POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

THIS PHOTO MIGHT HAVE BEEN TAKEN A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.     I mean, nowadays Kings and Queens hardly dress up at all, and all look the same as an average citizen.   Society generally has altogether changed, and with this change has progressively come 'Political Correctness' - that determination to discipline ourselves so that we do not wilfully demean, vilify, or otherwise offend ANYONE.  Together with this cutting edge we have also seen society deprived of a great deal of its sense of history and grandeur.
The Royal Prince, and possible the next Head of State (King even) of Great Britain recently seems to have put his foot in it, by referring to President Putin of Russia as being like HITLER!    Quite apart from the fact that the Royal Family as a whole and especially the Queen or future King are supposed to keep themselves from commenting on politics of any kind,  it is being seen as almost forgivable for Charles to have made such a comment.    BUT, basically the cause of the comment - Putin's current action in the Crimea - was not without foundation. There was and IS good reason for 'anyone' to make such a comment, so WHY shouldn't they do so if for no other reason than to make a valid statement of sound political opinion.    Surely there should be freedom of speech?     PUTIN has rebuked the Prince today stating that he is historically ignorant! - Not fit to be King!
I know whose comment I am inclined to believe - and it isn't President Putin's.      Political Correctness has hampered and does hamper Freedom of Speech and thought when it is taken too far.   Indeed consecutive Governments in the UK have used this Ideal to slowly muzzle our freedom of expression and even freedom of OPINION.
Prince Charles is about eight years my junior, and although he has come in for a great deal of  criticism in his lifetime, and many hold diverse opinion about his worthiness to be King, YET in many other more common ways he is a product of his Age, and very much aware and unforgetful of the 'freedoms' and social standards in which he was himself brought up.     IF, as I believe we ALL have, he has failed in some aspects of his moral life and humanity,  it does not mean he is a moron, buffoon, or person of little perception concerning the current world in which he lives.      I must confess to finding myself to being very similar in many respects - as a human being born into the '40s.     I have resented the idea of political correctness.   I have refused to give up the freedom of saying what I think!
Somehow it is demeaning to give up this freedom which is surely the inherent right of all humans.     I have always been glad that Prince Phillip, Prince Charles' father also has maintained his ability to speak his mind.      We have become a nation - perhaps a world - of hypocrites, and sycophants!!    One thing I am very sure of, I would not approve of a King or Queen that cannot speak their mind.  Hurrah for Charles!      A very ordinary man, living in a very suppressed and cowardly society, but still FREE enough to speak out.
SINCE he and I were born, in the 1940s we have removed the Death Penalty, corporeal punishment from home and school;  amended unfavourably the Divorce, Abortion, and Homosexual Laws in the 1960s and more recently the Marriage Law.    This is not to speak of all the related relaxation on daily live and living that affect our moral life and traditions.     And few speaking out, few visibly rebelling against our radical compromise and treasonable repudiations of our history and social heritage.    In just a few decades England - and to a large extent due to its Political Correctness - has been eroded and deprived of 2000 years of civilised development.      MORE it has had its own religious foundations weakened and made to give way, politically, to unbelief, modernism, and misplaced respect of other religions, more and more imported and strengthened by unlimited and unrestricted immigration.    SAD. and perhaps irreversible without serious pain and discomfort., but nevertheless needing to be remarked upon.       I see little to admire in the way my Country, or even the world, is developing.    I am an old man, of course, and my 'marbles' may be getting cracked or gathering too much moss, but I must say that basically I prefer the 1940/50 era than 2014.       I do not expect unanimous agreement to these sentiments of course - but even so I own the right to keep them, and to express them, and to witness to them without Agreement by the Hague or any other earthly Court.     To and FOR all those others who may believe with me in having the RIGHT to express themselves fearlessly I seriously encourage you all to so continue.   You may not be liked for it, may be even made to suffer for it, but make your STAND.   Be BOLD and VERY COURAGEOUS whoever and wherever you are.

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BABY ABIGAIL is now two months' old.      Her voice power has increased as days passed by. Probably her lung capacity has also enlarged through the daily exercise she puts them through with her wailing and crying almost none stop day and night.     She has only one apparent enjoyment - to EAT!. No problem there.    However, when other wise awake her delight after taking in her surroundings, as if never seen before, is to open her mouth to SCREAM.      She has Colic.     She is other wise quite healthy, growing well, and beginning to look pretty.     Maybe she also resents being thrust into the world.             BUT let me be honest there is progress, and the fact is that although she is still able to produce more noise than a dozen cats whose tails have been trodden on, she is gradually reducing such periods of distress.      She is sleeping better.     Esther and I are glad for this, since the first six weeks were literally murder, and neither of us, nor poor Helen, were able to sleep.      Helen did managed to get some shut-eye at other times, but both Esther and I were having duties in the day time, so we did feel the stress.     Glad to have it even a little relived just now.

LAST SATURDAY, after posting the Blog, we admitted a family of FIVE children into Jacaranda Cottage.     I had, I believe, mentioned them before, and that we were expecting them.  However there was a slight hitch since we had not realised that we did not have five beds vacant in the Homes, and not having cash in hand, we had to delay Admission a little, until we could manage to go out and shop for beds and bedding. But on Saturday last they all arrived.   In this first photo Beatrice Rop, Mother of Jacaranda Cottage is seen with all five.   She has her hands full especially with the two youngest, Wesley 2 and a half, and Robert 4.

Photos displayed are of -
to the Left - Frederick, 10 in Primary Class 5, and below him, his sister Shaline, aged 8 in Primary Class 3.
To the Right is first of all
Robert aged 4, then his brother Darius aged 6, and his brother Wesley aged 2 and a half.    QUITE a large family, bat least they will all live together within the Jacaranda Family.
Remember their father died of AIDS, and their mother is terminally ill with the same.

This is a destitute family with no life support,   Their mother is being cared for by the local Baptist church,.      They had managed to stay all together but in truly dire circumstances, and this is clearly seen in their respective retarded development physically.     The real miracle for the children is that none of them have the HIV virus.

The three eldest were tested to see where they will fit in OUR school and should begin attendance on Monday.      Beatrice Rop will make sure they are all well cared for and fattened up.     We are thankful to have opportunity to give them shelter and help.      Of course we shall keep a careful eye on the progress of the Mother, and where possible, for as long as she lives, we shall hope to arrange visits in order to keep them as much together as we can.


OTHERWISE the week has passed busily and quickly with RAIN and sunshine both.  Temperature still in the seventies (Fahrenheit) most of the time, day and night!        We noted today that a young lady from the UK aged 21 had to return home from voluntary aid with Malaria and passed away the day after arriving.    Such a very sad thing.      Probably if she had been treated in Nairobi, (she was working only 20 kilometers away) she might have survived as, obviously, Kenyan doctors are very experienced in treating this infection.    Our hearts go out to her family
DARYL's eldest child Jesse marked his 16th Birthday yesterday.    I have a photo of him on my desk aged about 9 months in my arms - how years do go by.   He is now tall (5'11')and thin, and just about to finish his final Secondary School year.      His brother Jeremy and sister Becky both with us in Green Cottage with his Mum and Dad and uncle Edward, and uncle Manu to eat ice cream and Birthday Cake.
Nice to be together.

God Bless you all once more.     Never a day passes that we do remember most of you as the Lord brings you to mind.    We are ever thankful in believing for your prayers on our behalf.  MUCH Love in Jesus our King

John and Esther, Daryl and Carol.