I came across this excellent post on facebook by Chris Law about voting 'Yes' with your heart and thought it was well worth sharing here:
Scotlands wealth Can Not, Should Not and Must Not be used to end the post war social consensus that brought about the Welfare State and the NHS.
I was asked today by a current NO voter to tell me in my own words what is the key reason why I support Scottish Independence. They went on to qualify that question that saying and I don't want to hear about history, culture, identity and anti-English sentiment either. I reminded them that I have never felt any anti-Englishness, but I am appalled at the anti-people policies being brought in by Westminster. If you want one simple reason, its this.
Spending most of my life watching my mother suffer and endure one of the most awful and degenerative conditions and one that blights Scotland in particular, namely Multiple Sclerosis, that ultimately ended her life prematurely at home, I was moved to talk about that experience with a friend and her family in Aberdeenshire the other night. Many people across Scotland grow up supporting someone with a disability of some sort as carers, which goes unpaid and unnoticed very often by politicians. You do it because of love and understanding and being daily reminded how fortunate you are to have your own health and mobility.
In order for my mother to remain living at home with a severe disability, she received from 1988 till her premature death in 2000, the Independent Living Fund (ILF) which like 19,000 other people it was specifically designed for those living with severe disabilities to choose the care they needed to live and maintain a 'normal' life in their own home and in doing so assisted not only in maintaining a relationship akin what most of us take for granted, but also a quality of life and a determination to fight to live longer. My mother was indomitable, strong and fought literally with every fibre of her body. The funding was ring fenced by Westminster and gave both the security as well as the peace of mind to those who needed it most. My mum lived for 27 years in total with this condition.
Westminster is minded to scrap it and will become a local council responsibility. No more ring fencing and open to being cut, and being cut it will.. It will be a post code lottery. The Scottish Government intends on the other hand to set up an "independent living fund" to support the 3,000 people currently being helped. This would be boosted by an extra £5m to help disabled people. Welfare is reserved for Westminster so forget talking about what we might do. A NO vote means we have NO choice. I said to my NO supporter that I do not want Scotlands wealth, that has been completely squandered to date with no plans to ever change that, to continue to damage Scotlands social fabric, its people and in particular its sick and disabled by withdrawing essential care which is the responsibility of every government not just the current coalition. If that sounds selfish then go and tell that to the thousands that suffer in pain that are denied the many qualities of life that health gives freely to ourselves.
And so to my message to Westminster. I am not selfish, self centred and anti-English. I, like the vast majority of people are caring, compassionate and pro-people, not pro austerity. Westminster, you blew your chances and continue to go in only one direction that is for the few and not for the many. One that makes me personally, sick to the heart and ill to my core. You have become heartless, dispassionate, unrepresentative and completely out of touch and in memory of my mother and the many others. I will fight with every fibre of my body for Scottish independence to get our resources working for all of us. For those who suffer from your bedroom tax which affect mainly disabled people, (80% here in Dundee and its surrounding district affected are disabled), the tax avoiding private company you employ (ATOS) to carry out your heartless assessments with a tick sheet and an accountants number crunch to save money not lives of the sick and disabled for work, and those who will see the ending of the Independent Living Fund.
Aye its personal and aye its vital to me and as my No voter looked at me a little unsure what to say, I said don't just think about yourself, think about others who are less fortunate than yourself. Vote YES to protect the very fabric of our Welfare state and the NHS.
all the best
Chris Law
(feel free to share)
Whenever people ask me for 'proof' that an independent Scotland would create a fairer society than a Britain led by Westminster I always point to the bedroom tax, and the fact that the Scottish government currently puts funds towards mitigating the effects of this measure, which south of the border has caused a great deal of distress and misery, up to and including people committing suicide because they cannot pay it. I ask these people - how much more would a Scotland with full control over its spending and welfare do to protect those who need protecting, and support those who have been dealt a bad hand by life or luck? I am voting Yes because I believe an independent Scotland would offer a fairer and kinder society, where no one is left behind.
DH.
Scotlands wealth Can Not, Should Not and Must Not be used to end the post war social consensus that brought about the Welfare State and the NHS.
I was asked today by a current NO voter to tell me in my own words what is the key reason why I support Scottish Independence. They went on to qualify that question that saying and I don't want to hear about history, culture, identity and anti-English sentiment either. I reminded them that I have never felt any anti-Englishness, but I am appalled at the anti-people policies being brought in by Westminster. If you want one simple reason, its this.
Spending most of my life watching my mother suffer and endure one of the most awful and degenerative conditions and one that blights Scotland in particular, namely Multiple Sclerosis, that ultimately ended her life prematurely at home, I was moved to talk about that experience with a friend and her family in Aberdeenshire the other night. Many people across Scotland grow up supporting someone with a disability of some sort as carers, which goes unpaid and unnoticed very often by politicians. You do it because of love and understanding and being daily reminded how fortunate you are to have your own health and mobility.
In order for my mother to remain living at home with a severe disability, she received from 1988 till her premature death in 2000, the Independent Living Fund (ILF) which like 19,000 other people it was specifically designed for those living with severe disabilities to choose the care they needed to live and maintain a 'normal' life in their own home and in doing so assisted not only in maintaining a relationship akin what most of us take for granted, but also a quality of life and a determination to fight to live longer. My mother was indomitable, strong and fought literally with every fibre of her body. The funding was ring fenced by Westminster and gave both the security as well as the peace of mind to those who needed it most. My mum lived for 27 years in total with this condition.
Westminster is minded to scrap it and will become a local council responsibility. No more ring fencing and open to being cut, and being cut it will.. It will be a post code lottery. The Scottish Government intends on the other hand to set up an "independent living fund" to support the 3,000 people currently being helped. This would be boosted by an extra £5m to help disabled people. Welfare is reserved for Westminster so forget talking about what we might do. A NO vote means we have NO choice. I said to my NO supporter that I do not want Scotlands wealth, that has been completely squandered to date with no plans to ever change that, to continue to damage Scotlands social fabric, its people and in particular its sick and disabled by withdrawing essential care which is the responsibility of every government not just the current coalition. If that sounds selfish then go and tell that to the thousands that suffer in pain that are denied the many qualities of life that health gives freely to ourselves.
And so to my message to Westminster. I am not selfish, self centred and anti-English. I, like the vast majority of people are caring, compassionate and pro-people, not pro austerity. Westminster, you blew your chances and continue to go in only one direction that is for the few and not for the many. One that makes me personally, sick to the heart and ill to my core. You have become heartless, dispassionate, unrepresentative and completely out of touch and in memory of my mother and the many others. I will fight with every fibre of my body for Scottish independence to get our resources working for all of us. For those who suffer from your bedroom tax which affect mainly disabled people, (80% here in Dundee and its surrounding district affected are disabled), the tax avoiding private company you employ (ATOS) to carry out your heartless assessments with a tick sheet and an accountants number crunch to save money not lives of the sick and disabled for work, and those who will see the ending of the Independent Living Fund.
Aye its personal and aye its vital to me and as my No voter looked at me a little unsure what to say, I said don't just think about yourself, think about others who are less fortunate than yourself. Vote YES to protect the very fabric of our Welfare state and the NHS.
all the best
Chris Law
(feel free to share)
Whenever people ask me for 'proof' that an independent Scotland would create a fairer society than a Britain led by Westminster I always point to the bedroom tax, and the fact that the Scottish government currently puts funds towards mitigating the effects of this measure, which south of the border has caused a great deal of distress and misery, up to and including people committing suicide because they cannot pay it. I ask these people - how much more would a Scotland with full control over its spending and welfare do to protect those who need protecting, and support those who have been dealt a bad hand by life or luck? I am voting Yes because I believe an independent Scotland would offer a fairer and kinder society, where no one is left behind.
DH.