Silence is No Longer Golden

I think there is a need for a new  Government-supported entity called the Ministry of Common Sense.

Ordinary citizens would be invited to briefly serve on it (in a similar way to jury service), and they would be given wide ranging powers to use their common sense to determine what new ideas really do have merit – and which should be rejected.

It feels like an idea right out of a Monty Python script, but the sad reality is that some of the rules and regulations that are now in place are even more bizarre than my suggestion.

For example I heard that in some hospitals in the UK now when you order a hot drink from a vending machine you can no longer get sugar with it, because  someone with authority has decided “it is not good for you.”

I suppose we shouldn’t be too surprised by this latest move, after a huge wave of schools and other bodies removed any machines that offered  “unhealthy” snacks and drinks – for our own protection.

There are also official “spies” everywhere too these days, encouraged to keep an eye on all of us, to prevent such ” crimes” as over filling a rubbish (garbage) bin,  placing the wrong type of trash in the wrong type of recepticle, smoking in a company vehicle (even though you might be the only person who ever drives it), taking a swig from a can of coke while driving….  all official offences with heavy fines attached.

I also read about a school which is banning the use of red ink to mark school tests because apparently it “sends out the wrong negative message to children”. So in future pink, green or pencil are recommended.

Many organizations that for decades sent out Christmas cards now no longer do so,  because of the perceived fear that they might upset anyone who is a non-Christian… even though the country may have its roots steeped in Christianity.

Then there are the prisoners being paid a small wage to work in prison. Nothing wrong with that.But then there are the prisoners who don’t work who receive “unemployment” pay!

Do you see a certain pattern emerging here?

As I said at the outset this article is not about listing the perceived pros and cons of each new big idea, but you can see how-  little by little – they are changing people’s lives in dramatic ways.

Speed cameras. The Police, politicians, and road safety campaigners have always maintained that they save lives.

I carried out a detailed investigation for a major current affairs programme and there was NO evidence to support that claim. Other studies since then have also shown that accident figures have changed little since cameras were introduced. And yet they are everywhere, especially in the UK. Infact they have changed the way people drive and presented a new hazard, which of course we will never be given detailed information about because it would ruin the PR for the cameras. I’m talking about the habit that most drivers adopt of having to apply the brakes sharply before a camera, then accelarate again, then slow down for the next one etc. How many accidents does this cause? I can assure you that you will never know, as accident statistics will never be collated for this specific scenario.

What is beyond doubt is that a whole swathe of decent, ordinary people have now become “law breakers”. Such as mums taking their kids to school and driving at 34 mph in a 30 mph zone.

Thousands of motorists also recieve fines each year for driving on open stretches of road where temporary speed restrictions have been put in place, but where the hazard they are supposed to be reducing is simply not there. For instance where road workers are not around because it is the weekend or 3 o clock in the morning.  Or even where the roadworks may have been completed weeks earlier but nobody has been bothered to move the signs. This is a classic example of where the Ministry of Common Sense could make a ruling or offer new guidance to prevent this sort of unfairness.

When it comes to “health and safety” there are a lot of very sensible regulations that have been introduced over the years. But the fear it has instilled is completely disproportionate. For example sports that children can no longer enjoy -  incase someone gets injured.

There needs to be a general acceptance that simply to live involves some forms of risk to human health.  Negligence by those in authority should rightly not be tolerated. But does it make sense to ban everyone from an activity to avoid any form of risk at all? Where does it end?Ban football incase someone gets kicked on the shins? Ban rugby incase someone strains a shoulder?

In summary if the majority remain predomonantly silent and allow the few to institute these kind of changes we should not moan in future years when almost every aspect of our life is controlled or monitored “for the good of the nation.” Creeping change is now out of control…. is there anybody listening out there?