You like when I write rants. I like writing rants. So let’s end the week with a rant.
Back in the day when I was a street fightin’ disability activist, it was the era of Albert closely followed by the Rainbow. What linked both governments was the Dick Spring-led Labour party and the power behind that party was Fergus Finlay.
I used to flatter myself thinking it was the massive number of disabled activists who brought the government around to ideas like the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities. Ha! The grizzled old hack in me now knows that Fergus, as the parent of a disabled daughter, had a personal stake in the provision of robust disability law and he was at the right place at the right time to ‘influence’ things.
One of the main platforms on which disability law was built is the premise that it is focused on the person rather than being influenced by the commercial and sectoral interests of what is euphemistically called ‘service providers’.
We don’t need to name names but let’s agree we can guess a very large international conglomerate wouldn’t be exactly top of the list to help forge laws or act as a watchdog – Fergus got this too.
At least I thought I did. Thursday got those wild little alarm bells ringing in my brain.
Fergus turned up at a press conference asking us to STOP OUT OF CONTROL DRINKING. Think Maude Lovejoy in The Simpsons strategically fainting and imploring we think of the children.
Well intentioned but totally ineffectual.
The reason why I’m saying this is, among the great, the good and any publicity-is-good-for-my-media profile board members is one Denis Smith. He works for Diageo. Diageo makes and sells booze.
In fairness to Fergus, he did say he had initial fears but, hey... they make great ads so they must be alright (well maybe not but you get my rapier like satiric thrust…)
Fergus did say that the big wad of cash Diageo was handing over to fund the campaign was great and came with no strings attached.
Fergus, babe, your first thoughts were right. It’s an hilariously ironic idea, but it’d also really, really sad.
I had a look at the website rolemodels.ie, and then got even more depressed. The socially inclusive method it’s using – townhall meetings, web forums, the whole kit and caboodle – was used in an earth-shatteringly positive way back in the 90s when the disability commission I spoke about had ‘listening meetings’ for anybody who wanted to join in.
All funded by a pre-Celtic Tiger government rather than a drinks company with a deep and meaningful social responsibility policy. Indeed.
Fergus, you pure crather. Here’s the deal. If I’m wrong, I’ll join the pioneers. If I’m right, you and I are on the lash when Arthur’s Day comes back
Over to you.
