Are we going to be known for being the nastiest generation?

I have to say I am becoming more and more shocked about how so called grown adults are acting now a days. Following on from my post from the other week, (click here to read what sort of world have I brought my son into?) I feel like as this is the honest confessions that I should be truthful with how I am feeling, especially as a mother of a small child. It is something that worries me. It worries me that people are not thinking about their actions, how they are treating one another and I keep asking myself is there now less and less good in the world? Are we all really this nasty now? Have we always been like this? Or is it now I am older, now I am a mother and responsible for setting an example to my son that I am just picking up on this a lot more, and it has always been there?

If we are being really honest I voted once when I was 18, just because I could and then until 2 years ago hadn’t bothered. I am very sorry to all of the suffragettes that I wasted this, and their families please don’t think badly of me. I was distracted by white jeans, cherry Lambrini and giant hooped earrings. Going out and getting drunk and buying dresses from New Look each weekend was far too important. My feelings changed when I had Elijah. I felt it was mine, and Elijah’s dad's responsibility to use our vote to influence what world our son would be brought up in.

 

So that brings us to the EU ref. vote. The biggest perhaps of our time, the last month or so it has been talked about again and again. Facts, figures and opinions are appearing everywhere you go and Facebook and Twitter seemed to go into meltdown. People ramming their opinions down your throat whether you wanted them to or not. People acting like it was the end of the world, the saviour of the world. It seemed every part of our lives was dictated to whether it would be best to be in or out. I didn’t really pay too much attention to this, the only real thing I watched was to see if my friend tripped down the stairs in the audience of the local BBC referendum program! Which she did! I voted for what I thought was right for me and my family. I am a part time working mother, therefore this is what led me to voting the way I did.

At the end of the day, everyone has an opinion. This is why there is a vote, two options are given to you, it is enviable that you are going to vote for one or another. There is no middle ground. You were in or you were out. That’s the end of that. We should actually count ourselves lucky we are even given the chance to do this. As history and some countries have taught us we could have one person making all of the decisions for us without a say.

                                  

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, that’s what makes us different and diverse. Not a bunch of robots all thinking, saying and doing the same things. What people aren’t entitled to is attacking someone for the way they voted because they didn’t agree. I have seen name calling, and I mean horrendous insults thrown at people putting the simplest of posts (a photo of Nutella on toast) and someone calling the poster a ‘European Fascist’. Are you bloody kidding me? This is disgusting she is a mother of a child and you have called her a fascist which to me is synonymous with Hitler. Compare some Nutella on Toast to what he did? Are you freaking kidding me?

I have seen the nastiest of words being thrown at people, racist, fascist, cowards, ignorant and so many swear words that I, who has quite a bad potty mouth was even shocked. This is our country and its future at stake, people are bound to worry or feel anxious and emotions will run high but why are we attacking one another? Why are we attacking that person’s opinion just because we do not agree with it? Why is a political view now becoming a personal attack? Are we still so pig headed to think that if someone doesn’t think the way we do then they must be wrong? That it then gives us permission to abuse them and their beliefs? Have we always been so nasty?

I pondered if my Nan’s generation really had things a bit better back then (click here to view guest blog for Mummy and Little Me on this) and I keep thinking what ever must they think of how people are acting? Although the majority of the older generation voted to leave, I never saw an older person choosing to turn key board warrior and viciously attack someone because of their beliefs.

Maybe, we should take inspiration from Big Brother and we shouldn’t be allowed to talk about the vote. That we cannot broadcast it all over social media. That you cannot advise which way you voted. When we left the polling station there was a lady with an IPAD asking and recording down what people voted. I mean surely telling her what I just voted for sort of defeats the point? I am not the most politically motivated person, but with all of these promise of change and that we will all benefit so much, how much of it will actually come to fruition?

I see so much negativity in the world, half the times I didn’t even bother to watch the news to see what we are doing to each other. I would prefer to spend my time trying to find the good. To try and teach my son to be an honest, kind and charitable person. Under the government and being a member of the EU, I was able to take maternity leave, come back to work part time with rights as a worker, and my child had open heart surgery on the NHS at Great Ormond Street. Alongside the various appointments, hospital stays etc. how much did we cost the tax payer? Way more than we have paid towards it. Would we be considered to be many of the ones exploiting the NHS?

Now, the vote didn’t go the way some people wanted, people are of course upset, the other side are gleefully gloating. Promises seemed to be being backtracked already.We can all continue to fight for what we believe in, whether that's to remain or leave, without destroying on each other and spewing vial hate. Hate doesn't make our message louder or more valid. In fact; by doing so we've let the next generation down. Those little eyes watching us learn that hate is an acceptable way to accomplishment. 

It really is our actions that will determine our child’s future. It is how we choose to raise them. I have seen that there is a group of researchers that are undergoing a study that being nasty in our DNA. It may genetically be passed on and many factors influence this including our relationships and environment factors. Maybe we need to be more conscious and set a better example?

Would you be happy if in however many years’ time, you found your child abusing someone online for what they believe it? If they didn’t agree with someone so they beat them up? What if they didn’t like if they were gay, straight, white, black, labour, conservative, tall, short? We need to end this cycle we seemed to have found ourselves in, if not seriously what the hell kind of world are we going to be living in? I am already disgusted with what is going on now! People abusing friends and family and turning on the ones they love for the sake of a vote. June the 23rd is being known as the day Britain 'stood up for itself', I think it also became the day (and subsequent days before and after) that Britain became home to some of the nastiest people. Whoop, pat on the back everyone we really showed the world who we were, what we could do, and say. We were an embarrassment. I saw people saying that Britain was ruined for their children, and future children. You are right we proved that. But, it wasn't the result of the vote that did it. It was the actions of the population.

It seems that a lot of people may need to turn away from their phones and keyboard and going put their energy into something positive. Don't force your opinion on someone, let them make it themselves.Some people definitely have too much time on their hands. Go do something that will benefit others. Go volunteer for a charity, help a new mum by giving her a break or take an elderly neighbour shopping. Or for god’s sake just be nice. Be kind.

So many people are going through some horrendous things in life, losing children, facing terminal and mental illness. One thing what having a son that needed life threatening surgery has taught me? Life is short, it can be tough it can be hard but it can also be taken away. In the blink of an eye. Let’s just make the best of what we have,and try and be nice to each other. I mean is that really so hard?

 

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