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 Regular readers of The Edge, including me, regard it to be an amusing, quirky and alternative take on life. That is The Edge’s strength and appeal. Tragically, there are some saddos out there who do not share this view and seek to have it banned by appealing to those outlets which allow it to be distributed to withdraw there permission for it to be displayed within their premises.
Twice in the last few years, I have been involved in trying to stop
this because you have to be fairly pathetic to try and, in effect, ban
a magazine that brings amusement and pleasure to so very many. If you
do not like The Edge, then for heavens sake, do not pick up a copy.
No-one is forcing you to read it. Live and let live, is what I say. And
to those who find it is not there cup of tea, I would say “chill out”
or simply “get a life”.
It is rather ironic though that the first occasion when I was helping
Shaun to try and stop a retailer from banning his publication, it was
all because a Liberal Democrat activist had complained about it. I
naturally thought they were a liberal party with a small 'l' who wanted
people to live their lives without constant interference and
restriction, but obviously I was mistaken.
Barack Obama
The most exciting and positive news of the last month has been the
election of the first African American as the new President of the
United States. The election of Barack Obama is great news, especially
as it heralds the end of the appaling George W. Bush reign on 20th
January 2009. It is true that Obama was not my first choice - I
desperately wanted Hillary Clinton to be the next President as she was
the best qualified candidate. That is why, during the last Christmas
recess, I spent 10 days in the snow and cold of Manchester, New
Hampshire, campaigning for her. Sadly though, it was not to be, and
Obama narrowly beat her for the Democratic nomination and then
fortunately thrashed John McCain for the Presidency. In addition, his
coattails were so long that they ensured that election night was a
triple whammy for the Democrats because they significantly increased
their majorities in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
It was both an inspirational and exciting contest. As part of my summer
holidays, I went to the Democratic convention in Denver and was in
Invesco Field for Obama’s acceptance speech, and the importance of the
result is not just for the United States, but for the entire world.
Obama's win will give people a new opportunity to look at the US and
see her for what I believe she is - a beacon of opportunity, freedom
and decency. No longer will America alienate her natural allies with a
foreign policy based on the philosophy that if you are not 100% with
us, you are against us - the toleration of torture through rendition or
the abomination of Guantanamo Bay.
Expectations are naturally high, though I am relieved that Obama has
confirmed that he was not born in a manger, and I firmly believe that
he will transfer the enduring power of America's ideals - democracy,
liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope - and ensure that America does
not abuse its powers, but exercises it for the wider national and
international good.
Basically though, anyone would be better than George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld and the equally appaling Dick Cheney.
Funny Old World
I was also fascinated to read in last months Edge a column by the
Liberal Democrat councillor for Old Moulsham. It was all very
interesting stuff, but one thing puzzled me. He was elected to the
council in a bye-election in December 2007, having been defeated in his
own bid to win as a Liberal Democrat candidate at the local elections
seven months earlier, in May. However, at the beginning of 2007 (i.e. 5
months before the local elections), he was a Conservative and put his
name forward to be considered as a CONSERVATIVE candidate to fight in
the May elections. But he was not selected by the local committee to be
a Conservative candidate and immediately left the Tory Party and,
presumably, joined the Liberal Democrats.
It is interesting how quickly you can change your political allegiances
because, presumably, if he had been selected as a Conservative
candidate for the May 2007 elections, he would now be a Conservative
Councillor.
It's a funny old world.
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