Ive not made any referendum related posts until this one. I firmly believe in the importance of privacy in voting, which is the main reason Ive not contributed. As my home country is involved in such a momentous event, I feel that I would like to make this single statement, which is simply to explain my feelings on why I voted as I did, and also my experience of the campaigns in Scotland. I voted Yes. There are a myriad of reasons for this, but in brief, the main factors for me have been that I believe Scotland has the resources and ability to prosper as an independent country, I would like to deal with less politicians, in a less complex government, and the power structure in the UK is weighed down by the overwhelming economic might of London. This has nothing at all to do with any negative feelings towards the English, or the rest of the UK. Most of my closet friends are English. In addition, this is not a criticism of London. In my opinion, it is the most exciting and dynamic city in the world. Even though Im a Highland laddie, I feel very at home there. I love the feeling of anonymity I experience. In regards to the experience of the referendum campaigns, I have very strong mixed feelings. On the one hand, I am proud of the Scottish people for making this occasion so significant, not just for our country, but also for showing a potential new direction for western democracies. It is testament to the fact that I think Scotland could prosper independently. I feel that Westminster did not take the possibility of a Yes vote seriously enough, and to some extent, their approach has been patronising. On the other hand, I have been very upset by the malicious nature of some of the campaigning. From my experience, this has sadly been generally worse from the Yes side - both online, and from things I have seen such as countless attacked No signs in farmers fields. Just because I voted Yes does not mean that I am any more or less patriotic than a No voter. I hope that the 2 sides come together again after the result. Tribalist mentalities are one of the great scourges of our world. Finally, I would like to say to all of my friends that my vote has not been cast in any way that would suggest I identify myself as apart from anyone else. I do identify myself as Scottish, but far, far more important to my identity is my belief in the importance of logic and learning, the abolition of suffering in the world (torture being the most significant to me), and a fundamental conviction that all humans are inherently more good than evil. I am lucky enough to have a border-less international network of friends, with whom I feel bonded by a shared mindset and humour (and often, love of music as well). Ive always been a bit of a hybrid: being a bagpiper who is also a performing music producer, someone who adores the musical scenes from around the world as much as I do highland music, and also having had both Scottish and English accents at various points in my life. I will never be someone who fits entirely into any stereotypical grouping, and my Yes vote does not change that fact.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 13:15:12 +0000
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