Hello!
Now, I'm sorry that I haven't blogged in a little while. The reason for this is that apart from my A-levels, there hasn't actually been that much going on in my life at the moment - except that a couple of weeks ago I went to a workshop on non-violent protest, which I should have blogged about and didn't... anyway, in a few weeks time we're blockading a nuclear power station, so I will probably blog about that!
Anyway, today's blog is actually about something really minor, but it means a lot to me, so I decided to talk a bit about it. I am an A-level drama student in Bristol, and recently we have all been excited about a trip to the National Theatre, which is a compulsory part of our course because we have to write about the play that we are going to see. We have all been given letters about it, and we are supposed to get our parents to sign our permission slips - which is a little odd, as the trip is compulsory. Anyway, I have been challenging this, because I am 18 - legally an adult - and I don't think that it is fair that I should be expected to rely on someone else to agree to let me go. So I did some digging, and compiled a list of all my rights, and then declared that to my drama teacher, along with the form that I had signed - he wasn't too happy about it...
I know that it seems like a really petty thing to complain about, but as followers of my blog will know, I am a keen supporter of independence and taking responsibility for oneself. I feel that if I got my parents to sign it, I would be conceding to the idea that I am not psychologically capable of taking responsibility for myself on this trip. I can legally sign forms for medical procedures, which carry a lot more risk than this trip will. I can legally leave home without my parents consent, and if I had left home, I don't honestly believe that my college would make such a big deal out of it - so why should the building I live in make so much of a difference? It's just bricks and mortar. My drama teacher says that the reason is that this is a trip where I will not be thought of as the independent man that I am - but if I were to run amok at National Theatre and vandalise it, I would be held criminally responsible and at that point I'm pretty sure that they would think that I was capable of making my own decisions - so why do they not think that way in a situation when I can achieve something?
I don't know why any of these things are to be honest, it's just a bureaucratic policy that probably hasn't been thought through very carefully. But I will continue to fight for my independence, because my independence is very important to me. In my last blog, I used the example of Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the bus, and I will use that example again here. Like me, she was fighting an establishment that didn't view her as an equal, or in high esteem at all, and she stood up for what she believed in, like I am doing. I know that it is a little bit rich to compare my situation to that of Rosa Parks, but the only reason it is rich is because racism has become such a hot topic around the world. At the time, she was just standing up (or sitting down) for what she believed in, and I believe that this is as important to me individually as her protest was to her. Obviously I don't want to miss out on this trip and fail my A-level, but I am willing to do it if that is what it takes, because someone needs to stand up, and there is no reason why that person shouldn't be me. What happens next is up to my drama department, isn't it?
I'm going to finish with People to Love and Admire. Now, I haven't done one of these in a while, but today I did hear of a man who definitely deserves recognition on here. His name is Alki David. As you know if you are a frequent viewer, I have been very interested in the case of Richard O'Dwyer, who faces extradition for setting up a website called TV Shack. Alki is a very kind man who has offered to pay Richard's legal fees if he is extradited! I was so chuffed to find that out, I thought I simply must mention him on my blog. What a kind man! I'm sure that we all can do something like that for someone at some point in our lives.
Anyway, I'll blog again soon when something happens! Ta ta for now!
Update: I sorted this out today, and they were lovely! I got exactly what I was asking for, and I suppose it goes to show that it is really worth putting in the effort if there is something that you really want. Thank you, drama teacher!
