I
recently read a brilliant article about the journey of one woman becoming more
comfortable with her nationalistic tendencies. However the one thing that made
me almost cringe was her seemingly ashamedness of wanting her own country to
become self-determined.
I am
unashamed. I also didn’t like the suggestion that a writer, or artist cannot be
affiliated with a political party. I am a Scottish National Party member. The
reason I support them is because of what they have so far achieved for this
country. Free prescriptions, free university education, free bus passes for the
elderly, care in the community, frozen council tax….I could continue but I feel
these things are what affects most of us most of the time. You need some
antibiotics, you don’t have to pay. You want to finish that degree, you will be
financially assisted. You want your Granny to come visit next week, she can get
a bus for free. You slip after a night out and need some physiotherapy, you don’t
have to wait too long. You want to pay less council tax, so do I. The point is
that so far the SNP have done very well for Scotland, more so than the
Westminster Government.
This
is why I will be voting Yes in the independence referendum. Also contributing
to my deep rooted searing passion is the fact that when I meet folk, the worse
thing I can say even to a staunch unionist isn’t that I support independence,
but rather that when they ask “What do you do for a living?”, my response is
usually sheepishly “Nothing. I am an unemployed, disabled artist.” The artist part is debateable though. What is
un-debateable is the stigma that has now been caused by being “unfit” to work.
The sheer despicableness that David Cameron and his Government has shown to
folk like me is without doubt an attack on the most needy in the community.
While all my friends continue to work and gain pay rises that reflect
inflation, I am stuck forever more, being poor. I can’t even move out from my
mothers as I could now be taxed on a spare bedroom that I would need for my
carer. Don’t think for a wee minute that I am one of the many children of
benefit culture, I had a 3 bedroom flat on the South side of Glasgow, studying
in my third year for University and my partner worked extremely hard to pay the
mortgage. I was lucky though as I was funded by the SNP to get my degree, what
was unlucky was falling ill. This could happen to you or anyone you know at any
time. Nothing is certain. That is why all the questions relating to the
uncertainty of an independent country doesn’t phase me. The union of Great
Britain doesn’t seem too certain just now. Independence is a glimmer of hope in
an otherwise gloomy London outlook.
I
have had many debates with friends and strangers regarding independence. The
overall consensus seems to be that everyone wants better for Scotland, just
that some folk have different opinions on how this can be achieved. Its not us “Nats”
and they “unionists”, it is all of us Scottish brethren. We have to come together
to appreciate what is happening in Scotland right now and how we have been
ignored for too long by the Tory government, that’s one thing we can all agree
on….we don’t like Dave and his cronies. With an independent Scotland we can
control 99% of Scotland’s revenue, right now we only control 15%. With an
independent Scotland we can get rid of Nuclear weapons from outside our most
populous city. With an independent Scotland WE can decide what is best for our
country.
- Debra Torrance.
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