25th July – Major Mike Harris, Petersfield Salvation Army
Jam First?
As I write, summer finally seems to have arrived! I think it is fair to say that the weather is one of those things that we sometimes obsess over. It is nice to be able to appreciate the world in which we live without the need for raincoats, umbrellas and waders.
Obsession is too strong but, as a Cornishman, I do feel strongly that it has to be jam first; a scone (or split), lightly buttered, a portion of jam and a large dollop of clotted cream. The debate about jam or cream will continue but, in reality, my preference isn’t ideological. The amount of cream I am going to have can only go on top.
My purpose in asking the question is to underline the fact that so often we get heated and passionate about trivial things; Where do you store ketchup? Does a pineapple belong on a pizza and, coming back to the original subject, is it pronounced scon or scone? We are often prepared to argue our case, to nail our colours to the mast – even with trivial matters.
In 1968, the summer Olympics took place in Mexico City, Tommie Smith and John Carlos (USA) won 200 mtrs gold and bronze with Peter Norman (Aus) took the silver. During The Star-Spangled Banner, both USA athletes, with heads bowed, gave a black power salute. The USA, in the aftermath of Martin Luther King’s assassination, was only beginning it’s human rights struggle.
The third athlete, Peter Norman, is often overlooked but he identified with their cause and wore an Olympic Projects for Human Rights badge. In October 2012, The Australian House of Representatives passed a motion acknowledging his achievements and apologizing for his treatment after the Olympics – the apology came 6 years after Norman’s death, when both American athletes had been pallbearers.
What are the issues, inequalities and injustices that we should be passionate about and how do we address them – for that matters far more than how we eat a cream tea.