I Just Dinnae Ken

I haven’t been sleeping at night.

It is because of the impending Independence Referendum which is happening in Scotland, in under a month. It is a change for the people in Scotland to decided our future. To decide where we want our country to go next. It is a chance to show the world who we are, and what we stand for. There is just two options. Yes or No?

When the announcement for the referendum came about, I was feeling that with English relatives, I was British, and that was that. In the last several months, various propaganda have come out for both sides. Telling us why or why not to vote for independence. Great, both sides should get a say. Put across their side of the argument and let the people decide. So, because I felt like I wasn’t looking into the debate enough, I started reading up on it. Looking at the policies and following both sides of the debate on various parts of social media. I had decided that if I wanted to look at the debate equally, then I wanted to see the public faces of these campaigns. I wanted to know what the folk promoting their side had to say about things. Seemed to make sense, at the time.

However, I have found that all these avenues have just confused me. Whilst Yes Scotland and Better Together have presented arguments for their side, it has become difficult to decipher the facts from the campaigns from personal opinion and views. There is a big case of each side calling the other ‘liars’ and trying to debunk what each other says. People who have made their mind up, are so blinded that they see any other option as ‘wrong’ or ‘stupid’.

In my opinion a good political discussion should be able to be held, without superior undertones and offending any doubters. Every person is making their opinion which is personal to them, and accepting that is the first step to an adult discussion on anything. But that isn’t happening. I try to go on various forums and speak about the debate with people from either side of the debate. This seemed like a good way for people to show me how they were convinced of a particular side, and how they feel about it. But that didn’t happened. I would question what people said, to try and find out more on the main points of the debate, and I would be made to feel stupid and insignificant. To the decided voters, what their side says is obvious to them, because they believe it. Because they are already chosen their side, it may become the only option. Because it is the only option to them. It may not be the only option for everyone.

And that is democracy. Not, vote my way or you are a moron. Accepting other opinions, and feeling secure enough to put down your opinion, and leave it. This debate has become over-run by people who appear to have not looked into any politics before in their lives. People with a ‘do or die’ momentum. There is no good or evil side. There is no suspense driving background music that comes on when you read something made-up or misleading. Life isn’t that easy. You have to look at all options and decide for yourself, and try not to get discouraged or bullied by those who belittle you. It is having the belief that the voters will make the right choice, and to go with that choice, whatever your personal feelings. The main thing, that people remain united, try not to fall out with people with different views.

I apologise at this stage, because I realise (as usual) that I have rambled. I needed to get out my feelings about this vote, because I hope to start afresh. Over the next few weeks, in the run up the referendum vote, I hope to post directly from both Yes and Better Together. I hope to clarify the vote for some undecided people, like myself, and make sense of this mess. I want to make it clear that whilst interested in politics, I have no formal education or experience in this field. I just want to paint a picture of the debate, without the posturing, and in the process calm myself down about this impending vote.