Terry Kelly - Visionary

Having been rather unfairly tarnished as a racist coward by Paisley's own living cartoon character, I must admit I took it all a bit personally. Stupid really when I'm an anonymous blogger amongst the millions of much smarter wordsmiths with more to say. Some might say that the resentment I'm feeling might be an inner feeling of guilt and acknowledgement of my underlying racist attitudes. That would require an advanced Catholic guilt complex I imagine, and as I've pretty well abandoned the church on every other issue, I'd hope that I could shake of the guilty for maybe not even thinking about something thing.

I'm pretty certain that what annoys me more than anything is the cheap use of the race card, unwarranted and unnecessary. Overplaying it is only likely to cause racial division in my opinion. Imagine I fell out with someone and they claimed that I thought they were being a tit purely on race grounds, they've pretty much brushed off any criticism of themselves. They fail to learn what it is I'm objecting to and I have failed to make my point, it being drowned out in the accusation of racism. Net result, we've fallen out, but not for the reason we should have. Little chance of reconciliation, because we've not even fallen out over the same thing. Do I then become wary of ever criticising someone with a different race? does it then make me wary of different races? Does the unfounded accusation become a self-fulfilling prophecy? You'd hope not, but it's not an amazing stretch of the imagination is it?

Anyway, I'm a white fella with a number of Black and Asian friends. In the steel-trap mind of our hero, this was proof beyond all doubt that I'm a racist. Quite how having such friends immediately casts me as a racist is beyond me, but it did give me the opportunity to ask them a bit more about the racism they've faced growing up in Scotland. After all Bashir Maan recently had many positive things to speak of his experiences in coming to Scotland, admittedly with a book to sell, and as the girls I was planning to ask fall into that jaw-droppingly good looking category, I felt sure I would get some decent ammunition to pour further scorn on my nemesis.

Alas, it wasn't to be. Both of the girls, emminently capable and having reached boardroom levels in their respective careers were particularly scathing about their high-school experiences. Now, they did acknowledge, as I was arguing that everyone at high school does indeed struggle with some form or another of abuse. Gangs of malcontent young men did run around bullying and terrorising one another, but they had certainly been singled out for racist abuse.

This being a high-school in Paisley, apparently bearing frightening resemblance to the nightmarish picture painted by Christopher Bookmyre in "A tale etched in Blood and Hard Black pencil". And Damn his eyes, I realised that when I had previously pulled Terry up for using Flashman as his refence point for the British Military, I should have countered his claim that George MacDonald Fraser knew plenty about the Military with Brookmyre's knowledge of Scottish Local politics, indeed I wonder whether Terry and his Mate Williamson have actually featured in one of Brookmyre's novels, though their antics may be considered too far fetched even for such satire.

Anyway, I was horrified to hear that the overwhelming racism they encountered came from a specific group of kids, predominantly those from the Ferguslie Park area of Paisley.

As sad as it was to hear how these cracking girls had had their youth ruined by the unrivalled ignorance of the Paisley ned, we wondered how such attitudes could ever be changed. I still feel that those ne'er do wells spraying the racist abuse about would be as likely to be use any sort of vitriol they could muster and it's more a question of ignorance and nurture rather than nature.

With the girls proclaiming that the boys were likely to be in jail and the girls single-mothers, we indulged in our own little bit of class prejudice, when it struck me. How to keep the streets clear of these nasty bits of work and their horrible racist outlooks? Prison's no good! I abhor the unnecessary jailing of our citizens as much as the good councillor does. Something to teach them the error of their ways, or if not, at least to keep them off the streets.

Suddenly it was as clear as a bell. The Digital Inclusion Project! Free PC's and all the internet porn you can shake a stick at. No wonder Terry couldn't or wouldn't explain it's merit's to me. Sheer genius!

I do hope the SNP will reconsider their draconian cut to this important service as councillor Terry Kelly , Visionary for our times, advocates.

Too long as ever, IP!

Spring is on the way! Life's great!

So, I live in the Southside of Glasgow. It's a pretty nice place to live if I'm honest, although the litter gets so much on my tits that I even gave Tory councillor David Meikle 2nd choice on my list, as he was willing to make such a song and dance about it in his campaigning - several months since the election and I notice the bold David has got himself onto plenty commitee's but f*ck all sign of the streets getting any cleaner. Ho hum!

Anyway, my OCD litter problem apart, life on the Southside is pretty good. Kilmarnock Road is lively enough with plenty decent bars, restaurants and coffee shops. We're surrounded by parks and despite what those Go-Ape eejits want to do to Pollok park one of them was even voted not just Britain's best, but also Europe's best park for last year. The Carling academy is just down the road, Hampden is just over the hill and the city centre about 6 minutes on the train that does indeed occasionally drop by.

In the mornings it's pretty well daylight when I leave for work and in the evenings, it's still light when I leave work, although dark by the time I get home, but I know the days are getting longer and in the meantime I'm enjoying the greatest pleasure known to man. I get to come home from work and mercilessly tickle my 6 month old son, who goes nuts when he sees me coming in the door.

Roll on Summer! and come on Nature! you owe us a decent one this year!

The Workings of Terry Kelly

I know it's a bad habit, a bit like self falgellation I suppose, but I've been returning to Councillor Terry Kelly's web site a lot lately and sometimes trying to get some sort of interchangegoing with the great man. After all, he's a Labour party coucillor and was Wendy Alexander's election agent, so clearly a man well thought of within the Labour party. Particularly given that he spouts forth on so many subjects with views opposite to the Labour leadership,although he is also quite willing to call for Labour MP's to be de-selected for having views outwith those he holds. The emminently capable Jim Dobbin appears to have survived the attack so far.

Anyway, on a couple of threads now, Terry has simply resorted to accusing me of prejudice. Here's an example of how he works, when discussing the Renfrewshire Digital Inclusion project, which I was simply trying to understand the exchange went along the following lines, after Terry had described a cut in funding which was to cost 3 full-time and 8 part-timeposts. Of course the fact that the SNP had refused to honour Labour's guarantee of no compulsory redundancies heightened the indignation of the honourable councillor.

I asked him:

Can you explain this project and it's benefits please?

I've looked it up and can only find that it was a project to provide 400 homes in Ferguslie and Moonpark with PCs and Broadband internet access.

Presumably those homes have all been provided - What were all the staff needed for?
Presumably the PC's will still be in the homes, connected to the internet???? Given that the Libraries already provide free internet access and run computer training courses for free, I can't see the problem - am willing to listen to a sensible argument though. Can you quantify the issue in any way at all? (without describing it as a 'Shameful SNP attack on the weak and vulnerable' (c) Scottish Labour )



Fairly reasonable I thought, but suggesting that these people had actually learned something about the computers they had been given along with training, for free, is somehow a cruel joke, as Terry points out.

TK wrote :

It’s been done already these people were doing well and their support has been taken way. Many of them will not, for various reasons go elsewhere and their hopes have been dashed.

It was a terrible thing to do and suggesting that they fend for themselves after a year is no more than a cruel joke.



With hopes dashed and cruel jokes being played on an unsuspecting public, I was close to tears when I asked.

IP:
Seriously, someone capable of using a PC can't go to the library?
and doesn't have any alternative avenue of help?

Can you explain how the support was delivered?
It just doesn't make any sense the way you're describing it.


"IT backup" came the reponse.

TK:

They helped each other with IT back up and no,
lots of them will not go to the library for reasons that you
don’t have a clue about and I can’t begin to explain to you,
your prejudice and ignorance is too deep.


Oops! It's my deeply ingrained prejudice. Well, to be fair I've had plenty experience with IT departments and the big man is right, I think they're lazy conniving jobs-worths who spend as much time working out how to cover their arses for having achieved nothing than they do playing whatever the network game of the month happens to be, rather than delivering anything resembling "IT backup".

Still, I thought I'd ask further whether the people spending our money on "IT backup actually had any idea as to the benefits we were receiving. I was also interested in those who wouldn't go to the library - for reasons I couldn't understand - perhaps having an IT geek coming round to their house would be the last thing these people would be after.


IP asked:

So, how was that delivered?


and no, lots of them will not go to the library for reasons that you don’t have a clue about



I've already asked you to explain it to me, I'm willing to listen.

TK:

and I can’t begin to explain to you, your prejudice and ignorance is too deep.


IP asked again:

So, that's a no then, you can't explain it.

Isn't it more likely that these people have far more pressing needs than "IT backup" ?

I've got no idea how you think that providing someone unable to get out of the house and to visit the local library will have their job prospects improved by "IT backup" ...whatever that means.


Terry Kelly:

You are far too superior and arrogant to grasp what life is like in some places where poverty is rife, you remain in a position where you think that computer/internet access is not for people like this I’m happy to leave that up there.


I remain in the position that free internet access with "IT backup" is no kind of panacea for people unable to go to the library... for whatever reason. However, thankfully the good councillor has exposed me as superior, arrogant bigot.