Mary McAleese address to the RNLI ...

[Samphire]

Re:Come on!

While I am not really a fan Mary McAleese,I have to say her sentiments while a bit flowery are spot on.
We do live in a world of cynicisn and individualism wher esense of community is being lost.
I live on the extreme atlantic seaboard in a similar community to many small west of Ireland and Scottish ones where the RNLI is held in high esteem and is very much a joint community effort.
Marys sentiments are very relevant and true, and are part of small comunities where the RNLi station is very much part of the community,however for those of you in the south of England and other well populated areas you seem to have missed the point of her speech.

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[StugeronSteve]

It is disappointing that this thread has become such a bitter argument, rather than a recognition of the tremendous work of the RNLI, which was after all the original intention of Para's post.

It is quiet likely that most of us on this side of the Irish Sea, as well as other parts of the world, have our bullshit meters set a little to finely at the moment, but we have good reason. To many of us the flowery language used in the address does have the distinctive scent that sets the needles twitching.

There can be very few members of this forum who have not witnessed at first hand the bravery and seamanship of the RNLI, CG, armed forces S&R crews and countless others who give their time, and occasionally lives, to save others. Most of us do our humble bit to support this work and some, I am sure, are involved on a daily basis. If you were to take a poll amongst the "cynical" posters on this forum I am sure you would be surprised to learn of the number of us involved in voluntary and community based work.

I do feel that the work of organizations such as the RNLI is a product of community, rather than a builder of communities, and to suggest otherwise does not recognise the basic human instinct for community, but that is just is just my humble opinion.

We can all thank God that outside of the political arena this is not such a cynical world.

<hr width=100% size=1>God only made so many perfect heads. The rest got covered in hair.

 

[StugeronSteve]

Sorry, I've even managed to personalize a post that was intended to diffuse rather than enflame. Coming from a region where a congratulatory speech of this sort would go along the lines of " Bl**dy great job lads, we'd be in't sh*t without you". It's not surprising that Mary's prose sounds a little flowery!

<hr width=100% size=1>God only made so many perfect heads. The rest got covered in hair.

 

[Twister_Ken]

not surprised if we missed the point of her speech

You'd need a degree in babbleology to get it first time around.

A candidate for Private Eye's Pseuds Corner, methinks

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>