What is this crazy idea - asks Teen blogger Rhian - to make school leavers swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen?
It would probably work quite well in posh private schools, but it would be a different matter altogether in state schools like the one I went to.
Teenagers don’t like to be told what to do at the best of times, even when they understand the reason, but this is the idea of out of touch old men and it’s totally unrealistic.
They caused the problem. They forced multiculturalism and diversity on everybody, when what they should have done was promote integration and unity. Now everybody’s frightened of speaking out of place for fear of being labelled a racist or offending somebody else. It’s all rubbish!
What they don’t seem to understand is that the people who come to live here want
They come from places with corrupt governments where people starve and there’s no free healthcare or education, or worse still, where tribal and religious conflict is too brutal for us to imagine. They see us as
the generally kind and charitable people we are, quick to laugh and smile, but brave and indomitable in adversity.
They see all of these things which make the UK a beacon of hope and freedom in the eyes of the world, but we see none of them.
We’re too complacent and ungrateful, and we take everything for granted. This is a great country, there’s no other like it, we just need to be allowed to recognise that rather than be made to feel awkward about it.
What we need is not to make our teenagers swear allegiance, but to make them want to swear allegiance with the same sort of enthusiasm as those who adopt our country do.
We’re very lucky, let’s never forget it.
- Rhian is the Shropshire Star’s Teen Blogger, commenting on a wide range of issues from a teenager’s point of view.
- Do you agree with Rhian? Have your say below . . .
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