick to stay safe’ straight from my Dad’s mouth and unsurprisingly not receiving one single vote from my class mates!

My parent’s read the daily mail but despite this they taught me by their actions to treat people fairly and equally, to help where you can, to have a strong sense of right and wrong and to protect the vulnerable.

What will I be teaching my boys? When my four year was playing spider man recently and needed me to be a ‘baddie’

I said ‘Argh! I’m David Cameron’ and I ran at him saying,’ Here I come - Cut, Cut CUT!’ and made scissor movements with my hands.

He was delighted and laughingly covered me in sticky webs till I reinstated funding for libraries, swimming pools and the schools re-building programme!

I hope we will teach them loosely to give what they can and take what they need, to try their hardest to make the world generally and their part of it specifically better for all and simply just to care.

And I hope they become doctors not bankers!!!