As a politician said, indeed a President of the United States, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
This is what I am reminded of as the sanctimonious arrogant critics pounce on one of the most industrious British Indian MPs.
I don’t know why but the Bible quotes came to mind too when a woman was caught in adultery, “whoever is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her.” By the way, this is when adultery led to stoning, as it does in some parts of the world today. So don’t join the Iranians and Taliban you critics. “You therefore have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”
And speaking of quoting, the definition of sanctimonious, ‘holier-than-thou, self-righteous’.
What this past week has told me is nothing about politicians, but a lot about journalists, yet again, and those people who apparently are all without any wrong-doing or error. So much for the compassionate society.
I don’t want perfect politicians. And as for the community – do not put yourself on a pedestal. Your arrogance at your own achievements as the most educated, the wealthiest, the most home-owning – all these things taught you something when it happened in Uganda – you better be close to the politicians!
