By Shirley Edwards
April 11, 2014
NewsWithViews.com
[These are my views as a woman living in England, on how the culture and spirit of my country has changed over 50 years. Why the country does not feel protected or strong any more, how it has lost, and is losing it values and decency, and how we are daily losing our free speech.]
Many women across the UK have fallen in love with the British TV drama, Mr Selfridge. Well, the character portrayed of Harry Selfridge to be more precise. He is the new replacement to Downton Abbey. Next week is the final episode.
On Sunday evenings, along with millions of others, I find there is a certain confidence and stability re-kindled afresh in a family drama which edifies the true meaning of family, forgiveness and loyalty. It makes a refreshing change.
I have been jokingly accused of living in a ‘fantasy’ land.
Set in 1914, in the London department store, Selfridges, the American Harry Selfridge, is now a confessed sinner, and an obvious saint in the making. His womanizing past has been forgiven. He has the utmost respect from his employees and his family. He genuinely cares about people and treats them with fairness and integrity. He is remorseful over his own past failures, and is also aware and corrective of the shortcomings of others. He sees the potential in people, and encourages them.
Last week I literally cheered when posh ‘madam’ Delphine Day, owner of an upmarket drinking club in Soho was exposed for the cunning seductress she was.
Pretending to be a friend, Delphine had wormed her way in to the Selfridge family and business. Using her seductive qualities of business acumen, intelligence and charm; her erotic and somewhat exciting life had been intriguing. In its day, liberating. Holding court, she had perfected the skills in how to make dirt look respectable.
It was only when she got the lovely Rose, the wife of Mr Selfridge out of the way, when her real intentions started to become clear.
Mr Selfridge firmly and politely rebuked her proposition, and sent her well and truly packing out of the door marked exit, and a million viewers heaved one big sigh of relief. He’d done it. You could hear applause sweep across the nation. The world felt safe again. He was not for tempting or seducing any longer. He had learned a true lesson and stood up for his family. He’d moved onwards and upwards in the truest sense. It had however taken him a long time to catch on to her ploy.
The family had been way too trusting and polite.
Two’s Company!
Delphine Day reminds me of everything which has undermined and destroyed the family today. From three parent families, to the respectability of planned single parenthood and same sex parents, still she returns with bigger and bolder plans of destruction. As one door closes, you know she is moving on to the next; until she makes a return visit. She is ruthless, persistent and evil. The spirit of Delphine knows how to undermine and destroy. She re-labels sex, selfishness, greed and power, and calls it Love.
Will anyone, stand up for the family, and who can the UK trust anymore when government and church have done nothing to defend and respect its importance, but have, instead, given Delphine the place reserved as head of the home?
In Scotland, Delphine is still currently operating as a guardian angel. Disguised under the Child and Young People (Scotland) Bill, she is currently intent on becoming the legally named ‘third’ person which Scottish parliament wants to appoint to every family who have a child.
The plans are that a ‘health worker’ will be appointed to all children up to aged five, with responsibility then being passed over to local councils, with social workers or teachers taking the reins until they are 18 years old.
It is difficult to imagine that an appointed ‘social worker’ or ‘teacher’ to every child seems noble and sensible to some people. Attitudes have however, been ‘toyed’ with over the years.
Child protection is meant to be a responsibility that we all have, but how is it being used, and just what type of involvement will a ‘named guardian’ have on all families, and who exactly do we need protecting from?
Will the third party raise an alarm if the parents are not living up to the expectations of the guidelines set out by their local authorities in child rearing?
It is reported that already a piloted scheme from 2010 had targeted almost 8,000 families in the Highlands of Scotland and had been given a ‘Childs Plan’ by a teacher or a health visitor.
Prior to this there were just 64 children on the Child Protection at Risk register in the whole Highland Council Area.
One organization, The Christian Institute has set out plans to challenge this illegal law, claiming that the bill breaches European rules through its attack on the family.
From its website, it reads:
This is Big Brother politics writ large. Ordinary Scots should be very afraid.”
Cinderella Law
Elsewhere, In England and Wales, an attack is also being made on the family by the government who are thinking about making emotional cruelty by parents a ‘criminal’ offence.
Parents who deprive their children of love and kindness could be jailed for up to ten years under a proposed new law according to the Daily Mail, 31st March, 2014
Changes to child neglect legislation would make ‘emotional cruelty’ a crime for the first time under what is being dubbed a ‘Cinderella Law’.
Whilst serious cases of emotional cruelty certainly do exist, the new Cinderella Law implies that not being kind enough could become a criminal offence.
By whose standards of kindness will ordinary parents have to live by?
Some child protection agencies, together with child psychologists confirm what every person already knows – ‘our parents mix us up’. They forget to add we are also mixed up, put down and disgraced by teachers, politicians, friends and strangers. This is nothing new. Most of us learn to forgive them.
Will the Cinderella Law mean that evil step mothers may be locked up for not loving their step children enough? Will children who have to do extra chores be mentally scared; and will not being allowing to stay out until after midnight constitute ‘abuse’.
David Cameron vowed there is 'nothing more important than the protection of children', as details emerged of the new offence which is expected to be included in the Queen's Speech in June.
Will parents live up to his high standards?
Separating Fantasy from Reality
Currently, some recovering parents who have sought to delve deeper into the ‘sex education’ being delivered to their children in government schools, have been left fighting Planet Porn. A recommended resource for teachers and pupils.
Already concerned by the content of material now being delivered to their children in school, parents felt a little encouraged when it was announced that the dangers of porn may be presented and discussed in sex education lessons.
However, advice from Planet Porn reads “Sex is great, and porn can be great. It’s the idea that porn sex is like real sex which is the problem. But if you can separate the fantasy from the reality you’re much more likely to enjoy both."
After attempting to read through the six ‘porn myths’ and glancing at the other sexual exploits our children can indulge in, I decided that trying to decide between fantasy and reality had already played a large part in destroying everyone’s lives.
Delphine Day had written the material, and it was disturbing.
As Sunday comes around, and millions of people gather for the final episode of Mr. Selfridge, will we mourn for his loss, or will viewers realize it is the loss of what true character represents we actually love and grieve for?
In ‘reality’ Harry made numerous mistakes. He grew up without a father. He unfortunately died bankrupt. It is reported he squandered money on showgirls. His wife Rose died in 1918. He suffered grief. He is remembered for the phrase ‘The customer is always right’ from a book he wrote called The Romance of Commerce. It is a principle that many large department stores still use to this day.
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The Selfridge store was a new concept in shopping in its day. Harry Selfridge turned shopping into an experience with the intention of creating a warm experience, where every visitor was made special and treated like a ‘guest’. His staff were family. Despite human mistakes he had strove for certain ideals.
For a few moments in time, an interpretation of his life on the British screen has reminded many of us of the ideals we should have all fought harder for at protecting. Despite the Great War which rages still, stability still resides in the concept of ‘family’ and its powerful force.
New laws being passed in the UK are not to help the family. They are to here to control and create further damage. They are an unwelcome guest.
Will we find the courage Harry eventually found to show Delphine Day the exit out?
Sources:-
1-
Sex
education: is 'Planet Porn' really appropriate?
2- 'Cinderella
Law' to stop emotional abuse of children: Parents who fail to show
love could face prison.
3- 'Cinderella'
emotional cruelty law considered.
4- SNP’s
‘sinister’ state guardian law faces legal action.
5- Now
it's a social worker for every child - in Scotland.
© 2014 Shirley Edwards - All Rights Reserve
Share This ArticleShirley Edwards was born and lives in Great Britain. She has always worked in administration, but have also taught and studied complimentary health. In administrative roles, she has worked within The Church of England. She also worked for some years as a volunteer within the hospice movement.
Shirley has an interest in all health issues, loves the British countryside, and enjoys writing. She is thankful for talk radio and loves listening.
Shirley has always been concerned about the loss of freedoms in her country, also the demise of America, a country she loves for the original reasons on which it was founded. She believe in the Pursuit of Genuine Happiness.
E-Mail: eshirley02@gmail.com
