I was really confused what had happened to some comments made on Plumsteadshire and found that there's a spam filter on Blogger and they ended up in there. I also found quite a few others there too.
Very sorry about about that Anonymous. I do value your comments, even though they're not favourable to me. You're interesting and put an excellent argument forward. Once again, apologies as it's technology getting the better of me.
Quite alright, and please don’t think that my comments are directed uniquely at you – rather at the recent, lamentable trend of labelling people of a certain class ‘chavs’. Once a label is applied stereotyping ensues. I am worried that people who are educated, sensitive and tolerant have adopted this word as part of their vernacular but have not thought through the implications of using a generic term to describe what is, by and large, a disadvantaged section of our society. I honestly fear that people’s sympathy for the disadvantaged is being eroded and we are arriving at a situation where if anyone is in this position it is their own fault because of their laziness or lack of drive rather than a kaleidoscope of social, economic and societal factors.
ReplyDeleteI would implore you though, as another anonymous contributor does (Friday, July 15, 2011 2:39:00 PM), to think about the type of comments that some of you posts have elicited and the “attitudes you may inadvertently be condoning”. Here’s a useful little exercise to try on your own: define chav.
If you have a problem neighbour then, as I wrote before, you have my sympathy. But, ultimately, you have a problem neighbour who is an individual not a problem neighbour who is a 'chav'. Please don't use the word because it encourages generalisation.
By the way, I have been following your blog (and others locally) for a number of years because I am passionately interested in Plumstead: its history, its present and its future. Much of what you write I agree with.
Re PM’s comment (Sunday, July 17, 2011 10:14:00 AM), I’ve never really thought of Plumstead as Brigadoon, to me it has always seemed much more like Llareggub (Under Milk Wood).